Andrea da Barberino

Sicilian puppet theater

Le prime imprese di Orlandino
Teatroarte Cuticchio (now Associazione culturale Franco Cuticchio figlio d’ arte), Cefalù.  After Milone has courteously given another chance to his defeated opponent Almonte during the North African invasion of Calabria, the latter refuses to do the same when Milone remains unprotected by armor. Instead, he exploits his advantage to kill Milone.

 

“Orlandino”
Figli d’arte Cuticchio (di Mimmo Cuticchio), Palermo. Having escaped from the seminary to search for his father among the Christian troops in Aspramonte, Orlandino arrives at the camp and learns that his father has not returned from battle.

 

La morte di Almonte
Antica Compagnia Opera dei Pupi Famiglia Puglisi, Sortino. Carlo comes upon a sleeping Almonte after the latter has treacherously killed Milone and debates whether to retaliate immediately. He decides to act honorably and wake Almonte. Orlandino kills Almonte: As Almonte is about to kill Charlemagne, Orlandino arrives on the scene. Although at first he does not want to intervene to rescue the emperor, he subsequently attacks and kills Almonte to avenge his father’s death. As a reward, he gains Almonte’s olifant and sword Durlindana.  “Sicilian Puppets Series” – Rassegna teatrale di Opera dei Pupi siciliani – Museo Internazionale delle Marionette Antonio Pasqualino, March 21, 2021.

 

Orlando conquista le armi
Compagnia Brigliadoro, Palermo. As Almonte is about to kill Charlemagne, Orlandino arrives on the scene. Although at first he does not want to intervene to rescue the emperor, he subsequently attacks and kills Almonte to avenge his father’s death. As a reward, he gains Almonte’s olifant and sword Durlindana. “Sicilian Puppets Series” – Rassegna teatrale di Opera dei Pupi siciliani – Museo Internazionale delle Marionette Antonio Pasqualino, March 28, 2021.

 

Ruggero di Risa”. 2a parte.  Antica Compagnia Opera dei Pupi Famiglia Puglisi – Sortino.  “Sicilian Puppets Series” – Rassegna teatrale di Opera dei Pupi siciliani – Museo Internazionale delle Marionette Antonio Pasqualino. Galaciella and Ruggiero di Risa fall in love; they are betrayed by Beltramo who opens the gates of the city to Almonte.

 

Ruggero di Risa.” Compagnia Opera dei pupi siciliani Gaspare Canino. “Sicilian Puppets Series” – Rassegna teatrale di Opera dei Pupi siciliani – Museo Internazionale delle Marionette Antonio Pasqualino. Galaciella and Ruggiero di Risa fall in love; they are betrayed by Beltramo who opens the gates of the city to Almonte. March 19, 2021.  Castello dei conti di Modica, Alcamo (Trapani).

 

Andrea da Barberino’s Reali di Francia and Aspromonte were refashioned into ottava rima verse in Ludovico Dolce’s Le prime imprese di Orlando (1572). Giusto Lodico incorporated Dolce’s poem in the first volume of his monumental prose Storia dei paladini di Francia (1858-1860). Leggio added sections from I reali di Francia when he expanded the Storia dei paladini in 1895-96.  See Antonio Pasqualino, Rerum palatinorum fragmenta, edited by Alessandro Napoli (Palermo: Edizioni Museo Pasqualino, 2018) and Anna Carocci, Il poema che cammina: La letteratura cavalleresca nell’opera dei pupi (Palermo, Edizioni Museo Pasqualino, 2019).

 

**

 

Epic Maggio tradition:

Almonte
Performed by the Compagnia Maggistica Monte Cusna di Asta. Varliano di Giuncugnano (Lu), August 13, 1995. Excerpts filmed by Pietro Porta.

 

Carlomagno by Berto Zambonini,
Performed by the Compagnia Maggistica Monte Cusna di Asta.

Recounts the birth, youth, and rise to power of the Christian emperor Charlemagne, from I reali di Francia.

**

Literary Encyclopedia profile on Andrea da Barberino (Gloria Allaire)