she was born in cividale del friuli, the daughter of strolling players and appeared as a child on the stage. at fourteen she made her first success as francesca da rimini in silvio pellico's tragedy. at eighteen she was playing "mary stuart" in an italian version of friedrich schiller's play of the same name. she had been a member of the sardinian company and also of the ducal company at parma for some years before her marriage to the "marchese" giuliano capranica del grillo in 1846. after a short retirement from her career, she returned to the stage and played regularly in turin and the provinces.