Florence at the beginning of the Fourteenth Cen- tury. They were originally one of two conflict- ing branches of a great family in Pistoia. Both parties, Whites and Blacks, being banished to Florence, allied themselves with existing factions there, the Bianchi with the Cerchi family, and the Neri with the Donati, and gave their names to the Florentine parties. The Neri triumphed in 1301 l)y the help of Charles of Valois. and the chief men of the IJianchi, including Dante, were banished. The name was also applied to certain religious fanatics and vagabonds in Italy about the year 1400; and at the present time it is popularly given in Rome to the Anti-Clericals or supjiorters of the Italian monarchy.
BIANCHI, or BIANCA, Bertha Schwabz
(1858 — ). A German soprano opera singer. She
was born in Heidelberg, and received her musical
education under ilezek. in Heidelberg, and
Mme. Viardot, in Paris. She subsequently signed
a contract with Bernhard Pollini to sing for ten
years at the Hamburg Opera House, of which he
was manager: but after appearing at London
she broke the contract upon the plea of her mi-
nority (1S76), and sang successively in Mann-
heim, Karlsruhe, Vienna, and Munich. In 1897
she appeared in Hamburg, under Pollini, whom
she married during the same year, but who died
within a few months.
BIANCHI, Francesco (Ii. Frari) (1447-
1510). An Italian painter of the Ferrara school.
He was born in Modena, and is thought to have
been for a time instructor of Correggio. Of his
works, once numerous, but few are e.xtant, among
them a "Madonna with Saints," in the Louvre
gallery.
BIANCHI, Francesco (1752-1811). An Ital-
ian comiioser, born in Cremona. In 1775 he was
appointed maestro al vcmhnlo to the Italian
opera in Paris, under Piccini. Prior to 1800, he
had already written about forty operas, several
of which were quite melodious, but of little orig-
inality. Abovit 1796 he went to London, where he
was long associated with the Ro,val Theatre.
Sir nenr,y R, Bishop was one of his pupils.
BIANCHI, NicoMEDE (1818-8G). An Italian
historian, born at Reggio. He studied medicine,
and during the Revolution of 1848 was a member
of the provisional government of ilodena and
Reggio. He became later professor of history at
Tui^in, and in 1871 was appointed sui)erintend-
ent of the archives of Piedmont. His most im-
portant works are the Sloria documenttitn deUa
dijilomazia eiiropea in Ualia dal ISl.'i al 1861,
8 vols. (1805-72) ; and the Gloria dclla monar-
chia pienwtilese did mS al ISfil, fi vols. (1877
et seq. ) . both written in an interesting style, and
carefully prepared from original sources.
BIANCHI-GIOVINI, byiin'k.'- jiVve'n^. An-
GIOTA commonly called Attremo (1799-18(52).
An Italian historian and publicist, born at Como.
He was at first a journalist in Switzerland. In
1841-47 he wrote a nimber of historical works
in Milan, and in 1847-52 edited the Opinione, a
TTnionist journal, in Turin. During that time he
was a member of the Chamber of Deputies. In
1853 he established 1,'Vnwne, which he trans-
ferred in ISfil to Milan, and in 1802 to Naples.
His chief works are the VHa di fra Paolo Sarpi
(1834), and an incomplete Storia dei Papi, 10
vols. (1852 et seq.).
BIANCHINI, bf'ftn-ke'n*, Francesco (1602- 1(29). An Italian antiquarian and astronomer. He was born at Verona. He studied theolog.y, jurisprudence, languages, the mathematical sci- ences, and botanv in Padua, and arch;eologi,' in Rome, and was ai)pointed b.v Clcnu-nt XI. secre- tary to the commission for reforming the calen- dar. Later he traveled through France, Holland, and England. Bianchini is the author of several memoirs and dissertations on antiquarian and astronomical subjects, and of Istoria universale prorata co' moniimcnti. c figurata co' simholi dcijli antichi (Rome, 1694). An edition of the work of .astasius, De Vili^) Roindiionim I'onti- ficum, begun by him, was completed by his nephew Giuseppe Bianchini (4 vols., Rome, 171S-34). A moniniu'ut was erected to the inemor.v of Fran- cesco Biuncliini in the cathedral of Verona.
BIANCO, b.vUn'ko. Andrea. An Italian car-
tographer, active at Venice in the earl,v Fifteenth
Century. Among his charts is one dated 1436. in
which he has indicated two islands, called re-
spectively 'Antillia' and 'De laman Satana.xio,'
at the west of the Azores. It has been asserted by
some that he thus reveals a knowledge of North
and South America.
BIARD, byiir. The name of several French
Renaissance artists. Nicolas Biard (1400 — ?)
was one of the architects of the Chateau of Am-
boise (1499) : of the Pont Notre Dame (1499) ;
of the Chateau.v of Blois (1500-04) and Gaillon
(150506). and of the tower of the Cathedral of
Bourges ( 1.508) .—Pierre Biard (1.5.59-1009). A
sculptor, architect, painter, and engraver, who
studied in Italy and became a follower of Mich-
elangelo. On his return to Paris, he was made
royal superintendent of buildings, in 1500: in
1600 he executed the magnificent choir-screen of
Saint Etienne du Mont; then decorated the Hotel
de Ville with a bronze statue of Heniy IV.
(1605), and the Louvre with statues of two
slaves and of "Renown." — His son, Pierre Biard,
succeeded him as sculptor to the King (Louis
XIII.).
BIARD, Auguste Francois (1798-1882). A
French painter. He was born in Lyons, Oct. 8,
1798. He was at first destined for the Church,
but subsequently educated at the school of
art of his native city. He traveled in early
life in Malta, C.vpnis, Syria, and Egvjit, where
he made sketches, and stored his memory with
images which he used in after-years. In 1839 he
visited Greenland and Spitzl)ergen. and of this
j(mrney one of the fruits was his famous picture
of a battle with polar bears. In 1858-59 he trav-
eled in Brazil. More famous than Biard's ethno-
graphic and historical paintings are his genre
pictures, especially those dealing with comic
subjects. The first picture which gained him dis-
tinction was his "Babes in the Wood" (1828) ;
and one of his best is the "Begfrar's Family,"
exhibited in 1830. ITis picture "Strolling Come-
dians" is in the Luxembourg. Many Continental
galleries possess examples of Biard's pictures,
and in England they have alwa.ys been much
sought after. He died near Fontainebleau. .June
24. 1882.
BIARD, Peter (1.50.5-1622). A French mis-
sionary; born in Grenoble. He began to study
theology at the age of years, in Lyons, and
came to America as one of the first two mis-
sionar.v priests sent to New France, arriving at
