Maria di Angelo

"Certamente. We will stay together. Zeus is un imbecile."

- Maria di Angelo

Maria di Angelo was an Italian woman, and the mother of Bianca and Nico di Angelo. She was a mortal who could see through the Mist, which is one the reasons that caused Hades to fall in love with her.

The Sword of Hades
While searching for Ethan Nakamura in the Underworld, Melinoe, the goddess of ghosts appears before Percy Jackson, Thalia Grace, and Nico di Angelo to torment them with visions of people they had lost. While she appeared to Thalia as her mother, she showed herself to Nico as Maria di Angelo.

The Last Olympian
When trying to summon Maria, Nico 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 Zeus wouldn't find out about them. Maria said she didn't want to raise her children in the Underworld.

While she was in a hotel (Hades and the children outside), 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 then told Alecto to bring Nico and Bianca to the Lotus Hotel and Casino where time stands still.

Hades really loved her because 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
Maria is described by Percy as very beautiful and 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. It is also mentioned that she has dark brown eyes, which is said to be shared with her son, Nico.

Trivia

 * Maria was one of the few who always saw Hades' kind and generous side, and even speculated that if the other Olympians saw it as well, they would not spurn and fear him nearly as much.
 * Maria di Angelo and the mother of Hazel Levesque, Marie Levesque, have a lot in common:
 * Both were both at one point lovers of Hades/Pluto.
 * Maria and Marie were both killed by an immortal.
 * Their daughters were both killed.
 * Their daughter's time was reserved and then brought back to life or for example, Bianca being stuck in the Lotus Hotel and Casino and hadn't even noticed 70 years passed by.
 * Their first names are similar.
 * Di Angelo means "From the angel."