Giovanni Carmelo Verga (Italian: [dʒoˈvanni karˈmɛːlo ˈverɡa]; 2 September 1840 – 27 January 1922) was a Sicilian realist (verista) writer, best known for his depictions of life in his native Sicily, especially the short story (and later play) Cavalleria rusticana and the novel I Malavoglia (The House by the Medlar Tree).