 In the 19th century the character of Meo Patacca was played by two famous actors, Annibale Sansoni and Filippo Tacconi, nicknamed ""il Gobbo"" ("the Hunchback").The poem was also made into a movie, directed by Marcello Ciorciolini, and interpreted, among the others, by Mario Scaccia and Gigi Proietti.The action of the poem begins with the arrival of a messenger in Rome with the news that Vienna has been besieged by the Turks.