Alexandre Dumas fils Alexandre Dumas fils Alexandre Dumas (; 27 July 1824 – 27 November 1895) was a French author and playwright, best known for the romantic novel "La Dame aux Camélias" ("The Lady of the Camellias"), published in 1848, which was adapted into Giuseppe Verdi's opera "La traviata" ("The Fallen Woman"), as well as numerous stage and film productions, usually titled "Camille" in English-language versions. Dumas (French for 'son') was the son of Alexandre Dumas ('father'), also a well-known playwright and author of classic works such as "The Three Musketeers". Dumas was admitted to the (French Academy) in 1874 and awarded the
Giuseppe Verdi Senate, but did not participate in its activities. In the months following the staging of "Ballo", Verdi was approached by several opera companies seeking a new work or making offers to stage one of his existing ones, but refused them all. But when, in December 1860, an approach was made from Saint Petersburg's Imperial Theatre, the offer of 60,000 francs plus all expenses was doubtless a strong incentive. Verdi came up with the idea of adapting the 1835 Spanish play "Don Alvaro o la fuerza del sino" by Angel Saavedra, which became "La forza del destino", with Piave writing the