Puppet Theater, Ortigia, Sicily

Teatro dei Pupi, Ortigia, Sicily

Opera dei Pupi, the Opera of the Puppets, has a long tradition. Starting in Spain in the 16th century, the art form migrated to France and later to Sicily via Naples in the early 19th century.

Teatro dei Pupi, Ortigia, Sicily

The puppet performances usually depict the Paladins (warriors) of Charlemagne fighting to expel the Moors from Spain.

Teatro dei Pupi, Ortigia, Sicily

Naturally, Charlemagne's warriors always come out on top, although the body count that piles up on stage is staggering.

Teatro dei Pupi, Ortigia, Sicily

In Ortegia (which I've posted about here, here, here and here) there is a tiny theater where Vaccaro-Mauceri Company perform. The puppeteers are all young, and have perfected the craft of eastern Sicilian puppetry started here, carrying on the tradition of the Vaccaro family who were some of the first puppeteers in this area.

Teatro dei Pupi, Ortigia, Sicily

The theater itself is tiny, seating maybe two dozen people which makes the show and up-close experience. Kids will enjoy it because, despite being an ancient art form, the story is full of action and drama. Adults will have fun too, even if you don't speak Italian, there's no problem following the story,

Teatro dei Pupi, Ortigia, Sicily

Something you may notice about the marionettes. They do have strings attached to them for movement, but the right hand has a metal rod attached to it. That's to facilitate the exact choreography of the battle scenes (I guess there were no left handed warriors). And, I can tell you, the battle scenes are fantastic, with plenty of sword fighting, battle cries, and, of course death. Look at the picture above and you see the bodies piling up on stage.

Puppet lab, Ortigia, Sicily

Perhaps even more entertaining is the puppet lab right across the street from the theater. Here, puppet makers create the characters by hand that you see in the shows at the theater.

Puppet lab, Ortigia, Sicily

This is a true workshop, with puppets hanging in various stages of completion, puppet heads sitting on workbenches waiting to be painted and various puppet body parts waiting to be attached. For that reason, it might not be the best place for small, but bigger kids who understand "no touching" might enjoy a stop here.

Puppet lab, Ortigia, Sicily

Best of all, you can watch the artists as they work on their creations. They will also answer your questions if they're not too busy, but be aware that not everyone speaks English.

Puppet lab, Ortigia, Sicily

If you've been to Palermo (another hotbed of Sicilian puppetry), you might've noticed that the puppets in eastern Sicily are different. In Palermo, the puppets are smaller and soft bodied while the puppets of Catania and Ortigia have fixed limbs and a wood frame.

Teatro dei Pupi, Ortigia, Sicily

The puppet theater and puppet lab in Sicily is most definitely worth a visit. Sure, you'll mostly see tourists in the crowd, but the members of the company and the artisans who create the puppets have a deep love and respect for their art form which you can see on display at every performance.

Teatro dei Pupi, Ortigia, Sicily

If you go:
Teatro dei Pupi (Puppet Theater) 
Via della Giudecca 22, 96100, Syracuse, Sicily, Italy
Website (in Italian) 

The puppet lab is across the street. If you visit, please be mindful that is an artist studio with working artists. Be respectful, quiet and refrain from touching unless offered.

There is also a wonderful puppet museum, the Museo Aretuseo dei Pupi at Piazza San Giuseppe, 96100, Syracuse, Sicily, Italy, that is also run by the Vaccaro-Mauceri Company and tells the fascinating story of how their family kept the art of puppetry alive in Ortigia. Their website is here and I will post about the museum, which is also worth a visit, at a later time. 
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