Callas memorabilia sells for £1m

Callas was married to Meneghini for 10 years

A collection of memorabilia belonging to late opera star Maria Callas has fetched 1.76m Euros (£1.26m) at a Sotheby's auction in Milan.

But 63 love letters from Callas to her husband Giovanni Battista Meneghini only sold for half the estimated price of 32,650 Euros (£23,525).

A gold and emerald Cartier brooch was bought for 74,650 Euros (£53,801) despite an estimate of 4,000 Euros.

The items were left by the estate of the late Meneghini.

'More popular'

Callas' art collection proved popular, with strong bidding for a Madonna and Child painting which fetched 204,250 Euros (£146,980).

A Tiffany bowl given to Callas by US President John F Kennedy at his birthday in 1962 sold for 26,650 Euros (£19,200), over 10 times its estimate.

And a collection of musical scores, some autographed by the singer, went for 42,250 Euros (£30,438).

Nearly 300 lots were up for auction

"She came back to be more popular than before," said Sotheby's spokeswoman Iris Fabbri after the auction.

Callas died a recluse at the age of 53 in Paris 30 years ago, leaving $14m (£6.8m) and no will.

Many of her personal effects were purchased at auction in the French capital the year after her death by the grief-stricken Meneghini.

Twenty-eight years her senior, he never recovered from Callas leaving him after being seduced by the wealthy Greek shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis.

The collection also included furniture, china, designer dresses, and gifts from Callas' admirers around the world.

Callas, who was born in New York in 1923, went on to become one of the world's most celebrated sopranos.