L'ancêtre ("The Ancestor") is a 1905 drame lyrique in 3 acts by Camille Saint-Saëns to a libretto by Lucien Augé de Lassus (1841-1914).

[1] The opera premiered at the Opéra de Monte-Carlo on February 24, 1906, and was directed by Raoul Gunsbourg and conducted by Léon Jehin.

[2] Celebrated soprano Geraldine Farrar created the role of Margarita.

[3] The vocal score, published in 1906 by Durand et Fils of Paris has a dedication to Albert I, Prince of Monaco.

[4] The plot is set during the First French Empire in Corsica, which composer and librettist visited together, looking for local colour.