The historical
masks of the "Commedia dell'arte" represent a very important
moment of Italian theatre: in fact they represented "types",
with fine qualities and imperfections, that faced exhilarating and funny
events.
Pantaloon is an old and stingy Venetian trader who believes
only in the money and in the commerce; he is an authoritarian man, but,
often, his wife and his daughters cheat him. This mask has a red jacket,
a belt with a purse, close fitting pants, a black mask, that covers
half face, with hooked nose, white and pointed beard, a black mantle
and yellow pointed shoes.
Columbine is a young and cunning Venetian house-maid,
who lies and organizes cheats for her fine mistress Rosaura. She doesn't
like the old and grumbler masters and she slaps the ill-bred people.Without
a mask on the face, Columbine's dress is white with an apron and a little
cap.
Arlecchino, who come from Bergamo, is a famous mask: he
is a penniless and bungler servant; he adapts himself to every circumstance,
but he makes troubles and he always tries of to find a remedy with clumsy
ways. He has the face covered by a black mask and a brimmed hat; the
dress is made with coloured cloth rhombs; it has a belt with a baton
called "batocio" and a purse (always empty!) called "scasela".
Also Brighella is a mask that comes from Bergamo, and
he is a wrangler and astute servant. His dress has a white livery adorned
with green frogs, a white mantle, like the hat, and a  black
mask.
Doctor Balanzone is a mask original of Bologna. He is
an "erudite" and chatterer old man who always walks with a
big book under the arm, speaking a wrong Latin and saying wrong proverbs
and typical sentences of Bologna. This mask has black pant, black like
the shirt and the broad-brimmed hat; the collar is white, and from the
belt sticks out a dagger or a handkerchief.
Punchinello is a famous mask original of Naples; he is
very cheerful and crazy: he lives for the food and the wine. He is a
comical, clumsy and vagabond type that, with the white pant, like the
coat and the hat, and the black mask with a big nose, is very likeable
for all. He loves to trick rich people and often he makes only troubles
and, for this reason, he is beaten.
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