The Sicilian PuppetsHistory, arts and Tradition of the marionettes in SicilyTraditional theatre very popular in the entire Sicily by the half of the XIX century until the years fifties of the twentieth century, the Opera dei Pupi is today one of the symbols, although both the contents (the history of the Paladin of France) and the means (puppets) had foreign origins. Nevertheless, acquired specific characteristics which distinguished it from the generic arts of marionettes, the Opera dei Pupi fascinated so much the Sicilians to became a daily exhibition (??)Later on, its popularity declined due to the advent of television, and only few families of pupari maintained this tradition (the Napoli in Catania and the Cuticchio in Palermo), receiving the international recognition in 2001 by the UNESCO as cultural heritage of the humanity.

The Sicilian Opera dei Pupi (Opra) is a characteristic theatre where the puppets, manoeuvred by the puppeteers on forefronts appositely created, represent the exploits of the greatest medieval Chevaliers, real or legendary, who defended Christianity against the Saracens. In particular, the most celebrated topic was the battle between the Charlemagne’s heroes and the Muslims who, invading the Iberian peninsula, threatened the French reign and the entire Christian Europe. According to the historiography based on a hypothesis rather than real facts, the marionette theatre of the chivalrous tradition, already popular in the sixteenth-century in Spain, introduced in France in the XVII century and spread in Italy in the following century, was imported in Sicily from the city of Naples in the first decades of the nineteenth-century. In the island, this acquired rapidly specific characteristic who distinguished the Opera dei Pupi from the generic arts of marionettes. The Sicilian marionettes were in fact covered by elaborated metal armours and the directional thread of the right hand was substituted by an iron staff, which allowed the marionette to make more direct and careful movements, especially during battles and duels. Also moral themes proposed during the opera plays, always based on a high sense of justice and respect

for freedom, were a distinctive trait of the Opera dei Pupi, perfectly tuned with the Sicilian soul, having great popular success.In those years, in fact, the difficult economic and political situation causing the great revolts of the 1848 and the 1859-1860 against the feudal dynasty of the Bourbons, the dissatisfaction for the exorbitant reign of the Savoy and the newborn greedy Italian bourgeoisie, made the Sicilians to identify themselves with the heroes of the Opra fighting against the evil and the injustices represented by the Saracens and the Christian betrayers.As often happened into the history and the Sicilian culture, also the Opera dei Pupi had its centres of interest in the two main cities of the island, were two important theatrical traditions emerged: Palermo and Catania. In both cities, expert pupeteers, on the basis of mainly oral narrations, often genially adapted and personalized, suggested plots taken from the old poems of chivalry, whose main expression is the repertory of the Carlovingian subjects such as the Storia dei Paladini di Francia. The play, which lasted around two hours divided into three acts, brought to life the loves and gestures of kings, heroic Christian paladins, noble Saracens, beautiful maidens, magicians and necromancers, who subdued devils, enormous giants and terrible dragoons. Such characters were all personified by puppets covered by shining armours and precious clothes. Their dimension was really smaller in Palermo(around 80 cm and 13 kg) and bigger in Catania(around 1,30 metre and 30 kg). Through particular scenic effects, the plays were created by wise artisanship with wooden bone structure and entirely spectacular: among them we may remember the unexpected bleeding of the injured or dying puppets, the utilization of elaborated effects which reproduced fountains from where blood was coming out and the simulation of burning cities. The characters of the Opera dei Pupi were easily recognizable to the public by standardized costumes and distinctive voices. A king, in fact, was always wearing a dress particularly rich and sumptuous and recognizable by a crown which, if surmounted by a cross, indicated the title of Charlemagne’s Emperor; the Christian knights were wearing a complete armour, enriched by a short skirt and a mantel, and their faces and voices were always kind.; the Saracens were instead recognizable by the typical turban, the half-moons on

their armours, the big moustaches on their faces, and the voices often hollow and deep; the women used to wear the armours showing their breasts; finally the Magonzesi the Christians betrayals, were easily recognizable by their evil faces, the moustaches calati, the black clothes, and the macabre sign on their armour, like the bat.According to the plot of the Comedy of the Arts, the puppets histories were represented subdivided into sequences of recurrent and tested scenes such as: the advice, the marriage, the hero who saves the beloved one or the band of mercenaries, the submission or the surrender of the defeated, the duel and the battle and so on..With such characteristics, starting from Palermo and Catania, the Opera dei Pupi spread around Sicily to such an extent that at the end of the XIX century almost all the cities had their own puppets companies. Sustained by the great success obtained, they had the chance to improve their arts so that puppets and scenes were more and more detailed and embellished. The narrative materials went through an accurate selection performed by Giusto Lodico: following the chivalrous books of the Italian literature of the XV and XVI centuries, he codified between the years 1858-60 the Storia dei Paladini di Francia, a fundamental book of the Opera dei Pupi, collecting into one history the deeds of Charlemagne and his paladins . Such an imposing work was followed later on by many others, always published in instalments: the Guido Santo, the Trabazio, the remake of the Guerrin Meschino. In Catania, the puppeteers created other histories, performing the gestures of Erminio della Stella d’Oro, Guido di Santa Croce and Uzeta, a legendary hero from Catania.

Manianti e pruituriIn the catanese Opera dei Pupi, the manianti are those who used their skilled hands to manoeuvre marionettes through irons and manoeuvring wires. They were hidden to the audience by the scenes, skies and backdrops, placed on a lifted manoeuvring bridge, such as u scannapoggiu. According to their specialization on combating figures, the manianti are distinguished in manianti d’a ritta and manianti d’a manca. Long and difficult is the apprenticeship which allows the passionate spectator to become

maniante of the Opera dei Pupi. Before he must be a good pruituri, that is an assistant who brings the puppets to the manianti to come on stage. Later on, ‘u pruituri will climb on the scannapoggiu to keep some soldier or puppet dressed as a pageboy. Then he will learn how to make the puppets walk and, little by little, all movements of gestural code and the combat figure, till the day when he could maniari and cummattiri an important character.

I parraturiIn the Opera dei Pupi ‘i parraturi, the parlatori are those who give their voices to male characters, and ‘a parratrici, the voices to female characters. The parlatori, other than improvising a dramatic dialogue and adapting for the stage, he always has the role as director of the show. The parlatori and the manianti were in perfect synchrony of acting and making gestures, bringing soul and life to puppets. The voices of the parlatori assume, from time to time, different tunes and timbres to better characterize the frank loyalty, the lovable joking, the arrogance and the perfidy of every single character. Sweet and persuasive were the female voices in love dialogues, or fierce and combative when they used to play Christian or Saracen heroines.The language used by the parlatori were strongly influenced by aulic Italian of the humanist and renaissance romance of chivalry and by the versification of melodrama. Besides, as already happened in the ancient Homeric poems, some sequences of words or phrases were often repeated (the typical formulas of oral tradition) that, being the dramatic plot improvised by the speakers, allowed to characterize the many characters and to control a great number of histories. The arrangementsIn the theatre jargon of the Catanese Opera, the arrangements are all those techniques which creates particular effects of staging, such as blood, draught wires and pyrotechnic effects. The first, through hidden containers and conduits, made the red blood coming out from an injured puppet or the transformation of water into blood in the fountain of the “Consiglio della Valle”. The second one implies major attention and competence, so that the armies of a badly wounded knight may drop down and, through a gentle and

careful game, Orlando is madly in love with Angelica or the passage of an object from a puppet’s hand into another one’s. The pyrotechnic effects of Bengal and Greek pitch allow the dragoons to vomit flames, the lightning to brake over something and the cities to be destroyed by the fire. Uncomparable masters of effects were: Sebastiano Zappalà and Natale Napoli. Pippo Napoli was very good in the arrangement of draught wires. Alessandro Napoli at the moment, takes care of special effects during the mis- en–scène of the Napoli’s Brothers theatre.The ArmoursThe armours of Catanese marionettes are decorated with brass, copper, silver and are entirely embossed according to traditional techniques and rules inherited by ancient ladle masters. We distinguish two working procedures: the embossed work with puntiddi on a plumb plate, which allows a large variety of borders, ornaments and floral and geometric decorations; and the embossed work with pole and rolling chock (?) which is the difficult technique of designing embossed figures and ornaments on metal plates. Fiorenzo Napoli, through a personal research, has enriched these techniques by integrating refined goldsmithry and has transferred his knowledge to his son David.The costumesTraditionally the women of the puppeteer’s family were taking care of cutting, sewing, and decorating the rich puppets’ costumes. The clothes and mantels of kings, queens and knights were enriched by embellishments, passementeries and often embroidered or painted. The puppets’ clothes were embroidered by Giuseppina Tomaselli, the wife of Don Gaetano Napoli. While the mantels were painted in oil by Francesca Napoli, the cousin of Pippo and Natale. Today the costumes are made by Italia Chiesa and, above all, Agnese Torrisi, Fiorenzo Napoli’s wife.

The historyThe Chanson de geste and the chivalrous traditionIn SicilyThe oldest and most played subject of the Opera dei Pupi is the famous route of Roncisvalle, the historic battle where

Charlemagne’s troops were defeated in Spain in 778 during the Arabs’ domination. In that period, in the Mediterranean basin, three important politic realities emerged: in eastern Europe the Byzanthine empire (directly descending from the ancient Eastern Roman Empire) to whom belonged also the south of Italy and Sicily; in the south the young and powerful Arab dominion, which extended from Spain to Samarcanda; in the northern side the French reign of Charlemagne, who reinforced in those years his hegemony over the territories today corresponding to France, Germany, and North Italy. Considered by the Roman Church the bulwark of Christianity in western world , Charlemagne – crowned Emperor in 800- committed himself to liberate the Iberian peninsula from the Arabs, following the proposal of a Muslim lord who disagreed with other Muslims. Therefore, he organised, an expedition aimed at the annexation of new territories. But, after the initial successes, urged by the necessity of facing a new revolt of the Saxons beyond the Rhine, the Christian troops finally retreated through the impervious Mounts Pyrenees. In the year 778 a. C. the French were moving towards their own country. The king and the majority of the troops were protected by the rearguard. Guided by the brave Orlando, that band of soldiers was unexpectedly destroyed by the Basques (in the epic tradition they were assimilated to the Arabs, as enemies of the French). What happened before and what followed this historic event and the exploits of the single characters, both Christians and Saracens, gave origin to a great number of histories in the tradition of the knights and, later on, in that of Sicilian puppeteers. The route of Roncisvalle became a legend narrated either in France or in other European countries. Therefore, around the XI century, (almost three hundreds years after the happening) a process of codification of those legendary event begun. As a consequence, the military enterprises – that historically lasted only few months – extended along seven years. In those years, the Christian Europe regained its supremacy over the Arabs, through great military enterprises: the conquest of Spain, the Norman conquest of Sicily, the crusades in the Holy Earth. Within such an historic and cultural context, considering the economic-political structure based on feudalism, the legendary events of French paladins were particularly popular over the European aristocratic courts. During the Renaissance, when the

world of the knights and swords was disappearing – by the coming of the less heroic fire guns – the epic tradition developed in accordance with the new epoch. New characters, therefore, were created, especially female characters, such as Bradamante, Angelica; other, like Astolfo, once more marginal, gained more importance while the histories, whose subject was the loves of the paladins and their wanderings in far distant countries or in magic places, increased: in particular we remember the exploits of the paladin Orlando and his unrequited love for the pagan princess Angelica. The humanist and renaissance Italian literature took inspiration from chivalrous poems: the Morgante by Luigi Pulci, the Orlando Innamorato by Matteo Maria Boiardo, the Orlando Furioso by Ludovico Ariosto, until the Gerusalemme liberata by Torquato Tasso. Extinguished the literary and cultural enthusiasm for chivalrous poems , only at the beginning of the nineteenth century, during the Romanticism, in Europe developed a new interest for the history of knights and the Middle Age in general. Fostered by the nationalist turmoils of those years, such an interest spread all over Europe, especially in France, England and Germany during the all XIX century. In Italy, where the Middle Age did not correspond to the beginning of national states, but instead of small regional states, this nineteenth century culture assumed different connotations according to the various Italian states until 1861, when the real or legendary local characters were revaluated and magnified in the literature as well as in the arts.In Sicily such a culture had a major influence when the island became the harbour-base for the enterprises of the newborn reign of Italy in Africa (1.911). In that period marked by easy colonial enthusiasms the Sicilians re-evoked the battles happened in the XI century between the Arabs and the Normans who conquered the island in 1061, with a gradual introduction of Catholicism. Thanks to all these reasons, the Opera dei Pupi had a period of great popularity in Sicily, until the years fifties, when the Sicilian puppet theatre started to decline because of the diffusion of cinema and television. Many companies abandoned their ancient job and the puppeteers, defeated by the “progress” had to sell their own equipments: such as puppets, scenes, boards, pieces of theatre and musical instruments. But, in the middle of the seventies, the

few survived families of Sicilian puppeteers (among which the Napoli in Catania and the Cuticchio in Palermo), carefully selecting their repertory and raising the artistic level of their performances, were able to save what remained of this ancient expression of Sicilian arts and to continue the tradition of their fathers. To keep alive the attention towards the puppet theatre has undoubtedly given its contribution the International Museum of Puppets in Palermo, established by Antonio Pasqualino in 1975 (who every year organizes the Morgana Festival, an exhibition of traditional puppets theatre) and in 2001 a major recognition by the UNESCO, that acknowledges the Opera dei Pupi as National Heritage of the Humanity. But, this new age is very different from the previous period. Today the public is more occasional and does not know the plots of the history represented, and is unfamiliar with the larger context of chivalric narrative, unlike the traditional public of the past. Therefore, today the repertory is drastically reduced to a few selected pieces believed to be most suited to hold the attention of the audience. The paladinThe word paladin comes from the Latin adjective palatinus, which means of the palace (from palatium, “palace”). The Paladin was the title given during the reign of Charlemagne to his strict collaborators, the comites palatini, that is the “counts paladins”.The king Charlemagne, who in the Opera dei Pupi leads the French soldiers, was effectively protected into his real palace by twelve paladins of the Committee. From those who died at Roncisvalle battle, the historian Eginardo handed down just three names: Orlando, Anselmo and the seneschal Eggiardo.The madness of OrlandoThe perfect paladin, the hero of Roncisvalle who died as a martyr to defend the Christianity, in the poems of Boiardo and Ariosto, was in love with the beautiful pagan princess Angelica, untill he went mad with despair for her. The mis-en-scène of madness is always considered one of the best performance by the Catanese puppeteers. The parlatore shows all his acting ability to give voice and to convey all the emotions and feelings which break out in Orlando’s soul: at the beginning he is under illusion, then surprised and desperate facing with the bitter reality, finally he goes mad with

despair and destroy everything in his path. And the scene of Orlando who drops his armies, is one of the most important expression of the ability from the capu manianti, who animates the paladin Orlando as well as with the operator on stage who manoeuvre a great numbers of wires.The Arabs in SicilyAlmost forty years after the Christian route at Roncisvalle, when Sicily and southern Italy belonged to the Byzantine empire, over ten thousand Arab and Berber troops landed in Marzara del Vallo in 827. Despite the resistance from the Sicilian cities, the Arabs finally conquered the island in 902.The battle between Christians and Arabs restarted when Ruggero D’Altavilla and his Norman knights landed in Messina (1061) and conquered the island, introducing the Christianity (1091). Based on these historical premises, the Christian knights and the Muslims who, dressed with regal clothes and metal armours, came back to life in the Sicilian stages of Opera dei Pupi from the second half of the XIX century, and reminded the local audience the stories of battles of the Normans against the Arabs of Sicily. The birth, passion and death of ChristApart from the chivalrous epic tradition, the single companies of “pupari” took inspiration from sacred subjects. During Christmas and Ester holidays the Opera dei Pupi portrayed the birth, passion, death and resurrection of Christ.On the occasion of the respective festivities, also the lives of Santa Rita, San Luigi Gonzaga and the saint martyrs such as Agata, Sebastiano and Lucia were portrayed. The puppets, appositely realised and dressed for those occasions, assumed therefore the aspect of Jesus Christ, Giuseppe, Maria, the apostles, and all those characters to recreate the particular environment of those ages.The Napoli family. The ancient Puppeteers of CataniaSymbol of the Opera dei Pupi in Catania, the Napoli family, that still today performs his own art in local, national and international stages, keeps the ancient tradition of the Catanese puppeteers. Established in the city of Catania in 1921 by Don Gaetano Napoli, who opened the first puppet theatre in the historic quarter of Cibali. The Etna Theatre contained until 200 seats and the stage was great enough for the exhibitions with puppets who measured about

130cm. Still today, inside the laboratory-workshop in via Reitano (bought in the thirties by Don Gaetano to live there with his own family) the Napoli keep the “pupi grandi”, with their sparkling armours and their decorated velvet mantels, the marvellous hand-painted backdrops, and the boards which advertised on theatres’ external walls the puppets opera, always different and largely appreciated by the Catanese audience.In short time, the successful company was enriched by Don Gaetano, who hired famous “parlatori” that, although having just the primary education, were able to thrill the audience with their improvised way of acting. They gave their voices to puppets, who were manoeuvred by numerous manianti, muscular men, strong enough to sustain the high weight of “pupi grandi”, placed shoulders to shoulders above “’u scannapoggiu”, the manoeuvring bridge behind the backdrops.The ability and the initiative of Gaetano Napoli were clearly recognised in 1931, when his puppet theatre had, ex aequo with the puppeteer Nino Insanguine , the highest recognition in the “First regional challenge of the Sicilian puppets”. Winning that prize consolidated the popularity of Don gaetano and his sons Pippo, Rosario, and Natale, counted among the most renowned Catanese puppeteers.But three years later, the nineteenth years old Rosario died of pneumonia and the family company was thus deprived of an excellent painter of backdrops, boards and curtains. Despite the sorrow, the father continued the puppets activity in the new venue in via Canfora and later in via Consolazione, always supported by the son Pippo for puppets performances and by Natale for paintings of scenes and boards. Then, after the second world war, the interest for the Opera dei Pupi progressively declined because of the advent of television. Moreover, in the 1950’s the Catanesi prefer to meet each others in public places, abandoning the Opera dei Pupi. In that period, while all family theatre were closing and selling their puppets, the only remaing family were the Napoli who, instead moved their puppet show to the near provincial town of Misterbianco and then, year after year, to other Etnean small communes. In this way, they could maintain alive the puppets tradition and, participating to the

Universal Expo in Brussels in 1958, gained their first international recognition. Just when a successful period outside Sicily and Italy begun for the company, don Gaetano, died at the age of ninety years old, ending his long and brilliant career in the 30th January 1968. Their sons Pippo and Natale inherited his tenacity to react against the so long announced death of the Opera dei Pupi. Both sons continued their activity: they were the last company left in Catania, the one that saved the ancient tradition of marionettes in the city thanks to its obstinacy and quality of performances. Among the numerous recognitions obtained, we remember in particular the Praemium Erasmianum, received by the Royal Family of Holland (Amsterdam, 3rd june 1978), which” crowns persons and institutions who have enriched European culture with their activity”. After Pippo’s (1983) and Natale’s deaths (1984), the “parlatrice” Italia Chiesa, wife of the last one, and her three sons Fiorenzo, Giuseppe and Salvatore used to keep alive the family tradition. Fiorenzo as artistic director of the company, main “parlatore” and master puppeteer ; Giuseppe as “capu manianti”, painter and scene-painter; Salvatore as light and music assistant. Today the company includes also Agnese Torrisi, wife of Fiorenzo, and their sons Davide, Dario and Marco. Agnese takes care of costumes manufacturing and scenes direction; Davide is the “parlatore”, maniante and refines day by day his quality of coppersmith; Dario is maniante (manoeuvre) and stage operator; Marco is maniante and “parlatore”.Always with the Napoli family, the cousin Alessandro, who collaborates with Fiorello to draft the texts, takes care of performances and manoeuvres the puppets; he, moreover, passionate studious of anthropology, deals with his job of research concerning opera tradition and family history.

The protagonists. Christians and Saracens CharlemagneKing of the French and emperor of Rome, he is often surrounded by the noble rank of paladins. For his role, he is always portrayed of noble aspect, by a thick blonde-reddish beard (or black at some puppets opera) and older than he was in reality during the defeat at Roncisvalle (he was 36 years old). In Palermo his character is

entirely armed, with a crowned helm and a shield with a fleur-de-lis, symbol of France. In Catania instead he wears a court dress: imperial crown on his head, precious surcoat ornated with a cross or an eagle, leather boots and wide and sumptuous red mantel richly decorated OrlandoFirst paladin and chief general of French and Roman troops. Brave among the bravest, Orlando is the symbol of strength, courage and loyalty. He commands the group of paladins against the fiercest Saracens on the main battlefields, until the route of Roncisvalle. His temper is passionate: by his love for the pagan princess Angelica, he kills in duel the emperor Agricane of Tartaria. Then he goes mad with despair when he knows that Angelica has fallen in love with Medoro, a Saracen knight. He then rampages through Europe and Africa, making extraordinary enterprises as well as destroying everything in his path. After Orlando’s wits is found on the moon by the cousin Astolfo, and conquered the city of Biserta, he kills the emperor Agramante and the king Gradasso during the battle of “three against three” in the island of Lampedusa. At Roncisvalle, remained alone while all paladins were dead, he played the ivory horn called Olifante, to be rescued before dying. To the audience Orlando shows a magnificent armour, a shield with a dove, and red clothes (green or blue in Palermitan tradition), by his black moustaches and his characteristic Durlindana sword. In the Palermitan tradition he is portrayed by his lightly crossed-eyes. We may notice how a brave soldier named Orlando, high dignitary of the Carolingian court, is attested with diplomatic acts and coins.RinaldoThe second paladin of France, he is complementary to his cousin Orlando, of whom becomes sometimes antagonist, for his rebellions against Charlemagne or also because he is in love too with the beautiful and spoiled Angelica. Even though he owns the Montalbano castle, he is the poorest paladin. Tenacious ennemy of Gano and the Magonzesi, he always discover their betrayals successfully. Indomitable, rebel, playful, lover and loved by women, Rinaldo is portrayed by the lion on his shield, his blonde moustaches and a small goatee, his green clothes (red in the

Palermitan tradition) and the Fusberta sword by the characteristic rolling shape.Gano di MagonzaThe “Jude” of the chivalrous epic literature, he is the most famous of the Magonzesi family. He hates the Royal family of France and the Chiramonte Family (to whom belonged both Orando and Rinaldo) and betrays the Christians because of ancient dynastic matters and old familial disputes. Firstly considered by Charlemagne a faithful counsellor, through the terrible treachery at Roncisvalle, the same emperor decides to kill him in the public square in Paris. The pupari, to enhance the evilness of Gano , portrayed him as insinuating, by dropped down moustaches, disfigured face (by Rinaldo’s Fusberta !) and black clothes. His armour often brings the sign of a night bat. BradamantA noble heroin, Bradamant is Rinaldo’s sister, the only female among Charlemagne’s great paladins. She defeats the strongest Saracens, such as Sacripante, Rodomonte, Ferraù and Marfisa (she will convert to Christianism, becoming their sister-in-law). At the beginning of the war taken to France by Agramante of Biserta , she falls in love with Ruggiero, first general of the African king. Once the battle is over, the pagan Ruggiero converts to Christianity. But Bradamante has been betrothing by her father to Prince Leo of Greece, the son of the Byzantine emperor. Upon hearing this news, the heroin vows she will marry a man to can beat her in a fair fight. Without knowing, she fight against the loved Ruggiero, and he will beat her. Once she knows the real identity of Ruggiero, the same prince Leo abandons the idea of marrying Bradamant, and she will accomplish her love dream. The blonde paladin wear an armour showing off her breast and pink clothes (white in the Palermitan tradition).

OlivieroMarquis of Vien of Borgogna, he is Orlando’s brother-in-law, who married his sister Alda La Bella. Courageous defender of Charlemagne, he faces the strongest Saracens, winning prestigiously sometimes, while other times he is being defeated. At Roncisvalle he asks oRlando to play the ivory horn, in order to

avoid the massive destruction of paladins. As the hero refuses, Oliviero fights bravely, becomes blind and dies in Orlando’s arms, while recommend his sister Alda. Paladin by a serious and noble face, Olivier is portrayed by blonde moustaches and small goatee, wearing an elegant armour and bring on the helmet a double sunburst crest.AngelicaSplendid princess of Cathay, she arrives at the court of Charlemagne in Paris and all the knights are smitten with her beauty. However, she has something in her mind to weaken the Christian soldiers. She announces that any knight who defeats her brother Argalia (owner of a prodigious launch and introduced to the Christians as Uberto del Leone) in single combat will win Angelica’s hand in marriage. However, Argalia is finally beaten by the Saracen knights Ferraù. Thus, Angelica starts a long infinite series of trips followed by the passionate Orlando, who loses his wits, when he discovers she is in love with the humble infantryman Medoro. When the Saracen prince Ferraù of Spain, also in love with the princess of Cathai, kills Medoro, she resolves to kill herself.Angelica is very clever, and she uses her beauty as well as all magic objects around her, such as the magic ring which keeps invisible and vanishes all enchantments or the book given by the necromancer Malagigi. She wears rich clothes, often in oriental style, who enhance their noble origin.FerraùPrince of all Spain, he is the strongest and most bizarre of the Saracen knights, he is completely invulnerable except via his navel: for this reason he wears seven belts of armour plate to protect this part of the body. Obstinate and courageous knight, he is in love too with the beautiful Angelica, and for her will fight furiously against Argalia, Angelica’s brother (Ferraù will catch Argalia, kill him and steal his helmet, after discovering the trick of the enchanted launch) and against the paladins Rinaldo and Orlando. Ferraù will die at the hands of Orlando, during a memorable duel during which the Christian hero is able to catch his vulnerable navel, after breaking one by one the seven protection belts. Ferraù is portrayed by his features which enhance his irritable temperament, his long

moustaches and his thick black goatee, the armour and the clothes inspired by the Spanish style of the XVI and XVII centuries.AgricaneEmperor of the far distant Tartary and belonging, therefore, to the Saracens soldiers, he is in love with Angelica, so that he has decided to conquer and marry her. But, once refused scornfully by the beautiful and spoiled princess, to punish her, he besieged her rock of Albracca. To rescue Angelica, the count Orlando fights in duel against the tartar king. During a break, they talk about arms, love and religion and they end up liking each others. Once the duel start again, after three day and three nights, Orlando wounds Agricane to death and he asks to be baptised before dying. Orlando accomplishes his desire and the Christian paradise opens up to the tartar emperor’s soul. MalagigiCousin of both Orlando and Rinaldo, kidnapped when he was still a newborn baby, he was raised by the great magus Merlin, who thought him the art of necromancy to advantage the Christian. Malagigi further reinforces his powers against the devils after an awful defeat by the Saracen magus Tuttofuoco who, afterwards is struck by an angel sent by God. Gentle and playful, he often works out any difficult situation with his enchantments. He has black moustaches and wears black and red clothes. Just occasionally he seizes the so-called Merlin’s cane, that is the powerful magic wand of his illustrious master. AstolfoPrince of England, cousin of Orlando, Rinaldo and Malagigi, he is a playful and brave paladin, even though he is often beaten by both paladins and Saracen knights. After being beaten by Argalia, he became his prisoner. Although he manages to rescue himself and to seize the magic launch, with whom he will defeat many enemies unexpectedly. Like his cousin Rinaldo, he is the implacable enemy of the Magonzesi and he loves beautiful women. On the hippogriff he flies up to the moon to find a cure for Orlando’s madness. Among the paladins he is the first one to die heroically at Roncisvalle. Astolfo usually brings a Roman crested helmet and a beautiful and rich armour of the Prince of England. Carts and ceramics. The paladins inspire artisanship.

From the second half of the XIX century, while the puppet theatre established in Sicily, the epic battle scenes of the French paladins used to decorate the carts, usually made for carrying block of stones, goods and foods. By doing so, the painting used to protect the wooden carts, exposed to sun and rain. But soon even the poorest Sicilian tried to emulate the sumptuous nobles’ carts: in this way the carts richly decorated became a status symbol for the owners. The Sicilian carts were entirely hand painted and enriched by elaborated cabinet making works made by able artisans: these, once very popular, were pulled by horses or donkeys richly harnessed by the owners. Once times and transports were changing, the Sicilians, with their creativity, were able during the years fifties of the twentieth century to transfer this usage to the lapa (the Ape Fiat). Thus the Sicilian carts, that has become the symbol of Sicily as well as the Opera dei Pupi, did not disappear with the advent of technology, but adequate to the upcoming progress and updated. In the entire island, in fact, the new three wheels spread rapidly and, like the old carts, their metal and wooden parts were entirely decorated and painted with the same decorations previously adopted. Today the Sicilian carts can be seen just inside ethno anthropologic museums in Sicily, in antique trades or in scale reproductions for tourists in the shops of historic centres, especially in the city of Palermo and Catania. In the same places or specialised shops, we may see also chivalrous subjects

applied to the ancient Sicilian art of ceramic. But in this case, the splendid vases and plates reproduce, both in forms and figures, generic heads of Christians or Saracens, in whom the heroes of the Opera dei Pupi cannot be recognisable anymore.

Captions1. Charlemagne holds a magnificent council at the court in Paris.

Facing the emperor, the paladins Orlando, Bradamante, Rinaldo, Oliviero and Sansonetto. Behind him, the wicked traitor Gano di Magonza

2. Alessandro and Giuseppe Napoli manoeuvre the puppets above u’scannapoggiu

3. The manianti’s game “revealed”. From the left to the right side: Agnese Torrisi Napoli with Morbello Malaguerra, Marco Napoli with Rinaldo, Dario Napoli with Bradamante, Davide Napoli with Orlando, Giuseppe Napoli with Charlemagne, Simone Vasta with Gano di Magonza.

4. The drum is an essential instrument in the puppet theatre. When the drummer plays, the arrival of the heroes and important characters are announced, the troops march, the duels and fights rage. Here we may see an old one, that has accompanied for decades the puppet shows of the Napoli family.

5. Under the walls of Biserta, the King Branzardo di Bugia surrenders to Orlando and gives back the keys of the city. As it was told by Ludovico Ariosto, here Orlando wears a generic helmet and seizes the sword Balisarda, because, after the paladin has given up madly in love for Angelica, Ferraù wins his precious helmet while Gradasso possesses his famous sword Durlindana.

6. The scenes, or the backdrops, of the Opera dei Pupi were distempered on canvas according to the perspectives suggested by the great Renaissance and Baroque scenery tradition. Rosario Napoli (1914-1934) and later on his brother Natale (1921-1984) were the insuperable painters of the scenes. Here, in a jubilation of gold, fringes and curtains, we can see the Tartaria painted by Rosario Napoli in 1931.

7. To advertise their shows, the pupari used to put up nearby theatres beautiful posters distempered on wrapping paper which portrayed with emphasising of colours the most important episode of the show. On the poster a small piece of paper resumed the whole exhibition, written in an aulic and linear language. Here we can see, painted by Natale Napoli in 1960, the Ariosto’s episode of Astolpho who flies up on the moon to receive Orlando’s wits by the hands of San Giovanni the Evangelist, while the Fates weaved men’s destiny.

8. Richly dressed and proud in the aspect are the Saracen sovereigns of the Catanese Opera. Here is the superb Gradasso di Sericana and the emperor Agramante di Biserta: in the island of Lampedusa, on the occasion of the defeat

three against three from the poem of Ariosto, they both will die by the hands of Orlando.

9. The difficult art of the parraturi: Fiorenzo Napoli and the mother Italia Chiesa improvise a love dialogue.

10. At the end of the years sixties, due to the technical competence and the invention of Salvatore Napoli, the puppets theatre has remarkably enriched its lighting engineering system and light effects, that before were very simple and elementary.

11. As we can see in this Diamante di Spagna, made by Fiorenzo Napoli in 1984, the faces, the armours and the costumes of the puppets of Catanese tradition are always object of a careful work. Paintings the heads, Fiorenzo has utilized all the secrets inherited by the father Natale. Working the armours is a constant combination of study and research mixed with the experience inherited by the uncle Pippo. Valuably oil painted by Francesca Napoli is the …… golden fringed.

12. After being conquered by Orlando, Oliviero, Astolfo and Brandimarte, with great and magnificent preparations, the city of Biserta burns.

13. Orlando wounds Agricane, King of Tartary to death: the arms of the Saracen drops down and, as usually happens for valorous characters, the blood flows abundant down the white shirt.

14. Title page of the second volume of the “Storia dei Paladini di Francia” by Giusto Lodico, in the edition by Giuseppe Leggio in the years 1895-96. On this work, that for all Sicilian puppeteers became “the book” par excellence, many Sicilian generations learnt even how to read.

15. A Saracen shield embossed by Fiorenzo Napoli with the technique of hammer fin which designs the metal plate by striking on a pole. In front of him, we can see the puntiddi for the embossed work on a plumb plate.

16. Davide Napoli strikes an helmet. Close to him, the different shaped poles are visible to model, strike, roll and emboss the armours.

17. Magnificent and elegant the costumes of the Chinese of the Storia di Erminio della Stella D’Oro. Here we can see the emperor Benares, the princess Tibet, and the Mandarin Prime Minister Araganna. The costumes have been realized by Italia Chiesa and Agnese Torrisi; the paintings are made by Francesca Napoli.

18. In the workshop in via Reitano, Agnese sews a gilded passementerie on a Saracen jacket.

19. An embossed shield by Davide Napoli20. The narrative plots of the French Chansons des geste,

spreading to Italy, went through an interesting process of modification and enrichment. Among the most interesting innovations, we notice the introduction of many warrior women, both Christian and Saracens. We may found all these heroines in the puppet theatre: here we can see Bradamant and the terrible Saracen Dama Rovenza who seizes an incredible magic armour hammer.

21. The Catanese puppeteers name the puppets not armed ‘I paggiu, the puppets dressed as pageboys, or ‘a liggera puppets, those dressed lightly. Among these, the sovereigns and the ladies of high rank emerge for the beauty of their costumes. Here we can see the emperor Rodocaus of Russia from the Storia di Erminio della Stella d’Oro, a Saracen sovereign that stands out for his nobility and pride, and Lady Macbeth dressed as a queen, a puppet realised in 2005 for the setting up of the Shakespearian tragedy by the brothers Napoli.

22. On the highest mount at Roncisvalle, when all the brother paladins are dead, Orlando plays the Olifante to warn the uncle Charlemagne of the massacre.

23. One of the most beautiful scenes of the Opera dei Pupi: the paladins, just before entering in Roncisvalle, they realise of Gano’s treachery and, although aware of their imminent death, they prefer to face the enemy rather then acting as cowards.. The bishop Turpino blesses them: we recognise Baldovino (with a white surcoat), Agolaccio (with the helmet with a cock’s plume) and Astolfo.

24. In this plastic painting made by the Brothers Napoli during an exhibition of their “great puppets”, Orlando plays the Olifante and kills the Saracens, while the faithful horse Vegliantino dies at his feet and the bishop Turpino aids a dying paladin.

25. Morbello Malaguerra, the adoptive son of Rinaldo, and a Saracen king (puppets made by Davide Napoli).

26. In the Catanese Opera, companion of the adventures of the poor Orlando, is the faithful servant Peppininu, the Sicilian mask that puppeteers and public wanted to stay by the paladins, as expression of the common people. Small, cross-eyed and lame, Peppininu wears an eighteen-century livery and speaks catanese dialect. Apparently stupid, in reality he is very cunning, and he often solves the problems of the heroes: in the Catanese opera tradition, in fact, he was the one who suggested the paladins the correct manner to immobilize Orlando in order to inspire the wits found on the moon by Astolfo. The beautiful head of Peppininu of the “great puppets”, which dates back to the last decade of the nineteenth century and painted by Natale Napoli, shows wonderfully the joyful, good and witted attitude of the character.

27. Once discovered Angelica was in love for the humble soldier Medoro, Orlando goes mad and lays down his arms.

28. Picture of Orlando’s madness painted by Rosario Napoli in the first thirties of the twentieth century. Tempera on wrapping paper.

29. Orlando finds his wits. The Catanese puppeters, unlike the Ariosto’s poem, wanted Rinaldo to be present in this episode. He reached an agreement with the servant Peppininu about the trick of the ropes pulled at distance to immobilize and unbalance the invincible Orlando.

30. Other than kings, knights and princesses, also the humble farmers are portrayed in the Opera dei Pupi. They, dressed as shepherds of Christmas crib or as Sicilian farmers of the nineteenth century, testify important events, such as Orlando’s madness or the Infant Jesus’ birth.

31. During Christmas holidays, in the ancient tradition, the Catanese puppeteers suspended the representation of

chivalrous subjects to portray instead the Nativity of Jesus. The event develops following the trace of a famous pastoral baroque drama, La Cantata dei Pastori by Andrea Perucci that, obviously, in the theatre of Catania was adapted to the local audience. The drama tells the adventures of Maria and Joseph of Nazareth in Bethlehem, obstaculated by the terrible devil Belfegor, who want to stop the Birth of the Messiah. He is regularly beaten up by San Michele Arcangelo, beautiful and flaming in his Roman armour. We can see here the plastic picture of the Immaculate Conception coronation.

32. In the theatre jargon of the Opera, all the theatre equipment is called “job”: puppets, changeable heads, animals, posters, and so on..

33. ‘U misteri by the brothers Napoli is represented by puppets dating back to a period included between the last two decades of the nineteenth century and the years fifties of the twentieth century. Here we can see them just before the beginning of an exhibition.

34. Immersed and thoughtful beautiful head of Saracen king. This is the same used for Jupiter god in the show of the Greek history by the brothers Napoli on the occasion of the “Prima Disfida regionale dei pupi Siciliani”.

35. Illustrious presences in the workshop in via Reitano: together with Natale Napoli and his father don Gaetano (with a beret) we recognize Franco Franchi, Paolo Panelli and Ciccio Ingrassia. The picture was made during the tour of the musical “Rinaldo in campo” by Garinei and Giovannini, with the participation of brothers Napoli’s Marionettes.

36. Arnaldo and Guerin Meschin (puppets made by Fiorenzo Napoli)

37. Rinaldo, Orlando and Angelica photographed in 1931 on the occasion of the the “Prima Disfida regionale dei pupi Siciliani”.

38. The nineteenth century exoticism left his influence also in the Catanese Opera dei Pupi: Rodomonte d’Algeri, with his characteristic snaked armour and the Chinese general Ebruz, from the Storia di Erminio della Stella d’Oro (puppets made by Fiorenzo Napoli)

39. ‘U suddateddu a ‘ncoppu niuru, ‘u tucchiceddu, the last soldier left to the emperor Agramante di Biserta after his

definitive defeat in France. It was one of the oldest puppet by the Napoli, dating back around 1880.

40. The workshop in via Reitano, full of puppets and paintings, opens like an enchanted cave to the astonished visitors facing the little big world of the puppeteers , known for the first time or pleasantly rediscovered.

41. Tombstone commemorative of Natale Napoli placed by the Commune of Catania on the wall of the house-workshop in via REitano for the tenth anniversary of his death.

42. Around Peppininu, the third and fourrth generation of puppeteers belonging to the Napoli family: Fiorenzo, Giuseppe, Davide, Dario, Marco Napoli and Agnese Torrisi. Puppets, old and recent by the Napoli family in Catania.

43. Reproduction in miniature of a typical Sicilian carts hand made by Salvatore Napoli.

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