Teatro dei Pupi

The tradition of puppet shows, as a form of entertainment, is said to date back to medieval times. I was very dubious about visiting one as my first thought is of amateur Punch and Judy shows at the seaside, and I always find puppets quite scary looking. However, this tradition is still very popular in Sicily and there is a small ‘Teatro dei Pupi’ (puppet theatre) in Ortigia which we had been told is definitely worth a visit, so we decided to give it a try.

The ‘Opera dei Pupi’, is a traditional Sicilian show made with puppets telling stories of kings, gallant knights, angelic maidens, dark magicians, treacherous warriors, giants, dragons, fairies and many other characters based on Italian Renaissance poetry and medieval literature.

It first emerged in Sicily at the beginning of the 19th Century. Towards the end of the century, it became popular in Siracusa when Francesco Puzzo made the first puppet in his basement in 1875 and, along with his son, performed shows in the streets and piazzas until the early 20th century. In 1923, Rosario Vaccaro (Saro) was intrigued by the puppets, so he opened a shop opposite the Puzzo family who taught him how to construct puppets and armour, paint scenery, write scrips and produce shows.

Later Saro convinced his brother, Alfredo, a talented papier-mâché craftsman and movie operator to join him. They continued to perform in streets and piazzas until a reporter spotted them and filmed them in their workshop. This was broadcast on television, making them and their puppets famous.

Finally in 1978, the Vaccaro brothers performed in a church which was a huge success and the city donated an old convent for them to open a Teatro dei Pupi. Saro died in 1984 and Alfredo continued, but in 1990 the puppets were again without a permanent home when an earthquake destroyed the convent.

Alfredo, now joined by his grandson, didn’t want the puppets to go to ruin, he wanted them preserved and stored in a museum but was unable to afford anywhere. After his death, his grandson resurrected the puppets and converted an old artisan shop into a Teatro dei Pupi along with a puppet museum just down the street from the theatre. Both the theatre and the museum are still run by the Vaccaro family.

We bought our tickets for the evening show and decided to look around the museum first.

The small museum is home to puppets ranging from hand sized to nearly life size and weighing up to 16kg, including damsels in long elaborate dresses, knights in full body armor, and papier-mâché dragons, all produced in Ortigia.

The museum also has a lot of information explaining the Sicilian history of puppetry, some of the painted scenery and a reconstructed workshop area.

Nowadays, the puppets are all constructed in a nearby laboratory (opposite the theatre) visible from the street, and belong to the Vaccaro family who have handed down this craft for generations. They still make each puppet entirely by hand, with a core made of finely chiselled and painted wood, individually created armour in embossed metal and hand sewn detailed period costumes. Each “pupi” requires one month of work.

The Sicilian puppet originates from the classical European puppet but is slightly different. The European puppet is moved by long strings, while the Sicilian puppet is manoeuvred by two iron rods, one of which is attached to the right hand and the other passes through the inside of the head. There are also four strings to allow the puppet to pull and replace his sword, move his left hand and raise and lower the visor of his helmet. These technical characteristics give them rapid and natural movements.

It was time for the show so we went to the theatre. Once inside the small room you feel like you have stepped back in time with stone columns and arched ceiling, wooden benches with a capacity of approximately 50 people, and a traditional stage with a red pull up curtain.

The show was in Italian but the performers gave the English speakers an overview before it started so that you could follow the story.

It lasted approximately 30 minutes with an intriguing story full of battles, chivalry, magic and romance. The adventures of these characters are told in episodes, the show is similar to an ongoing TV series. Each episode tells a continuing story through the lives of chivalrous knights fighting battles with their enemy, and saving damsels in distress.

In brief, the episode that we watched started with King Gradasso who had everything, fame, riches and a vast kingdom, but his pride led him to face the pitfalls of the magical garden of the sorceress Sibilla, where he was searching for a suit of armour that would make him invincible. However, it turns out that he had been duped and his quest was then extended to require the invasion of France. Gradasso embarks on this quest despite his wifes strong objections. In France he meets his equal, the brave knight Renaldo, and they fight to a stalemate.

The battle scenes are fast and furious with fierce animals like dragons and snakes getting into the story. There is dramatic lighting and musical accompaniment, and the clash of metal swords on shields reverberated through the theater. One knight fell, then another; but Gradasso and Renaldo fought on ending with an epic battle where the puppets were being thrown aside and bodies were piling up!

It is at this point that the story is left on a typical cliffhanger.

The puppeteers are so talented, they are not only the voices and sounds of the puppets but also give them such expression and life in their movement.

I was pleasantly surprised at how good the show was, it was so well performed and not understanding the narrative didn’t affect my enjoyment at all. I would definitely recommend a visit to help keep this tradition going.

We had been in Siracusa for a week now so it was time to move on. The following morning we lifted the anchor and headed out of the bay.

Our course was set to travel 28nm to Portopalo on the south eastern point of Sicily. Once out of the harbour, there was a force 3 northwesterly wind, so the Genoa was unfurled and we sailed downwind at 6kts. Later, the wind turned more northerly and after a couple of gybes, we approached Portopalo as the wind disappeared. A couple of dolphins came to welcome us and check us out, before swimming off again.

We entered the bay, passing the busy fishing harbour, and dropped our anchor in the clear water.

The wind was due to pick up again through the night, so we watched the sun set before going to bed ready for a very early start in the morning when we plan to leave Sicily.