Watch A Puppet Battle
The charming Opera dei Pupi theater productions, which have roots in the first half of the 13th century, are still being performed in theaters all across Palermo. They portray the battles of Spanish and French soldiers against dragons, devils, and other characters, frequently narrating stories from the Crusades, using the original Italian accent and traditionally handcrafted string puppets.
The puppeteers control the puppets' amazing movements, such as walking and wielding swords. Puppets also experience the brutal results of their struggles; during the conflict, they may lose their heads or appear to have split in half from head to toe.
Originally played in piazzas, the Opera dei Pupi was a popular form of entertainment for the working classes of the city until it was forcibly moved inside buildings in the middle of the 19th century.
Opera dei Pupi is now regarded as being so significant to Palermo that it has been added to UNESCO's list of "Oral and Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity." With puppets from China, Nigeria, and Spain as well as occasionally hosting performances by puppeteering families in need of a stage, the International Puppet Museum Antonio Pasqualino contributes significantly to the preservation of that history and the education of locals, kids, and tourists. Also around the cathedral, in family-run theaters like Teatro Argento, you may see comedic battle-themed performances.
