 The story is based on the novel "El sombrero de tres picos", (1874) by Pedro Antonio de Alarcón, which was the basis of Manuel de Falla's ballet "The Three Cornered Hat" and Hugo Wolf's opera "Der Corregidor".The libretto by Zandonai's frequent collaborator Arturo Rossato relocates the action to Lombardy but retains Spanish names.The cast uniquely includes two love-lorn donkeys, Ciccio and Checca.