Note 3 — Puppets of Italy and Southern Europe

There are many Italian names for the puppets. From pupa, meaning doll, is derived pupazzi. From fantoccia, also signifying doll, we have fantoccini, or little dolls. From figura, statue or figure, comes figurini, statuettes or little figures. Burattini comes from buratto, cloth, being made mostly of cloth. Marionette is a modification of Maria, the Virgin, meaning little Maries from the early statuettes in churches. Another explanation is found in the tenth century Venetian Festival of the Maries. Upon one occasion Barbary pirates carried off twelve Venetian maidens in their bridal procession. The rape of the affianced Virgins was avenged by Venetian youths and thereafter celebrated annually by a procession of richly dressed girls. These later were replaced by elaborately gowned figures carried year by year in the procession—hence Marionetti, little Maries.