''Assunta Spina'' is a 1909 tragic play 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 ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...

with Adelina Magnetti in the title role and a cast that also included Gennaro Pantalena and

Francesca Bertini Francesca Bertini (born Elena Seracini Vitiello; 5 January 1892 – 13 October 1985) was an Italian silent film actress. She was one of the most successful silent film stars in the first quarter of the twentieth-century. Early life Born Elena ...

, who would subsequently play Assunta in the 1915 film. A 1927 revival at the Teatro Manzoni in

Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...

starred Vera Vergani.

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 Animal slaughter, 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 ...

. 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 city 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 Stone Age, 2.5 million years ago, as e ...

. 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 filmsGoble p.125 * ''Assunta Spina'' (1915 film), a silent film starring

* ''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 Academy Award-winning Italian actress.Obituary ''Variety Obituaries, Variety'', 3 October 1973, pg. 47 She was known for her explosive acting and earthy, realistic portrayals of ...

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 Plays set in Naples Plays by Salvatore Di Giacomo {{1900s-play-stub