Gianduja (commedia dell'arte)
Encyclopedia
Gianduja is one of the mask
Mask
A mask is an article normally worn on the face, typically for protection, disguise, performance or entertainment. Masks have been used since antiquity for both ceremonial and practical purposes...

s of the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

 Commedia dell'Arte
Commedia dell'arte
Commedia dell'arte is a form of theatre characterized by masked "types" which began in Italy in the 16th century, and was responsible for the advent of the actress and improvised performances based on sketches or scenarios. The closest translation of the name is "comedy of craft"; it is shortened...

, typically representing the town of Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...

 (and Piedmont in general).

The mask depicts an honest peasant of Piedmontese countryland, with a certain inclination for wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...

 (particularly Brachetto d'Acqui
Brachetto d'Acqui
Brachetto d'Acqui is a red Italian wine that is classified as a Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita since 1996 and previously a Denominazione di Origine Controllata region since 1969. It is produced in the Piedmont wine region around Acqui Terme in the province of Alessandria with...

), gastronomy
Gastronomy
Gastronomy is the art or science of food eating. Also, it can be defined as the study of food and culture, with a particular focus on gourmet cuisine...

 and beautiful girls, while strictly faithful to his lover Giacometta, who is usually represented by a cute girl.

Origins

His origins are in Callianetto, a county between Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...

 and Asti
Asti
Asti is a city and comune of about 75,000 inhabitants located in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy, about 55 kilometres east of Turin in the plain of the Tanaro River...

, and his name in Piedmontese dialect sounds "Gian dla doja" (it is pronounced "Jan dla duhya") which means something like "John the pottering man." 'Duja' is the carafe + sink usually installed inside the bedroom in 1800 AD. In Commedia dell'Arte
Commedia dell'arte
Commedia dell'arte is a form of theatre characterized by masked "types" which began in Italy in the 16th century, and was responsible for the advent of the actress and improvised performances based on sketches or scenarios. The closest translation of the name is "comedy of craft"; it is shortened...

 'John' is popular. Every woman knows him and Giacometta, his girlfriend, always becomes jealous.

Characteristics

He is dressed (in the usual version) with a tricorn hat and a brown jacket with red borders :it:File:Gianduja.jpg. Personality-wise, he always has a happy humour.

The character of Gianduja was originally created as a marionette
Marionette
A marionette is a puppet controlled from above using wires or strings depending on regional variations. A marionette's puppeteer is called a manipulator. Marionettes are operated with the puppeteer hidden or revealed to an audience by using a vertical or horizontal control bar in different forms...

 and is now Turin's official "king of the Carnival
Carnival
Carnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party...

".
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