Le Marionette Lazzarini
Guglielmo Lazzarini with Harlequin and Facanapa
In the small Piazzale Liguria you can see the facade of what was once the Puppet Theatre, one of the very few permanent theatres of this kind in Italy. Only the front part remains of the whole building complex inside the Sala Regina where theatrical performances were given. It was originally plastered with golden yellow and red colours, characterized by five large arches on the ground floor. The arches displayed stucco cymas with baroque figures, while the decorations closely recalled those of the Villa Tonello at the health spa, designed by the architect Antonio Caregaro Negrin, giving rise to the speculation that he had a hand in the design of the Puppet theatre.
The company at work on the bridge
Puppet shows for adults and children became quite popular from the second half of the nineteenth century and were staged in the Sala Regina for almost forty years from 1922 to 1958 by the Primaria Compagnia Veneta Marionette Lazzarini.
In addition to personally producing all the material, the Lazzarini brothers were the set designers, directors and organizers of the shows. Guglielmo, the founder, wrote over sixty scripts, painted the scenarios, gave life to up to five puppets at the same time and the voice to fifteen different characters. Their repertoire included brilliant comedies, dramas, and historical novels.
In 1960, after Guglielmo’s death, the company ceased operations and the puppets together with all the props were abandoned in the under stage of the forgotten Sala Regina, being either looted or subject to deterioration. Although partly coming back into the Lazzarini family’s possession, only one third of the 180 of Guglielmo’s theatre remain today. Some pieces of the Lazzarini collection are now on display to the public at the Centro Culturale Neri Pozza in Recoaro Terme.
