(born Oct. 3, 1858, near or in Vigevano, Lombardy, Austrian Empire—died April 21, 1924, Pittsburgh, Pa., U.S.) Italian actress. Born into a family of touring actors, she appeared on stage from age four. She acted in several French plays to great acclaim from 1878 and toured with her own company in Europe and the U.S. after 1885. She fell in love with the poet
Gabriele D'Annunzio in the 1890s and acted in several plays he wrote for her. Unlike her contemporary
Sarah Bernhardt, she did not try to project her own personality but instead sought to lose herself in her characters. The most fluent and expressive actress of her day, she was especially noted for her roles in
Henrik Ibsen's plays. She retired in 1909 but returned to the stage in 1921 and was touring the U.S. when she died.
Source: Encyclopedia Britannica
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