A 99-year-old Italian man is divorcing his wife of 77 years after finding a packet of old love letters that revealed an affair she had in the 1940s, the Daily Telegraph reports.

The British newspaper's Rome correspondent says newly released court documents show that the man, identified only as Antonio C., found the musty letters while clearing out an old chest of drawers a few days before Christmas.

His wife, Rosa C., reportedly confessed to the affair when confronted, but couldn't talk her husband out of filing for divorce.

The couple met during the 1930s when Antonio was posted as a young Carabinieri officer to Naples.

The newspaper says the couple have five children, a dozen grandchildren and one great-grandchild.