Biancofiore

Biancofiore is a Sicilian trickster in the story of Salabaetto. Her decisive appearance comes in a reversal: after Salabaetto leaves Palermo, she discovers that the cargo she believed valuable is largely worthless, and that the man she had outwitted has in turn outwitted her.

Identity and Role

Biancofiore is identified in the account as a Sicilian trickstress. Her role is defined through her dealings with Salabaetto, a merchant who ultimately leaves Palermo for Ferrara. Their encounter turns on money, apparent commercial goods, and competing attempts to deceive the other; the evidence presents her not simply as a victim, but as a practiced deceiver who meets a counter-swindle.

The Cargo Deception

After Salabaetto’s departure, Biancofiore waits nearly two months for him to return. When he does not, she has her broker force open the magazines, where the cargo has been stored. The casks, which she believed contained oil, hold seawater, apart from a small quantity of oil at the top near each bunghole. The bales prove to be filled with tow, except for two that contain stuffs. Taken together, the goods are worth no more than two hundred florins.

The contents expose the gap between the cargo’s appearance and its actual value. Biancofiore has trusted what was presented to her as a profitable consignment; opening the casks and bales turns that confidence into a material accounting of her loss.

Reversal and Ending

Biancofiore recognizes that she has been outwitted. She laments both the five hundred florins repaid and, even more, the thousand she had lent. Her losses make the reversal concrete: the woman who had sought advantage in her dealings with Salabaetto now finds herself deceived by him. The episode ends with her rueful recognition that others can be as knowing as she is, leaving her with loss and humiliation rather than the profit she expected.