Overview
From 8 to 27 November 2025, the Aragonese Castle in Reggio Calabria will host the exhibition "Puppets, Strings, Sticks", an exhibition that traces over four centuries of Italian puppet theatre history through the prestigious Zanella-Pasqualini collection of the Teatrino dell'Es in Bologna.
The initiative, organised as part of the DiStretto d'Emozioni – Dove il Passato sfida il Futuro project, brings the castle to life with an exhibition that celebrates the creativity and tradition of an art form capable of speaking to all generations. Puppets, marionettes and puppets become the protagonists of a story that intertwines craftsmanship, history and popular memory, evoking the magic of puppetry and its cultural value, also recognised by UNESCO with the inclusion of the Opera dei Pupi among the intangible heritage of humanity.
The exhibits include unique works belonging to the great dynasties of Italian puppeteers and marionette makers, alongside creations by artists such as Pietro Datelin, Augusto Galli and Sebastiano Zappalà. Each piece bears witness to the evolution of an artistic language that combines sculpture, painting, tailoring and set design in a perfect balance between technique and poetry.
