Il cappello di paglia di Firenze

Il cappello di paglia di Firenze (literally translated as The Florentine Straw Hat but usually titled in English language productions as The Italian Straw Hat) is an opera by Nino Rota to an Italian-language libretto by the composer and Ernesta Rota, based on the play Le chapeau de paille d'Italie by Eugène Labiche and Marc Michel.

The opera premièred at the Teatro Massimo, Palermo on 21 April 1955. The first performance in the United States was at the Santa Fe Opera in 1977, with Ragnar Ulfung as Fadinard, Ashley Putnam as Elena, Kathryn Day as Anaide, and Stephen Dickson as Emilio. The first New York City performance, starring Vincenzo Manno as Fadinard, took place in 1978. More recently, the opera was performed at the 2013 Wexford Festival.

Fadinard's house

Fadinard arrives to make sure that the plans for his marriage with Elena are under control, but almost immediately Anaida and Emilio appear, complaining that Anaida's straw hat has been eaten by Fadinard's horse. A replacement hat is needed immediately, or Anaida's jealous husband Beaupertuis will smell a rat. The lovers hide when Elena, her father (Nonancourt), her uncle Vézinet and the other wedding-guests, arrive. Fadinard had sent his servant Felice out to obtain a duplicate hat, but when he returns without success, Fadinard, threatened by Emilio, has to set out to find a duplicate hat.

Scene 1: A milliner's shop

One of the milliners tells Fadinard that the last Italian straw hat has been sold to the Baronessa di Champigny. He hurries away to her villa.

Scene 2: The Baronessa di Champigny's villa

When Fadinard arrives, the Baronessa assumes that he is Minardi, the famous violinist, who has been engaged to entertain her guests. Fadinard does not correct her, but when the real Minardi appears, he concentrates on the whereabouts of the hat. It seems that she has passed the hat on to Anaide, the wife of Beaupertuis. Fadinard's guests have been pursuing him, but when they arrive he disappears in the direction of Beaupertuis's house, while the wedding party is entertained by Minardi and his pianist.

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