Burrattino
Encyclopedia
Burrattino, also Burattino or Burratino, is a minor character from the Commedia dell'arte
, of the stupid zanni
(or second zanni) class. He is a variant on the character Pedrolino
. Burattino means wooden puppet or doll in Italian.
Though only mildly popular on the stage, he found his real fame in the marionette
theater. According to Pierre Louis Ducharte, his puppet's influence in Italy was so great that "by the end of the sixteenth century, all marionettes operated by strings and a wire were called burattini
, instead of bagatelli or fantoccini, as they had been known up to that time."
Like Pedrolino, Burrattino is extremely good natured. He is so trustworthy that, in one of Flaminio Scala
's scenari
, the lone innamorata
Isabella takes him along as her sole accompaniment on a journey across the country. When he later in the story believes (mistakenly) that Isabella has been kidnapped and raped, he weeps and laments at length.
In the Russian version, Pinocchio
was renamed Buratino
and joined by a supporting cast of other commedia dell'arte
characters like Pierrot
and Harlequin
. In the TV adaption they were played by children to emphasize their innocent or naive nature.
Commedia dell'arte
Commedia dell'arte is a form of theatre characterized by masked "types" which began in Italy in the 16th century, and was responsible for the advent of the actress and improvised performances based on sketches or scenarios. The closest translation of the name is "comedy of craft"; it is shortened...
, of the stupid zanni
Zanni
Zanni or Zani is a character type of Commedia dell'arte best known as an astute servant and trickster. The Zanni comes from the countryside. The Zanni is known to be a “dispossessed immigrant worker”. "Immigrant" in Italy at the time of the city-states, did not necessarily mean someone from...
(or second zanni) class. He is a variant on the character Pedrolino
Pedrolino
Pedrolino is a zanni, or servant character in the commedia dell'arte. His name is essentially the same as "Pete" or "Petey" in English—a diminutive form of the name Peter. He is normally portrayed as personable, charming and kind, to the point of excess—he blames himself for wrongs never done and...
. Burattino means wooden puppet or doll in Italian.
Though only mildly popular on the stage, he found his real fame in the marionette
Marionette
A marionette is a puppet controlled from above using wires or strings depending on regional variations. A marionette's puppeteer is called a manipulator. Marionettes are operated with the puppeteer hidden or revealed to an audience by using a vertical or horizontal control bar in different forms...
theater. According to Pierre Louis Ducharte, his puppet's influence in Italy was so great that "by the end of the sixteenth century, all marionettes operated by strings and a wire were called burattini
Buratino
Buratino is the main character of the book The Golden Key, or the Adventures of Buratino by Aleksey Nikolayevich Tolstoy. Based on the 1883 novel The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi, Buratino originated as a character in the commedia dell'arte. The name Buratino is derived from the...
, instead of bagatelli or fantoccini, as they had been known up to that time."
Like Pedrolino, Burrattino is extremely good natured. He is so trustworthy that, in one of Flaminio Scala
Flaminio Scala
Flaminio Scala was an Italian comedian and stage actor, one of the most important figures of Commedia dell'Arte.-Il Teatro Delle Favole Rappresentative:...
's scenari
Scenari
Scenari is an open source software suite that introduce a new methodology to edit and publish multimedia documents.The author of a document on Scenari applications only have to fill and organize the content in the editor without thinking about its presentation for a particular output media...
, the lone innamorata
Innamorata
"Innamorata" is a song written in 1955. The music was written by Harry Warren and the lyrics by Jack Brooks.It was written for the 1955 Martin and Lewis film, Artists and Models.In italian, the word innamorata means "my love"...
Isabella takes him along as her sole accompaniment on a journey across the country. When he later in the story believes (mistakenly) that Isabella has been kidnapped and raped, he weeps and laments at length.
In the Russian version, Pinocchio
Pinocchio
The Adventures of Pinocchio is a novel for children by Italian author Carlo Collodi, written in Florence. The first half was originally a serial between 1881 and 1883, and then later completed as a book for children in February 1883. It is about the mischievous adventures of Pinocchio , an...
was renamed Buratino
Buratino
Buratino is the main character of the book The Golden Key, or the Adventures of Buratino by Aleksey Nikolayevich Tolstoy. Based on the 1883 novel The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi, Buratino originated as a character in the commedia dell'arte. The name Buratino is derived from the...
and joined by a supporting cast of other commedia dell'arte
Commedia dell'arte
Commedia dell'arte is a form of theatre characterized by masked "types" which began in Italy in the 16th century, and was responsible for the advent of the actress and improvised performances based on sketches or scenarios. The closest translation of the name is "comedy of craft"; it is shortened...
characters like Pierrot
Pierrot
Pierrot is a stock character of pantomime and Commedia dell'Arte whose origins are in the late 17th-century Italian troupe of players performing in Paris and known as the Comédie-Italienne; the name is a hypocorism of Pierre , via the suffix -ot. His character in postmodern popular culture—in...
and Harlequin
Harlequin
Harlequin or Arlecchino in Italian, Arlequin in French, and Arlequín in Spanish is the most popularly known of the zanni or comic servant characters from the Italian Commedia dell'arte and its descendant, the Harlequinade.-Origins:...
. In the TV adaption they were played by children to emphasize their innocent or naive nature.