Adelaide Ristori was born in Cividale in 1822. Her parents were artists and her career as an actress began very early. For this reason she left Cividale and Italy to appear in numerous tournées, especially after her wedding with the Marquis Gapranica del Grillo. Adelaide was performing in Paris in 1855 where her artistic talent was recognised internationally. During the plays she used to speak in favour of the independence of Italy and because of her fame and talent she was very decisive on the political scene. She was spoken of as “sublime” from Queen Victoria, which was really rare at the time, since artists were considered as part of a low social rank. She had 4 children and kept on performing until 1885. In the square dedicated to her in Cividale she is portrayed while performing “Medea”, one of her most famous performances.