Marionette, Burattini, Pupi... what confusion! 

   

      Italy is one of the few Nations in the world that uses and calls in different own the various "objects" of the Puppet Theatre. That has caused, with the pass of the time and the use of regional terms, a great confusion. For example, Collodi calls his creature Pinocchio "burattino" because in Tuscany the regional word for all that is part of the Puppet Theatre is "burattino". But Pinocchio have the legs, so therefore Pinocchio is a "marionette" at all effects likes the "burattini" of Mangiafoco, that, don't forget it, they have the legs and are moved by wires. For this motive, in order of the large popularity of the tale, is prevailing the indiscriminate use of the word "burattino" for all its part of the Puppet Theatre, causing, obviously, confusion.

      Italy is the fatherland of three types of Puppet Theatre: The Marionettes, The Burattini and The Sicilians Pupi.

      In general the three distinction are:

       Marionette : wood puppet high from 80 to 100 centimetres, the figure is entire, the head and the hands are carved, and body and legs are in rounded wood. The top whit wires connected to a cross of wood called "bilancino" (little balance), for the movements of the marionette.

      Burattino: puppet maked whit a head and two hands in carved wood connected to the body maded in cloth. The burattino has no legs and is animated by the bottom-up.

      Pupo: wooden puppet high up to 130 centimetres. The head is carved, the body is only draft because is covered by armour. The pupo is moved from top or from side through big iron sticks and ropes.

      Now we analyse each of this subjects.

Marionette

      The main feature of the marionette (string puppet in english) is to be full length and moved through thread, from top to bottom. Traditionally, the marionettes are made in wood, the arms, in cloth, are stuffed with sawdust, also the legs are in wood, articulated at the knee and attached to the body through a piece of iron wire. Particular attention is devoted to sculpture of the head to give her character. Some heads, apparently flat, buy various expressions depending on how they are reached by light. The eyes are made of crystal or glass, almost never are carved directly into the head and paintings, because they are less alive. Mostly, to paint the faces are used oil paints and fixatives are avoided because the skin may seem oily complexions like real skin. To the wrists and under the feet are attached some weight of lead, because a marionette without counterweights is difficult to maneuver. The costumes are fixed with special pins that can be bent so that the straps remain soft and do not pull. For the realization of the clothes, typically are used soft fabrics that allow many movements to the marionette and designs and patterns are in proportion with the high of the ccharacters. The marionette high is about 80 cm. and her weighs about 8 pounds, some characters in armor can reach 25 pounds of weight. To animate the marionette is used a special black nylon thread (not the thread for fishing, because it shines under the lights) and 8 wires are needed for the basic movements. The threads that are related to "sling", are so connected: two to the temples, one to the back, one to the chest, two to the hands and two to the legs. Additional wires are added to achieve the so-called tricks (for example, extraction of a dagger), and in some cases have somen puppets can have 20 wires. In italian language, the puppeteer is called "marionettista".

Burattino

      The puppet named burattino (glove puppet in english) is moved by the hand of the puppeteer, inserted in the body, or by a baton. The burattino is without legs and is not realistic for the proportions of the limbs. The head is in wood; the eyes are carved directly in the head. The head of the burattino encloses all its character; in the natives' burattini of Bergamo, as an example, the head is very disproportionate to comparison by the two little arms (the head has a dimensions like that one of a real child); in the Neapolitans burattini, the head can be proportioned. The burattino it must have a strong head because is on the head that the burattino takes the blows with a club, present in all the traditional pieces. In spite of the shrewdness of twist the head of the burattino and present the nape to the stick blows, many times the nose is break; to repair it is used a layer papier-maché and flour glue. The body is a tube of cloth more wide on back; the sleeves are inserted in two holes in front of the dress. The hand are flat, in wood. The women have proportioned body, hands and arms are in wood and is used a wooden stick for support the puppet and for the movements. In italian language, the puppeteer is called "burattinaio".

Pupo

      A particular derivation of the marionette is the Sicilians (or Neapolitan) pupo. The pupi are in wood and the legs are joined to the bust by an articulation that allows a movement to a free pendulum in ahead, and limited pendulum to behind: the pupo of Palermo (from the 80 to the 100 centimetres of height and the weight of approximately 8 kilos) it has the articulated knee, that allows it to kneel; the pupo of Catania instead (of 110/130 centimetres of height and also 25 kilos of weight) it has the rigid knee. Between the bachelors of the pupo there is a ring that allows to the hanged iron stick that crosses the head for fixing the head to the body. The head is always in carved wood and with a particular type in accord to the personages. There is a distinction also for the hands between the pupo of Palermo and the pupo of Catania: in first, next to the iron coupled to the right hand, there is a rope that passes through the fingers folded in ring shape and it is coupled to the grip of the sword. In the second ones instead, the sword is always unsheathed and fixed to the right hand. Less heavy and complicated they are the personages without armour: they move with the same system and in some case they have one rope in place of the iron of the right hand. The pupi exist also in Acireale that is a little different from the others since is a little smaller of the pupi of Catania and have longer irons and ropes. The puppeteer is called "puparo".