Rise of a Mistress (2/2)

At a young age, the future Grand Duke Francesco met and fell in love with the beautiful Bianca Cappello. But a marriage had already been arranged for him, to Joanna of Austria, daughter of the Holy Roman Emperor. He acceded to the will of his father Cosimo and married the proud Hapsburg girl, but continued the relationship with his mistress Bianca throughout and after what was a loveless marriage.

While Francesco was buried with all customary honours in the crypt of the Medici chapel, there is no trace to this day of Bianca Cappello's body. This is a little too convenient, says Donatella Lippi, head of the research team. She and the film crew have set themselves the task of finding Bianca's remains and discovering the true cause of her death. After more than 400 years, scientists can now prove what the Medici contemporaries could only guess at ...

It is the largest-scale project in forensic medicine of all times: the Medici Project. With leading experts and real Medici family members this docu-drama follows the Medici's trail of blood, offering a brand-new take on the dramatic intrigues and mysterious murders within the Medici family. Cutting-edge CGI and 3-D effects visualize the stunning findings as well as lavish live action scenes.

Available as 2 x 52' or 1x 43'

Part I: The Star of Florence
Part II: Rise of a Mistress