The stories

A presentation of the Oliviero puppet and an explanation of why Orlando is depicted cross-eyed in the Palermo tradition:

 

 

On Carlomagno’s encounter with Almonte:

 

 

On the battle of Rinaldo and Orlando over Angelica (who in the end chooses Medoro):

 

On the beginning of the Ginevra di Scozia episode:

 

On Astolfo’s voyage to the moon:

 

On the battle of Lampedusa:

 

On various characters from the Paladins of France cycle:

 

The puppets

On the uniqueness of every puppet:

 

A demonstration of constructing armor for a puppet:

 

Closeup of a puppet head:

 

The wooden body of a puppet without armor:

 

The puppet’s shoulder plates:

 

 

The above clips were filmed in Pietro Scalisi’s workshop in Palermo, with Benedetto Rossi (son of late puppeteer Enzo Rossi) of Monreale, on March 19, 2024.

 

In the news:

“Un caffè col maestro Pietro Scalisi, puparo,” Domenico Prestifilippo,  Monreale News, October 21, 2019.

“Il maestro Pietro Scalisi e il suo grande amore per la Sicilia,” Chiara Fici, Globus Magazine, February 16, 2017.

Pietro Scalisi’s Brandimarte: