Cappello, Bianca (1548–1587)

Grand duchess of Tuscany. Name variations: Bianca Capello; Bianca Bonaventuri; Bianca de Medici. Born in Venice in 1548; died suddenly in Tuscany during a colic epidemic in October 1587; daughter of Bartolommeo Cappello (a Venetian aristocrat); married Pietro Bonaventuri (a clerk), in 1563 (died 1572); became second wife of Francesco I also known as Francis I de Medici (1541–1587), grand duke of Tuscany, in June 1578; children: (first marriage) one daughter, Pellegrina Bonaventuri (who married Ulisse Bentivoglio); (second marriage) stepdaughter Marie de Medici (c. 1573–1642).

Bianca Cappello was born into a very wealthy family of the Venetian aristocracy. She was probably well educated, as that was the fashion for Italian noblewomen at the time, and was renowned for her beauty. It is certain that her father, the great Bartolommeo Cappello, had important dynastic plans for his beautiful daughter. However, Bianca rebelled against her parents' plans for her, and eloped to Florence with her lover, Pietro Bonaventuri, when she was 15. Their marriage in November 1563 caused great consternation in Venice and caught the attention of the Venetian authorities. The scandal arose partly because theirs was not a traditionally arranged marriage set up for the benefit of their families, and partly because Pietro was only a poor clerk in a banking firm and thus considered unworthy to marry the daughter of such a noble family.

Bartolommeo Cappello urged the Venetian city leaders to find Bianca and return her to Venice, and the city officials did their best to oblige. Fortunately for the young couple, however, the powerful Cosimo de Medici, duke of Florence and Tuscany, took their side (probably to anger his enemies in Venice), and they were allowed to remain safely in Florence. However, Bianca, raised in an opulent palace and used to luxury, did not get along with the Bonaventuris, who were indigent and apparently wanted her to perform the same manual labors they did. After only a few years of marriage, Bianca became the mistress of Cosimo de Medici's son and heir, Francesco de Medici, himself already married as well to Joanna of Austria (1546–1578).

Pietro Bonaventuri seems to have made no great protest to his wife's affair, and for his silence he was rewarded with a clerkship at the duke's court. He himself was known to have many lovers during his time at court. He was murdered in 1572, apparently as the tragic consequence of one of his liaisons. Two years later, Francesco succeeded his father as duke of Tuscany and Florence. At this point, his relationship with Bianca became public knowledge, scandalizing Florence and infuriating his wife Joanna. This state of affairs continued until Joanna's untimely death in April of 1578. Francesco and Bianca married only two months later but did not make the news public until the following year.

Francesco's first wife had given birth to three daughters—Eleonora de Medici (1567–1611), Caterina (1569–1584), and Marie de Medici (c. 1573–1642)—but no living sons. Bianca knew that she needed a son to insure her position as Florence's "first lady," since only as the mother of the succeeding duke could she hope to retain her power if Francesco died before her. Bianca did not enjoy popularity in Florence, and was especially disliked by the Medici family. However, she and Francesco had no surviving children, although Bianca tried all sorts of ruses to pretend that she did have a son, including trying to convince the court that an orphaned boy was really her son by Francesco.

Bianca Cappello died suddenly at the age of 39 during a colic epidemic in October 1587. Her husband Francesco followed her in death from the same epidemic only a few days later.