The Opera dei Pupi is a marionette theatrical representation of Frankish romantic poems such as The Song of Roland or Orlando furioso that is one of the characteristic cultural traditions of Sicily. The sides of donkey carts are decorated with intricate, painted scenes; these same tales are enacted in traditional puppet theaters featuring hand-made marionettes of wood.
Traditionally the Opera of the Puppets consisted of the theatrical representation of Frankish romantic poems such as The Song of Roland or Orlando furioso, the performance of medieval clashes between knights and the Moors: the puppets were taken as symbols of the desire for revenge and justice of a social class.
The Opera dei Pupi is characterised by the transmission of a series of rather ancient codes of conduct which include: sense of honour, chivalry, defence of justice and faith, the need to excel etc.
The term puppeteer means the person in charge of the show of puppets. The puppeteer using a particular tone of voice creates an atmosphere characterised by a certain suggestiveness and filled up with tension that specifically characterises the epic scenes.
The puppeteer recites a canovaccio (vague plot outline), or performs a drama based on improvisation that is expressed following an outline of the plot In the past the performance ended with a farce, a puppet show in which the tones used by the characters were bawdy and cheerful. These tones were taken from the Sicilian fable tradition. Sometimes the puppeteers also communicated contents which were unpopular with the authorities using the baccagghiu (baccaglio) a slang known to criminals.
The Sicilian marionette theater Opera dei pupi was proclaimed in 2001 and inscribed in 2008 in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists.
The puppets of the school of Palermo are lightweight , they measure about eighty centimetres high and have an iron rod placed inside their body, passing through the torso and head in order to support them. There is then another iron rod placed in the right arm which allows movement and a wire running through the closed hand which enables the puppet to draw and replace the sword. A wire is connected to the left knee, allowing the puppet to kneel down, to take a step and so on.
The puppets of the school of Catania are heavier, they also have fixed limbs, are characterised by a height which is around one metre and twenty or thirty centimetres and can reach up to 16 kg. The puppeteers of Catania work on axes called bridge for manoeuvring, which is placed behind the backdrop.
Collections of marionettes are on display at the Museo Internazionale delle Marionette Antonio Pasqualino, the Museo Etnografico Siciliano Giuseppe Pitrè in Palermo, and the Museo Civico Vagliasindi in Randazzo. The Northwest Puppet Center in Seattle, WA and the Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta, GA also have displays of marionettes in this style.
The Sicilian marionette theater Opera dei pupi was proclaimed in 2001 and inscribed in 2008 in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists.