Harlequin

Zanni (comic servant) character in commedia dell'arte

Harlequin (Italian: Arlecchino, Italian: [arlekˈkiːno]; Lombard: Arlechin, Lombard: [arleˈki]) is the best-known of the comic servant characters (Zanni) from the Italian commedia dell'arte, associated with the city of Bergamo. The role is traditionally believed to have been introduced by the Italian actor-manager Zan Ganassa in the late 16th century. It was definitively popularized by the Italian actor Tristano Martinelli in Paris in 1584–1585, and became a stock character after Martinelli's death in 1630.

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