''Assunta Spina'' is a 1909
tragic play
Tragedy (from the grc-gre, τραγῳδία, ''tragōidia'', ''tragōidia'') is a genre of drama based on human suffering and, mainly, the terrible or sorrowful events that befall a main character. Traditionally, the intention of tragedy ...
by the Italian writer
Salvatore Di Giacomo
Salvatore Di Giacomo (12 March 1860 – 5 April 1934) was an Italian poet, songwriter, playwright and fascist, one of the signatories to the Manifesto of the Fascist Intellectuals.
Di Giacomo is credited as being one of those responsible for ...
, based on his earlier short story of the same name. It premiered at the
Teatro Nuovo in
Naples
Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
with
Adelina Magnetti in the title role and a cast that also included
Gennaro Pantalena and
Francesca Bertini, who would subsequently play Assunta in the 1915 film. A 1927 revival at the
Teatro Manzoni in
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard language, Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the List of cities in Italy, second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 ...
starred
Vera Vergani
Vera Vergani (1894–1989) was an Italian stage actress. She also starred in a number of silent films.Goble p.155, p.275 & p.344 She was the mother of the film producer Leo Pescarolo.
She played the title role in the 1927 Milan stage productio ...
.
Synopsis
The protagonist Assunta Spina is a young woman of Naples who has many male admirers, including Michele Boccadifuoco a
butcher
A butcher is a person who may slaughter animals, dress their flesh, sell their meat, or participate within any combination of these three tasks. They may prepare standard cuts of meat and poultry for sale in retail or wholesale food establishm ...
. One day in a fit of jealousy he attacks and scars her in the street. Despite her efforts to cover up for him, he is arrested and sentenced to two years imprisonment in
Avellino
Avellino () is a town and ''comune'', capital of the province of Avellino in the Campania region of southern Italy. It is situated in a plain surrounded by mountains east of Naples and is an important hub on the road from Salerno to Benevento.
...
. In the meantime she begins an affair with a court official, not knowing that he already has a family. When Michele is released from prison, she confessed everything to him. His pride wounded, he goes immediately and stabs her lover to death with a
knife
A knife ( : knives; from Old Norse 'knife, dirk') is a tool or weapon with a cutting edge or blade, usually attached to a handle or hilt. One of the earliest tools used by humanity, knives appeared at least 2.5 million years ago, as evide ...
. However it is Assunta who takes the blame for the crime to the authorities.
Adaptations
The play has been adapted various times in different forms, including three films
[Goble p.125]
*
''Assunta Spina'' (1915 film), a silent film starring
Francesca Bertini
*
''Assunta Spina'' (1930 film), a silent Italian film starring
Rina De Liguoro
*
''Assunta Spina'' (1948 film), a film starring
Anna Magnani
Anna Maria Magnani (; 7 March 1908 – 26 September 1973) was an Italian actress.Obituary ''Variety Obituaries, Variety'', 3 October 1973, pg. 47 She was known for her explosive acting and earthy, realistic portrayals of characters.
Born in R ...
References
Bibliography
* D'Amora, Mariano. '' A History of Neapolitan Drama in the Twentieth Century''. Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2015.
* Goble, Alan. ''The Complete Index to Literary Sources in Film''. Walter de Gruyter, 1999.
1909 plays
Italian plays adapted into films
Italian plays
Plays set in Naples
Plays by Salvatore Di Giacomo
{{1900s-play-stub