CAPELLO, kft-pM'IL, or CAPPELLO (It., hair), BIANCA (c.1542-87). An Italian adven turess, wife of Francesco de' :Medici. She was born of a noble family in Venice, and in 1563 eloped to Florence with Pitro Bonaventuri. Soon afterwards she formed a liaison with Francesco de' Mcdh.i. who had recently married Joanna, Archduchess of Austria. The lack of a male heir was a source of great sorrow to Francis. and in 1576 Bianca presented to him a supposititious son, whom the Duke received as his own and named Antonio. To prevent the detection of the imposture, she caused the assassination of those who had assisted her in its perpetration. Bona venturi had been put to death by order of Fran cesco in 1570, and Joanna died in 157S. Three months later, notwithstanding the opposition of his relatives and counselors. Bianca persuaded the Grand Duke to make her his wife. The mar riage was approved by Philip It. of Spain, and in 1579, Bianca Was proclaimed Grand Duchess of Tuscany. She immediately endeavored to secure her position by obtaining the good-will of the Medici family, and particularly of the Cardinal Ferdinand, brother and next heir to Francesco. In 1587, however, the two brothers
and Bianca scot at Poggio 5 Cajano, and a few days later the Grand Duke and his wife Were suddenly taken ill and both died. Ferdinand has been accused, but probably unjustly. of hav ing poisoned them. Though through life she re tained undiminished power over the affections of her capricious prince, Biailea did not sin ceed in making Antonio his successor. She failed, too, to conciliate her subjects, and many staries of her eruelty and propensity for magical arts are part of the popular tradition of Florence to-day. 'mist)] t Siclamke, Bianca Capello (Gotha, 1789) ; /frila //torte di Francesco de' Medici r di Bianca Capcllo (Florence, l863) ; and two articles on Bianca Capello in the Berne des Mondes (Paris, 1884).