GIOVANNI RUFFINI
(1807-1881)
Ruffini had a literary career but was also involved in politics as an associate of Mazzini, one of the early advocates for the unification of Italy. Giovanni and one of his brothers were arrested for their revolutionary activities and condemned to death. While his brother committed suicide, Giovanni managed to escape, fleeing to Switzerland then to Paris, where he made a meagre living as a writer. He made contact with Michele Accursi who not only was Donizetti's agent in Paris, but also a political double agent, acting as a spy for Pope Gregory XVI. It was Accursi who put Ruffini in touch with Donizetti and persuaded him to reset Anelli's libretto for Don Pasquale. Although Ruffini may also have worked on projects other than Don Pasquale for Donizetti, nothing came of them, and he had no further involvement with opera. In 1848 he endured further exile in London and Edinburgh and published several works in English. After Italy's unification, he returned to his homeland.
Revised September
2006
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