Nella Ciapetti Assagioli’s Spiritual, Feminist, and Theosophical Contribution
By William Esposito
Translated by Jan Kuniholm (with permission from the author)
Originally published in Rivista Italiana di Teosofia, no. 1–2, 2025, pp. 34–37
Previously published (with changes) in Psicosintesi, October 2024, no. 42, pp. 18–21
Editorial note:
The subheadings in this online edition have been added by the editor, Kenneth Sørensen, to support readability and navigation. They were not part of the original publication and do not modify, interpret, or alter the original text.
Abstract
This biographical and historical essay examines the life, work, and spiritual orientation of Nella Ciapetti Assagioli, highlighting her role as an independent thinker, spiritual feminist, and active participant in early twentieth-century Italian theosophy. Drawing on newly published archival material, family testimony, and the recent volume Nel raggio di Sole, the article situates Nella Ciapetti’s writings, initiatives, and social engagements within the broader cultural contexts of theosophy, women’s spiritual movements, and the formative years of psychosynthesis. It also illuminates her personal partnership with Roberto Assagioli, emphasizing her intellectual autonomy, moral influence, and enduring contribution to spiritual and feminist thought.
The Rediscovery of Nella Ciapetti’s Spiritual Legacy
The book Nel raggio di Sole (In the Ray of the Sun), fresh off the press, was presented at the XV International Congress of Psychosynthesis held in Abano Terme (Padua) and Venice from October 25 to 28, 2024 before an audience of over three hundred participants from around the world.
“Nel Raggio di Sole” and the Inner Sources of Spiritual Illumination
In her 1912 article entitled “Nel Raggio di Sole,” published in the periodical Ultra, Nella Ciapetti Assagioli compares the illuminating effect of a sunbeam to the “intuitive flashes [that] penetrate the darkness of the human soul” and invites us to listen to its silent inspirations and follow its guidance. These intuitions arise from the practice of observation, in the silence of meditation and contemplation: transpersonal factors of the soul which, when “synthesized in a harmonious whole” are capable of illuminating both inner life as well as that of the universe. The article gives its name to the book just published by Edizioni Teosofiche Italiane in Vicenza, edited by William Esposito, Mara Chinatti, Giuliana Savelli, and Claudio Scala, a little over fifty years after the death of Nella Ciapetti (1973). The book revolves around a core of articles, mainly of a spiritual nature, which Nella Ciapetti (wife of Roberto Assagioli, the father of psychosynthesis) published between 1912 and 1930 in the theosophical periodical Ultra (Journal of Spiritual Studies and Research, edited in Rome).
Nella Ciapetti joined the theosophical movement perhaps even before her future husband; she was initiated by her mother, Eloisa. By a strange coincidence, Nella’s future mother-in-law, Anna Kaula, was also a member of the Theosophical Society. [1] These articles, which might otherwise have been forgotten, are presented in a new edition and with a critical reading for today’s readers. Mara Chinatti and Giuliana Savelli, from the “Uroboro 2020” Theosophical Center in Verona, [2] have given a fundamental impetus to the creation of the book, and especially to its structure, with insights that truly enrich the original writings of Nella Ciapetti — a work carried out by many hands; a varied fresco that some readers might find heterogeneous, but undoubtedly and surprisingly compelling!
Early Life, Family Background, and Theosophical Formation
Nella Ciapetti was born in Castel S. Niccolò (Arezzo) on October 29, 1893. Her father Gino was originally from San Casciano Val di Pesa (Florence), and her mother Eloisa Arcangioli from Capolona (Arezzo). She had a brother, Luigi Francesco, born in 1903. [3] Donatella Ciapetti, who lived for a time in Florence with the Assagiolis after the death of their son Ilario, was the daughter of Luigi Francesco. It is thanks to the documentation provided by Donatella Ciapetti that the work is enriched with fascinating previously unpublished information about Nella Ciapetti and Assagioli, filling a gap that has always been felt in the biographical works about the father of psychosynthesis. We would like to thank Donatella’s daughter, Selene, for providing us with providing us with these precious memories. [4]
The Roman Theosophical Milieu and Meeting Roberto Assagioli
Nella Ciapetti and Roberto Assagioli both frequented the “Roma” Group of the Independent Theosophical League in the capital which had initially been located at number 5 Via Gregoriana (Trinità dei Monti); it was almost certainly here that they met. Both were active members in the group, led by General Carlo Ballatore and, after his death, by Enrico Galli Angelini. Its official organ was the magazine Ultra, edited by Decio Calvari; Assagioli became one of its editors. Nella had published an article in it in 1912 (“Nel raggio di sole”). In the chronicles of 1916, she is described as a “young and cultured woman . . . with a heart inflamed for theosophical doctrines, of which she is a skilled propagator . . . [5] Nella and Roberto held conferences, courses, and presented articles for Ultra at an almost feverish pace until 1930. Subsequently, the publication of the magazine was suspended and then permanently closed due to financial problems.
Marriage, Motherhood, and Shared Spiritual Work
In 1922, Nella and Roberto were married. It was Assagioli’s second marriage, after a previous one that ended quickly. In 1923, their only son, Ilario, was born, and in 1926 the family moved to Rome. In the same year, Assagioli was appointed Vice-President of the “Roma” Theosophical Group which, in 1928, had its headquarters at Via A. Bosio 15, the Assagioli family’s residence.
The initiatives of the Institute of Culture and Psychic Therapy — the future Institute of Psychosynthesis — which Assagioli had founded in 1926, initially located at Via Marsala 96/B, were also held there separately. Countess Gabriella Spalletti Rasponi (1853-1931) and Countess Bice Brusati were on the Board of Directors, respectively in the roles of President and Vice-President of the Institute. They were also on the National Council of Italian Women. They were friends of Nella, whom Assagioli had wanted by his side in his newly formed Institute. His niece Donatella Ciapetti writes in her diary that her uncle had a meaningful relationship with her, fully sharing ideas, including those about Maria Montessori, another important exponent of early feminism in Italy and the world. [6]
From Isabelle C. Küng, who stayed with the Assagioli family to study for a few months each year from a very young age, we learn that Nella appeared as a kind and reserved person in everyday life, who managed the vast family estate in Capolona with great skill and authority. This testimony appears in the valuable and sincere interview with Ms. Küng by Mara Chinatti, Giuliana Savelli and Claudio Scala, found in the fourth chapter, entitled “Alla ricerca di Nella” (In Search of Nella). The relationship between the Assagioli family, Nella’s energetic character and her substantially positive influence on her husband Roberto is also extensively referenced in the excellent biography Roberto, Nella, and Luisa. [7]
Feminism, Spiritual Activism, and Women’s Initiatives
Nella Ciapetti — a friend of prominent feminists of the time, such as Countess Spalletti Rasponi, as already mentioned — expressed an original form of feminism and was also active on a spiritual level. In the early 1920s, she belonged to a special committee that gathered subscriptions for a spiritual women’s magazine [8] and was the coordinator of the women’s movement “Portatrici di Lampade” [Lamp Bearers] (Sorores Lucis, [Sisters of Light]) . [9] In her 1919 article “Occultism and Revolution,” [10] some conceptual references seem to anticipate the establishment of the association: “We feel . . . deeply that all men and women in whom the mystical flame of purification and devotion burns will, at the appropriate time, transform themselves into ‘torchbearers’ and ‘lampbearers’ to fight the battle for a new spirituality reality of life!”
Spiritual Centers, Parapsychology, and Later Interests
In accordance with her mother’s wishes and in the name of her son Ilario, she promoted the creation of a “center of spiritual radiation” in Capolona (Arezzo), on ‘Il Pino’ hill [“Pine Hill”], whose activities she was only able to follow its activities for a short time. We currently have no further information beyond the sparse information that appears in the epitaph on her tombstone.
This particular form of feminine action was highlighted in the first chapter of the book, “Historical Context of the Articles by Nella Ciapetti,” by Giuliana Savelli. Nella also cultivated interests in the parapsychological field: in her home she led “metapsychic groups” which were always very crowded, and was passionate about experiments in this field. She also held a small group of mediumship sessions, an approach in which she had probably become interested after the premature death of her son Ilario (1951). [11] Roberto Assagioli never participated in Nella’s mediumistic meetings, because he claimed to have moved beyond that stage of interests. HP Blavatsky herself — founder of the modern theosophical movement — after a “spiritualist period,” distanced herself from it, expressing copious theosophical arguments on the subject in her writings. [12] Assagioli, however, left Nella free to enjoy this method, due to that respectful and understanding attitude that characterized him so much. [13] His niece Donatella Ciapetti, in her Diary, describes a warm and curious glimpse of the Assagioli couple’s family life:
“He even allowed himself moments of recreation with me; they were still just snippets of his precious time, because Assagioli was a tireless worker. When he left his study in the evening, after a frugal dinner, he would go to bed accompanied by a set of books: he studied until late at night, then — with a black blindfold over his eyes and wax earplugs in his ears, he slept peacefully until dawn — while my aunt moved in and out of the room, because they had completely opposite schedules. Then he would resume studying his books, which were all around him on the large bed and overflowed from the nightstand, while his wife slept blissfully until late. Around nine or nine-thirty, they would get up together, have breakfast, and then he would begin work with his patients, or he would start writing.” [14]
Family Life, Illness, and the Final Years
The last years of Nella Ciapetti’s life are described by Paola Giovetti in her acclaimed book on the father of psychosynthesis, an updated edition [and also an English translation] of which has recently been published. [15] Nella began to show worrying symptoms of a probable degenerative neurological disease, in the form of anxiety, withdrawal into the home, cognitive deficits, and behavioral problems.
Her husband Roberto did everything he could to ensure that his wife received the appropriate care, avoiding hospitalization, with the support of their housekeeper Carmela and his closest students from whom he asked for supporting company even during the night in times of greatest difficulty. [16] Nella Ciapetti passed beyond the veil of matter on the evening of July 30, 1973, after a period of great suffering. It had been necessary to hospitalize her at the hospital in the nearby town of Subbiamo (which was well-equipped and well-run), following a fractured femur, which was likely a final event of a slow-progressing neoplastic bone disease, according to the medical staff.
The pain was intense for Assagioli — who appeared even more debilitated in body — but he faced it with dignity. He was able to witness his wife’s funeral from the window of his room at “Villa Ilario” on the “Il Pino” hill. [17]
She was buried in the tomb of the Ciapetti family tomb, next to that of Ilario, on the property of “Villa La Nussa” in Capolona (Arezzo). The following year, on August 23, 1974, Roberto Assagioli experienced his own liberation.
Nella Ciapetti’s Writings and Their Historical Significance
The articles by Nella Ciapetti, which constitute the main body of the work, appear in chronological order of publication and are the: “Nel Raggio di sole” [In the Rays of the Sun”] (1912), “Il giorno del ‘Loto Bianco’” [The Day of the ‘White Lotus’”] (1916), “La missione evolutiva occulta della donna” [“The Hidden Evolutionary Mission of Woman” (1917), “Sui nuovi orizzonti spirituali” [“On New Spiritual Horizons”] (1917), “Occultismo e rivoluzione” [“Occultism and Revolution”] (1919), “L’amore della donna” [“The Love of Woman”] (1925), “Le vie dell’anima” [“The Ways of the Soul”] (1928), “Ritmi di vita” [“Rhythms of Life”] (1929), and “Alice Bailey e la sua opera spirituale” [“Alice Bailey and Her Spiritual Work”] (1930).
For the most part, these are transcriptions of lectures given by the then young author, with enthusiasm and militant faith, at the headquarters of the headquarters of the Independent Theosophical League. In addition to the editors, the following people collaborated on this work: the President of the Italian Theosophical Society, Antonio Girardi, and Edizioni Teoso Italian Theosophical Publications of Vicenza, who supported and finally published the book; the Theosophical Group “Uroboro 2020” in Verona; the Biblioteca Theosofica National Library, based in Rome; the Bozzano-De Boni Library Foundation in Bologna, now directed by Paola Giovetti; Anna Merler, Giovanni Marconi, and Maria Cannata with their original contributions to the third chapter.
William Esposito, physician, psychiatrist, and psychotherapist, is a member of the Theosophical Group “Veritas” in Forlì, head of the Psychosynthesis Group in Forlì-Cesena and Ravenna; he is also author of several publications, especially in the field of the history of psychiatry. This article appeared, with some changes, in: Psicosintesi, October 2024, no. 42, pp. 18-21.
Notes:
[1] Giovetti, P., Roberto Assagioli. The life and work of the founder of psychosynthesis, Ed. Mediterranean, Rome, 2024.
[2] Recently transformed into the “Uroboro,” based in Pergine Valsugana (TN).
[3] www.myheritage.com
[4] See N. Ciapetti Assagioli: Nel raggio di sole, Edizioni Teosofiche Italiane, Vicenza, 2024, chap. 4, Alla ricerca di Nella (edited by M. Chinatti and C. Scala).
[5] “Associazione ‘Roma’ della Lega Theosofica,” Ultra, 1916, no. 4, p. 50.
[6] From the Diary of Donatella Ciapetti (in: Ciapetti Assagioli, N., Nel raggio di sole, op. cit., p. 162).
[7] “R. Assagioli” Psychosynthesis Study Center, Florence, 1991.
[8] “Movimento Spiritualista,” Ultra, 1924, no. 4, p. 43.
[9] “Chronicle of the ‘Rome’ Group of the Independent Theosophical League,” Ultra, 1921, no. 3, p. 39.
[10] Ultra, no. 1, p. 28.
[11] De Boni, G., “Cases and comments. A ‘live’ séance in Florence,” Luce e Ombra, 1956, no. 1, p. 60.
[12] Cf., “The Difference Between Theosophy and Spiritualism,” in Blavatsky, HP, The Key to Theosophy, Edizioni Teosofiche Italiane, Vicenza, 2009, pp. 32-36.
[13] From the Diary of Donatella Ciapetti (in: N. Ciapetti Assagioli, id. idem, op. cit. p. 160).
[14] Ibid., p. 161.
[15] Roberto Assagioli. The life and work of the founder of psychosynthesis, op. cited
[16] Testimony given personally to the writer by Bruno Caldironi, a direct student of Assagioli.
[17] Letter from Ida Palombi to IC Küng dated August 23, 1973.
