Mascagni's librettist for Isabeau was Luigi Illica, who proved himself the composer's most productive and sympathetic collaborator. He was also the writer who most successfully challenged Mascagni to develop as a composer. Curiously, however, the libretto for Isabeau was intended first not for Mascagni, but for another composer.

The text loosely parallels the legend of Lady Godiva, but Illica insisted that it was not an adaptation, but an entirely new story. Mascagni, in a book by Edoardo Pompei published in 1912, maintained that, "It has been spoken and written that the topic has been taken from the legend of Lady Godiva. That is imprecise and led to the charge that Illica and I had distorted and ruined the story. The original notion for the Isabeau libretto may have derived from it; did in fact derive from it, but no more." Illica appears to have offered his idea for such a libretto first to Marco Bossi, after Bossi had written Illica in 1904 to request a libretto. The subject was discussed several times. Ultimately, however, Bossi decided that the subject was not congenial to him and discussion turned to other story ideas.

Illica had also communicated with Puccini several times about a libretto set in the Middle Ages and, once closure came with Bossi, he sent his elaborated sketch to Puccini just two months thereafter. Puccini declined it quickly and the subject was dropped. Some years later, Alberto Franchetti was also approached and similarly found the libretto unsatisfactory. Finally, in May 1908, Illica broached the subject with Mascagni and met with genuine enthusiasm.

The story of the chaste Isabeau, refusing a husband and forced by her father, King Raimondo, to ride naked in the streets of the town, proved a sensational subject. Against the King's decree that none should gaze upon her, the woodman Folco showers her with flowers and pæans to her beauty. The two, fated to love, are likewise fated to die. Both expire to the consternation of the townsfolk bent upon avenging Isabeau's perceived embarrassment.

The opera was premiered at Argentina's Teatro Coliseo on June 3, 1911, and met with more than 50 curtain calls for the composer and cast. Such was the clamor for the first Italian production that at one point it was announced that a duel would take place between Mascagni and the Duke Uberto Visconti di Modrone, the manager of La Scala in Milan. La Fenice in Venice just as eagerly sought the Italian premiere. In the end, two premieres took place the same night (January 20, 1912) and the work repeated its Buenos Aires success. For some years thereafter, whenever a soprano of chaste allure and a forceful tenor who could act were available, the work retained a place within the active repertory, especially in Italy. By the late twentieth century, however, its appeal had diminished to mild curiosity.

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