one critic, Mario Ferrigni. It nonetheless enjoyed an overwhelming popular success among theater-goers. The play was later turned into an operetta after receiving a musical score from composer Giuseppe Pietri: the Novelli-Pietro operetta premiered on 27 November 1920 in Rome. The numerous other productions born out of Novelli's fruitful association with the Alfieri included the premieres of Acqua passata (Water Under the Bridge) in 1908; Casa mia (My House), L'ascensione (The Ascension), and L'Ave Maria (Ave Maria) in 1909; Gallina vecchia (The Old Hen) in 1911; La Cupola (The Cupola) in 1913; and Canapone in 1914. Aside from his two decades with Il vero Monello, Novelli's contributions to periodicals included material for Firenze a zig-zag in 1912 and La Kultureide in 1916; Novelli's other efforts outside of drama included the 1902 Lotte sociali (Social Struggles), an original translation of Victor Hugo's notes regarding his participation in attempts to effect social and political change in France, and Firenze presa sul serio (Florence Taken Seriously), a novel first published for the Florentine readership in 1902. (Novelli's novel ultimately reappeared in a 1908 edition illustrated by Gustavo Rosso and prefaced by author and politician Otello Masini.) Among Novelli's collaborators in the theatrical world was influential actor-manager Andrea Niccoli (1862–1917), historically memorable as an instrumental promoter of Novelli's L'acqua cheta and other plays. Novelli died on 7 November 1927, in Carmignano, aged sixty years and almost ten months at the timesome five years after dictator Benito Mussolini's fascist takeover of the country. He had spent his final years in seclusion from public life in the Tuscan's community about 20 km west of Florence, where a commemorative bust installed in the municipal chamber now honors him. References External links Electronic version of Lotte sociali (1902)Novelli's Italian translation of Victor Hugo in PDF format from the Manuzio Project / Liber Liber <http://www.liberliber.it> 1867 births 1927 deaths Journalists from Florence Italian male journalists Italian prisoners and detainees Italian socialists Writers from Florence People prosecuted for blasphemy Italian male dramatists and playwrights 19th-century Italian dramatists and playwrights 19th-century translators 20th-century Italian dramatists and playwrights 20th-century Italian translators 19th-century Italian male writers 19th-century journalists 20th-century Italian male writers