Carlota Talassi da Silva was born in the parish of Santo Ildefonso in Porto, Portugal on 20 September 1811.

Her parents supported their daughter's inclinations to join them in the theatre and guided her development from an early age.

In 1822 she went to the Portuguese capital, Lisbon, with her parents but they were unable to get work at the Teatro da Rua dos Condes and, as a result, travelled around the provinces of Portugal and Galicia in Spain and returned to Porto, where they lived for another three years.

In October 1825, they headed back to Lisbon and entered the Teatro do Salitre, where Talassi remained until Easter 1826 when the death of the king led to political instability and the closing of the theatres.

After D. Pedro defeated his brother, D. Miguel in the Liberal Wars and entered Lisbon in 1833, she returned to the Salitre in the capacity of first lady.