Why “Chez Zany”?
It’s an french expression with a italian name in a house that is located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Does it makes sense? If you like some story, get some popcorn and follow the thread :)
It all begin in 1934 when my grandmother Nélly Maria Pestana Zany was born, the youngest of 4 siblings, inside a mostly Portuguese family and raised in Santa Teresa. She married to my grandfather in 1958, they had 3 little boys togheter (right now they are almost over their sixties): my older uncle, my dad and my god father.
Zany is a surname that arrived in Brazil as Zani, with an I. Francesco, then, Zany (with an Y) was one the firsts (actually the third) italian to imigrate to Manaus, in Amazonas. Manaus in 1800’s was a thriving city, full of oportunities related to latex, the natural rubber. Francesco was the grandfather of my great grandfather Jorge Zany.
As we were raised in a Latin Catholic culture, my surnames were a connection of my mom’s last name, and my dad’s last name. Which means that my grandmother last name was kind of lost. She had only one brother, that had a girl and she had 2 girls. The other 2 siblings were also woman, and all of her sisters had girls too. The surname Zany was in it’s last generation.
My grandma and I had a huge connection. She graduated in History and Geography (by the time was the same degree) and she taught me about arts, museums, décor and also about France, but I will leave it to the next chapter.
I couldn't let her name die. So I decided that I was going to add her name to my name when I turned 18.
(Of course all of it with lawyers and etcs)
When I turned 18, I became also a Zany. Julia Zany.
Now I will tell you about the CHEZ situation. Why Chez? If Zany is italian when I wanted to honor my grandma, why not something using Italian instead of french?
It has an explanation: eventhough my grandma was born and raised in Rio, she and her sisters were educated in a bording school, in the same street that she lived. Seems crazy, right?
This boarding school was run by a catholic congregation of nuns from France, from the Religieuses de l'Assomption. In this school she was taught the french manners and to speak in french. So everything needs to be in french while she was trying to teach me some manners too.
In the way of honer her and our story and our conection, the name Chez Zany sound right for the ocasion.
A lot of art from Chez Zany Santa Teresa is hers and a lot of her soul and style in Copacabana.
Luckly she and my grandfather were able to see the first Chez Zany in 2019, but she finished her work at earth in February of 2023, 2 weeks after our first visit to the Copacabana house.
I love you, grandma <3
