La Calandria (play)

La Calandria (A play)

La Calandria is a comedy of the Italian Renaissance in five acts written by Cardinal Bernardo Dovizi da Bibbiena in 1513. It premiered at the court of Urbino.

Characters

Fessenio - a servant
Polinico - a tutor
Lidio - an adolescent
Calandro
Samia - a servent
Ruffo - a necromancer
Santilla
Fannio - a servant
Fulvia - the wife of Calandro
A whore
A porter
A customs office

About the Author

Bernardo Dovizi da Bibbiena was a cardinal and comedy writer. Following an education in Tuscany Dovizi traveled to Medici Court in Florence. Here he became a close companion to Giovanni Dei Medici. He would later champion for the Medici family and take part in a plot to bring them back to Florence during their exile. He was a nobleman described as having a quick wit, pleasant and sharp. Dovici died in Rome on November 9,1520 presumably poisoned. ^[1]

Performance History

La Calandria was first performed on Febraury 6 1513 in Urbino during carnival. This was also two weeks before death of Pope Julius II and the ascent of the Medici’s to power on the papal throne. It was presented in the Urbino throne room and prepared by Castiglione, the duke of Novellara. Castiglione is also responsible for the prologue of the script. Scenes were created by a student of Raphael (a close friend of Dovizi), Girolamo Genga. The play proved to be a success and would be continued to be performed on several occasions. The Vatican produced it in December 1514 and January 1515; in Mantua in 1520 and in 1532; in Venice in 1521 and 1522; in Lyon in 1548; and in Munich in 1569. ^[2]

References

^ Morrone, Gaetana; Puppa, Paolo (10/1/2006). Encyclopedia of Italian Literary Studies. Taylor & Francis. p. 220. ISBN 9781579583903. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help); More than one of |pages= and |page= specified (help)
^ Morrone, Gaetana; Puppa, Paolo (10/1/2006). Encyclopedia of Italian Literary Studies. Taylor & Francis. p. 220. ISBN 9781579583903. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help); More than one of |pages= and |page= specified (help)

[1] Morrone, Gaetana; Puppa, Paolo (10/1/2006). Encyclopedia of Italian Literary Studies. Taylor & Francis. p. 220. ISBN 9781579583903. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help); More than one of |pages= and |page= specified (help)

[2] Morrone, Gaetana; Puppa, Paolo (10/1/2006). Encyclopedia of Italian Literary Studies. Taylor & Francis. p. 220. ISBN 9781579583903. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help); More than one of |pages= and |page= specified (help)

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