Amélie Gex
Encyclopedia
Amélie Rose Françoise Gex, (born October 24, 1835, La Chapelle-Blanche, Savoie
, died June 16, 1883, Chambéry
) was a Savoy
ard writer and poet who created works in French
and Franco-Provençal (Arpitan)
. Until 1880, she published most of her writings under the pen name
Dian de la Jeânna.
then Challes-les-Eaux
with her grandmother. At fourteen, she moved back to La Chapelle-Blanche with her father .
Upon the formation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861, Gex, like many Liberals
who preferred the Italian Cavour to Napoleon III of France
, supported King Victor Emmanuel II
. She later became Republican, and entered politics, writing speeches in dialect to better speak to rural voters.
Gex began writing during the years 1872-75. After the death of her father in 1876, she operated her family's estate, then returned to live in Chambéry, where she lived modestly.
In 1877, the Republican
newspaper Le Père André began publishing her poetry under the nom de plume Dian de la Jeânna ("John son of Jane"). She continued publishing under this name in Le Père André from March 1879 until May 1880, then in L'Indicateur savoisien from 1879 to 1882 . Her poems are devoted to vineyards, farmers and the Savoy. They evoke the harvest, threshing with a flail, and the cycles of nature that motivate people to work.
Gex also wrote short stories. In "Dit de la couleuvre" ("Tale of the Snake"), she reworks the story of the Queen of Sheba, who rode a flying serpent to marry Solomon. In "Dit du Château mort" ("Tale of Castle Death"), she evokes a pagan country castle near Mont Blanc
haunted by a flaming sword turning in the air. Deciding that politics should give way to work, she also strove to write stories in French to expand her readership.
In 1882, she was honored by the Academy of Savoy for her work .
She died of an illness in 1883.
La Chapelle-Blanche, Savoie
La Chapelle-Blanche is a commune in the Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. The village is located in the Combe de Savoie, on the southwestern slope of the hill Montraillant.-History:...
, died June 16, 1883, Chambéry
Chambéry
Chambéry is a city in the department of Savoie, located in the Rhône-Alpes region in southeastern France.It is the capital of the department and has been the historical capital of the Savoy region since the 13th century, when Amadeus V of Savoy made the city his seat of power.-Geography:Chambéry...
) was a Savoy
Savoy
Savoy is a region of France. It comprises roughly the territory of the Western Alps situated between Lake Geneva in the north and Monaco and the Mediterranean coast in the south....
ard writer and poet who created works in French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
and Franco-Provençal (Arpitan)
Franco-Provençal language
Franco-Provençal , Arpitan, or Romand is a Romance language with several distinct dialects that form a linguistic sub-group separate from Langue d'Oïl and Langue d'Oc. The name Franco-Provençal was given to the language by G.I...
. Until 1880, she published most of her writings under the pen name
Pen name
A pen name, nom de plume, or literary double, is a pseudonym adopted by an author. A pen name may be used to make the author's name more distinctive, to disguise his or her gender, to distance an author from some or all of his or her works, to protect the author from retribution for his or her...
Dian de la Jeânna.
Biography
Amélie Gex was the daughter of the physician and winemaker Marc-Samuel Gex. Her mother died when she was 4 years old. She first lived in ChambéryChambéry
Chambéry is a city in the department of Savoie, located in the Rhône-Alpes region in southeastern France.It is the capital of the department and has been the historical capital of the Savoy region since the 13th century, when Amadeus V of Savoy made the city his seat of power.-Geography:Chambéry...
then Challes-les-Eaux
Challes-les-Eaux
Challes-les-Eaux is a commune in the Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. Chambéry Aerodrome is located in the commune.-External links:*...
with her grandmother. At fourteen, she moved back to La Chapelle-Blanche with her father .
Upon the formation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861, Gex, like many Liberals
Italian Liberal Party
The Italian Liberal Party was a liberal political party in Italy.-Origins:The origins of liberalism in Italy came from the so-called "Historical Right", a parliamentary group formed by Camillo Benso di Cavour in the Parliament of the Kingdom of Sardinia following the 1848 revolution...
who preferred the Italian Cavour to Napoleon III of France
Napoleon III of France
Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte was the President of the French Second Republic and as Napoleon III, the ruler of the Second French Empire. He was the nephew and heir of Napoleon I, christened as Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte...
, supported King Victor Emmanuel II
Victor Emmanuel II of Italy
Victor Emanuel II was king of Sardinia from 1849 and, on 17 March 1861, he assumed the title King of Italy to become the first king of a united Italy since the 6th century, a title he held until his death in 1878...
. She later became Republican, and entered politics, writing speeches in dialect to better speak to rural voters.
Gex began writing during the years 1872-75. After the death of her father in 1876, she operated her family's estate, then returned to live in Chambéry, where she lived modestly.
In 1877, the Republican
Italian Republican Party
The Italian Republican Party is a liberal political party in Italy.The PRI is party with old roots that originally took a left-wing position, claiming descent from the political position of Giuseppe Mazzini...
newspaper Le Père André began publishing her poetry under the nom de plume Dian de la Jeânna ("John son of Jane"). She continued publishing under this name in Le Père André from March 1879 until May 1880, then in L'Indicateur savoisien from 1879 to 1882 . Her poems are devoted to vineyards, farmers and the Savoy. They evoke the harvest, threshing with a flail, and the cycles of nature that motivate people to work.
Gex also wrote short stories. In "Dit de la couleuvre" ("Tale of the Snake"), she reworks the story of the Queen of Sheba, who rode a flying serpent to marry Solomon. In "Dit du Château mort" ("Tale of Castle Death"), she evokes a pagan country castle near Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc or Monte Bianco , meaning "White Mountain", is the highest mountain in the Alps, Western Europe and the European Union. It rises above sea level and is ranked 11th in the world in topographic prominence...
haunted by a flaming sword turning in the air. Deciding that politics should give way to work, she also strove to write stories in French to expand her readership.
In 1882, she was honored by the Academy of Savoy for her work .
She died of an illness in 1883.
Selected works
- 1878, Le long de l'An, chansons en patois savoyard, avec la traduction française en regard, Imp. C.-P. Ménard, Chambéry
- 1879, Reclans de Savoué, Les Echos de Savoie, Imp. C.-P. Ménard, Chambéry
- 1880, Poésies, Imp. C.-P. Ménard, Chambéry
- 1882, Lo cent ditons de Pierre d'Emo, Imp. C.-P. Ménard, Chambéry
- 1882, À une âme sincère, Imp. C.-P. Ménard, Chambéry
- 1885, Vieilles gens et vieilles choses : Histoire de ma rue de mon village, quatre contes
- 1894, Feuilles mortes, Imp. C.-P. Ménard, Chambéry
- 1898, Fables, Imp. C.-P. Ménard, Chambéry
Works online
- "Dian de la Jeânna" (Amélie Gex, 1878), Le long de l'An : Chansons en payois sayoyard, BnF Gallica
- "Dian de la Jeânna" (Amélie Gex, 1879), Reclans de Savoué, BnF Gallica
- Amélie Gex (1880), Poésies, BnF Gallica
- Amélie Gex (1885), Vieilles gens et vieilles choses : histoires de ma rue et de mon village, BnF Gallica
Text
- Biography at Sabaudia.org (French)
- Biographical note, Consulate General of Savoy (French)
- Bibliographies, Amélie Gex at Librairie Le Beau Livre.com, list of complete works
Media files
- Mediatheque Valais - Martigny, En Savoie: Amélie Gex et l'Institut Gardette de Lyon, Terrapon, Michel (1987), mpeg file
- Mediatheque Valais - Martigny, Hommage à Amélie Gex, Terrapon, Michel (1986), mpeg file
- Mediatheque Valais - Martigny, Léon l'Homme - Petit florilège francoprovençal, Terrapon, Michel (1993), mpeg file