When the censors of Venice read the first libretto of the opera Rigoletto, they felt that the story was dangerous, shocking, and unflattering to the King of France. The original libretto and the Victor Hugo play on which it was based featured historical figures, King Francis I of France and his jester, Tribuolet. Giuseppi Verdi, who wrote the score, and Francesco Maria Piave, who wrote the libretto, made changes. The King was changed to a Duke, the setting from France to Italy, and the name of the jester to Rigoletto. The censors were satisfied, and the opera was first performed in Venice on March 11, 1851.
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