Sicily’s UNESCO Recognized Opera dei Pupi 

The marionette puppet theater of Sicily is one of four traditions of puppetry from around the globe that is recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity–along with the Japanese Ningyo Johruri Bunraku, Indonesian Wayang, and Cambodian Sbek Thom. The Opera dei Pupi may be enjoyed at many theaters throughout the island, mainly in Palermo, Catania, Ortigia, and Randazzo, to name a few. The puppeteers put their entire bodies into the performance, using their voices, their hands, and their feet to represent the timeless stories they tell and to manipulate the uniquely crafted marionettes like the one you see here pictured that was created by master puppeteer Giacomo Cuticchio (Palermo, Palazzo Branciforte; Permanent collection of Pupi Siciliani by Giacomo Cuticchio).

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