Template:POTD/2021-05-21
Cavalleria rusticana is an 1890 opera in one act by Pietro Mascagni with an Italian libretto written by Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti and Guido Menasci, adapted from a short story and play by Giovanni Verga. These two illustrations show key scenes in the opera: in the first, Santuzza begs Turiddu to stay with her, instead of continuing his affair with Lola; in the second, Lola's husband Alfio embraces Turiddu, challenging him to a duel according to Sicilian custom, while Turiddu bites his ear, drawing blood, thus accepting the challenge and indicating that it will be a duel to the death.Illustration credit: unknown; restored by Adam Cuerden