| “ | Certamente. We will stay together. Zeus is un imbecile. | ” |
Maria Di Angelo was an Italian woman and is the mother of Bianca and Nico di Angelo. She could see through the Mist, which caused Hades to fall in love with her.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians
The Demigod Files
The Sword of Hades
While searching for Ethan in the Underworld, Melinoe, the goddess of ghosts appears before Percy, Thalia, and Nico to torment them with visions of people they had lost. While she appeared to Thalia as her mother, she showed herself to Nico as his mother, Maria di Angelo. Maria is described by Percy as wearing a black dress with white gloves and pearls, with her dark hair pulled back. He couldn't make out her face, but in The Last Olympian, it is said she has Bianca's smile and Nico's eyes.
The Last Olympian
Hades, Maria's lover
When trying to summon Maria, Nico di Angelo instead finds out much information about her through his sister.
During the time she and Hades were together, the Great Prophecy had been spoken and World War II was beginning with some of his other demigod children involved. He wanted to hide Maria and the children in the Underworld so that the other gods wouldn't find out about them. Maria refused to be hidden or separated from him or the children saying they needed her and was openly unafraid of Zeus despite the fact Hades darkly warned her that she didn't know his family.
While they were in a hotel, Zeus destroyed it, killing Maria. Hades was only quick enough to shield Bianca and Nico. Hades had wished to revive her in his loss but Alecto, the Fury, reminded him that as an immortal he had to respect the forces of life and death.
Hades loved her; as Annabeth pointed out that the gods rarely reveal their true nature to a mortal and because he had two children with her (unlike having twins) and continued to see her until Bianca and Nico were about 3 and 5. She was also able to see more to him than the dark person everyone else saw and he put up, saying if the other gods could see him as she did, perhaps they wouldn't fear and outcast him.
Her death caused Hades a lot of pain and bitterness towards his family, which in turn led to the curse on the Oracle. Nico was able to partially use the memory of his mother to convince Hades to fight with the others, telling him she was right about families sticking together and he should prove himself to be more than what his siblings thought of him.
Appearance
Nico di Angelo, Maria's son
Maria is described by Percy as wearing a black dress and a black veiled hat, similar to movie stars of the 1940s. Bianca had the same smile as her, while Nico has the same eyes. Percy says that it is creepy how much she looks like her daughter, Bianca. In The Sword of Hades, Percy describes her as a woman in an old-fashioned black velvet dress with a matching hat. She also wore a string of pearls and white gloves. She had her dark hair tied back as well.
Trivia
- Maria's name resembles the name of another Hades/Pluto's lovers Marie Levesque.