Giovanni Capurro

Giovanni Capurro (February 5, 1859 – January 18, 1920) was an Italian poet, best remembered today as the co-creator, with singer/composer Eduardo Di Capua, of the world famous song, "'O sole mio".

[1] The actor Viviani gave his first performance in an established theatre, the Teatro Perella in Basso Porto, in The Street Urchin, a sketch by Capurro.

[2] In 1898, Giovanni Capurro wrote the words to 'O Sole mio and asked Eduardo Di Capua (who at the time was in Odessa with his orchestra-violinist father) to set it to music.

The song was later presented at Piedigrotta 1898, organized by the Round Table promoted by the publisher Bideri, and came in second place after a piece called Napule Bello!.

For thirty years he was associated with the newspaper Rome as a reporter, drama critic, and, late in life, as an administrative employee.