Sicilian culture: l’Opera
dei Pupi (the Sicilian Puppet Theatre)
The Sicilian Puppet Theatre (Opera
dei Pupi in Sicilian) is an old tradition and
part of culture, which had its golden
years in the XIX century. In the last fifty
years this old Sicilian tradition  has
been declining because of the advent of television,
and in 2001 UNESCO declared it Masterpiece of
the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.
The histories portrayed in the Opera dei Pupi
(Sicilian puppet theatre) are long cycles, presented
in episodes, based on epic-chivalrous literature
and especially on the Carolingian cycle, the
Chanson the Roland in particular (based on the
Roncisvalle battle, when the paladins of Charlemagne
where attacked by the Saracens). The Sicilian
puppets opera, however, also tells other stories
of chivalry such as Roger the Norman Conquers
Sicily, The Sicilian Vespers and also tales
of bandits. These stories of battles, chivalry
and heroism, where honour always prevailed,
have been seen as representing the spirit of
rebellion and idealism of the Sicilian working
classes of the XIX century.
The Sicilian puppets opera’s main characters
The main characters in the Sicilian Opera dei
Pupi are usually the paladins of Charlemagne
with Orlando and Rinaldo being the two principal
antagonists. Other characters include: Charlemagne,
Angelica, Gano di Maganza (who impersonates
the betrayer that can never be trusted) and
the Saracens such as Rodomonte, Mambrino, Ferraú,
Agramante, Marsilio and Agricane.
Sicilian puppets Opera – traditions
and ‘il puparo siciliano’
The Opera dei Pupi siciliani has deeply rooted
traditions all over the island of Sicily, however,
there are two main traditions: Palermo and Catania.
These two traditions differ in many aspects,
but the main differences are in how the puppets
are made. In Palermo the puppets are smaller
(about 100 cm) with flexible knees and altogether
lighter, more mobile and more difficult to move.
The puppets in Catania instead, are taller (they
measure about 140 cm), heavier, with rigid knees
and easier to manipulate.
All the Sicilian puppets are made of wood, with
iron wire inside, in order to connect the junctions
and they wear metal armour and colourful clothes.
The Sicilian puppeteer (il puparo) was an artist
who not only made the puppets and the designed
the background scene, but also knew by heart
a lot of epic-chivalrous poems and had to be
a good actor to tell the stories with all the
required pathos and give voices to the characters.
The Sicilian puppet theatre today
The Sicilian marionettes tradition today is
not thriving like in the XIX century, and many
of the great Sicilian puppeteer families of
the past are no longer in business. However,
there are still some theatres and museums, where
it is possible to admire ‘I Pupi Siciliani’
in some cities of Sicily.
- Palermo – the capital of Sicily hosts
the Museo Internazionale delle Marionette
Antonio Pasqualino (the Pasqualino family
are Sicilian puppeteers still active today)
and the Museo Etnografico Siciliano Giuseppe
Pitrè. A Sicilian puppeteer still active
today is Mimmo Cuticchio, who also appeared
in the film The Godfather: part III
- Messina – in this Sicilian city,
an active puppeteers family are the Garganos
- Catania – there is a theatre, called
Teatro Stabile dell’Opera dei Pupi,
in the cultural centre ‘Le Ciminiere’.
- Acireale – in this Sicilian town,
in the Catania province, there are the Museo
dell’Opera dei Pupi Mario Grasso and
the Theatre ‘Teatro dell’Opera
dei Pupi’ dedicated to Emanuele Macrì
- Caltagirone – this town, in the Catania
province, hosts a theatre which is also a
museum: Teatro-museo dei Pupi Siciliani
- Randazzo – a small village on the
Etna, in the province of Catania, Sicily,
displays a collection of ‘pupi’
in the Museo Civico Vagliasindi.
- Siracusa – this Sicilian town recently
saw the opening of a small puppets museum
and of a theatre for the Sicilian Puppets
Opera.
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