Tosca realizes that Scarpia has deceived her. Tosca rushes to the prison to tell Mario that after a mock execution, he will be freed. As Scarpia approaches her, Tosca plunges a knife into his heart, grabs the document from his hand and flees. He arranges a mock execution of Mario and writes an order for Tosca and Mario’s safe passage. At first she refuses his advances, but then agrees. Scarpia, who has always desired Tosca, offers Mario’s freedom in exchange for a night with her. Mario cries, “ Vittoria!” (victory) upon hearing the news and is led to prison to await execution. An officer rushes in to announce that Napoleon has won the Battle of Marengo, a defeat for in Scarpia's eyes. Unable to bear hearing Mario in pain, Tosca reveals Angelotti’s hiding place. She says that Mario was alone at his villa. Tosca arrives at the palace after having been summoned by Scarpia. The chief interrogates Mario regarding Angelotti’s whereabouts. He is told that Tosca was followed to Cavaradossi’s villa and that the spy, unable to find Angelotti, arrested Mario. Scarpia asks for news of the pursuit of Angelotti. Scarpia sends his men to follow Tosca in hopes that she will lead them to Angelotti. Believing Mario to be unfaithful, Tosca leaves in anger to confront him. Tosca returns to the chapel where the police are investigating.

This leads him to believe that Mario Cavaradossi is hiding Angelotti. Scarpia finds a fan with the Attavanti crest. Later, the notorious chief of police, Scarpia, arrives looking for Angelotti who has escaped from the prison Castel Sant’Angelo. She suspects that Cavaradossi has been seeing Marchesa Attavanti and questions him about it.Īfter she leaves, Angelotti returns and is recognized by his friend, Mario, who urges him to seek refuge at his villa. She recognizes that the woman portrayed in the painting is Marchesa Attavanti, which inflames her jealousy. The sacristan leaves and Floria Tosca, the famed singer, enters. The portrait closely resembles Marchesa Attavanti, Angelotti’s sister who has been coming to the chapel to pray. The sacristan has come to clean paint brushes as Mario Cavaradossi, the painter, follows him into the chapel to continue his work on the portrait of Mary Magdalene. Libretto written by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe GiacosaĬhurch at Sant' Andrea della Valle in Rome, June 1800Īngelotti, an escaped political prisoner, wanders into the church to hide. The opera Tosca premiered on Januat Teatro dell'Opera in Rome ( Teatro Costanzi)

Synopsis of tosca opera