"Io son l'umile ancella" (I am the humble servant) is the iconic aria from the first act of Francesco Cilea's verismo opera "Adriana Lecouvreur". It is sung by the protagonist, the actress Adriana Lecouvreur, who declares that her art is not for personal glory but is a sacred service to the creative spirit. The aria is a beautiful and poignant expression of an artist's devotion to their craft and is a staple of the soprano repertoire.