Silvio Pellico (1789-1854) was an Italian writer, poet, dramatist and patriot active n the Italian unification. He wrote various tragedies for theater and for a magazine. In 1820 he was arrested on a charge of carbonarism and sent to prison, sentenced to death in 1822, but later commuted to 15 years of jail, and released after ten years, in 1830. He wrote several more tragedies for theater in addition to an account of his prison sufferings.