"Carmen", according to Mérimée, was based upon a story which the Countess of Montijo had told him during his visit to Spain in 1830. It tells of a beautiful "Bohemienne" (Romani) who robs a soldier, then falls in love with him. On her behalf he kills a man and becomes an outlaw, then he discovers she is already married, and in jealousy he kills her husband. When he learns she has fallen in love with a matador, he kills her, and then is arrested and sentenced to death. In the original story told to Mérimée by the Countess, Carmen was not a "Bohemienne", but since he was studying the Romani language and Romani culture in Spain and in the Balkans, he decided to give her that background. "Carmen" did not have the same popular success as "Colomba". It did not become really famous until 1875, after Mérimée's death, when it was made into opera by Georges Bizet. The opera "Carmen" made major changes to Mérimée's story, including eliminating the role of Carmen's husband.