Palmieri

Palmieri (Verdi: Tosca). This character does not appear in the opera but is referred to by Scarpia. Having promised Tosca that Cavaradossi's execution will be staged for the benefit of onlookers, and he will then be free to leave with Tosca, he pointedly instructs Spoletta to execute Cavaradossi ‘as in the case of Palmieri’ (nod, nod, wink, wink, as we would say today): Palmieri, a previous prisoner, had clearly been killed in the same way Cavaradossi will now be executed. This should have aroused Tosca's suspicions.