Adeliza de Borgomanero () was an Italian

murderer Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification or valid excuse, especially the unlawful killing of another human with malice aforethought. ("The killing of another person without justification or excuse, especially the ...

. The wife of a

count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

from the Val d'Ossola region, she was exiled to a remote castle at

Bellagio Bellagio may refer to: * Bellagio, Lombardy, an Italian town * Bellagio (resort), a luxury resort and casino in Las Vegas * Bellagio (Hong Kong), a private housing building * Bellagio declaration, an intellectual copyright resolution * 79271 Bellag ...

, near Lake Como, because of her iniquitous behaviour. Adeliza held court at the castle, taking lovers as she chose. Legend turned her into a

vampire A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mischief or deat ...

siren Siren or sirens may refer to: Common meanings * Siren (alarm), a loud acoustic alarm used to alert people to emergencies * Siren (mythology), an enchanting but dangerous monster in Greek mythology Places * Siren (town), Wisconsin * Siren, Wisc ...

figure in popular lore, and she was said to have ordered her lovers to commit suicide the morning after their sexual revels. Those that chose to refuse this option were dropped through an

oubliette A dungeon is a room or cell in which prisoners are held, especially underground. Dungeons are generally associated with medieval castles, though their association with torture probably belongs more to the Renaissance period. An oubliette (from ...

into the lake below.

References

* Edgcumbe Staley
''Lords and Ladies of the Italian Lakes''
(London: John Long, 1912), p. 170. 1350 births 1370 deaths 14th-century Italian women Italian exiles Italian female murderers Italian female serial killers Violence against men in Europe {{Italy-hist-stub