Meneghino (;

Milanese Milanese (endonym in traditional orthography , ) is the central variety of the Western dialect of the Lombard language spoken in Milan, the rest of its metropolitan city, and the northernmost part of the province of Pavia. Milanese, due to t ...

: ) is a traditional character of the

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

commedia dell'arte Commedia dell'arte was an early form of professional theatre, originating from Theatre of Italy, Italian theatre, that was popular throughout Europe between the 16th and 18th centuries. It was formerly called Italian comedy in English and is a ...

'', associated to the city of

Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...

. As such, it also plays a major role in the Milanese celebrations of

Carnival Carnival (known as Shrovetide in certain localities) is a festive season that occurs at the close of the Christian pre-Lenten period, consisting of Quinquagesima or Shrove Sunday, Shrove Monday, and Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras. Carnival typi ...

(''

Carnevale Ambrosiano Carnival in Italy plays a very important role in Italian folklore, traditionally linked to regional masks, and is celebrated in many cities, some of which are known throughout the world for the special celebrations they organize for this occasio ...

'') and in local ''

marionette A marionette ( ; ) is a puppet controlled from above using wires or strings depending on regional variations. A marionette's puppeteer is called a marionettist. Marionettes are operated with the puppeteer hidden or revealed to an audience by ...

'' traditional shows. It is uncertain whether his name is just a diminutive form of ''

Domenico Domenico is an Italian given name for males and may refer to: People * Domenico Alfani, Italian painter * Domenico Allegri, Italian composer * Domenico Alvaro, Italian mobster * Domenico Ambrogi, Italian painter * Domenico Auria, Italian a ...

'' or a reference to the ''domenighini'', a word used in Milan to refer to the servants that accompanied the faithful to masses on

Sunday Sunday (Latin: ''dies solis'' meaning "day of the sun") is the day of the week between Saturday and Monday. Sunday is a Christian sabbath, day of rest in most Western countries and a part of the Workweek and weekend, weekend. In some Middle Ea ...

s ( in

and in Milanese). Meneghino is in fact a witty servant (and thus a variation on the theme of the

Zanni Zanni (), Zani or Zane is a character type of commedia dell'arte best known as an astute servant and a trickster. The Zanni comes from the countryside and is known to be a "dispossessed immigrant worker".Rudlin, John. ''Commedia dell'arte: An A ...

character), but he is mostly characterized by honesty, sincerity and a strong sense of justice. He is usually represented as wearing a cocked three-cornered hat, a pony-tailed wig, short green pants, red-white striped stockings, black shoes with buckles, a white shirt, a yellow or otherwise colorful flowered vest, a long jacket, and an umbrella. Meneghino's sincerity is also symbolized by the fact that, unlike most ''commedia dell'arte'' characters, he doesn't wear a

mask A mask is an object normally worn on the face, typically for protection, disguise, performance, or entertainment, and often employed for rituals and rites. Masks have been used since antiquity for both ceremonial and practical purposes, ...

. While originally a servant, Meneghino has actually taken on different roles on stage, including that of the master, the peasant, and the merchant. In Carnival parades, he is often accompanied by his wife Cecca (Milanese diminutive of ''

Frances Frances is an English given name or last name of Latin origin. In Latin the meaning of the name Frances is 'from France' or 'the French.' The male version of the name in English is Francis (given name), Francis. The original Franciscus, meaning "F ...

ca''). The character was first popularized (and possibly created) by Milanese writer

Carlo Maria Maggi Carlo Maria Maggi (; Milan, 1630 – Milan, 1699) was an Italian scholar, writer and poet. Despite being an Accademia della Crusca affiliate, he gained his fame as an author of "dialectal" works (poems and plays) in Milanese language, for which h ...

, who also gave him the surname ''Pecenna'', a Milanese word which means "hairdresser" (from "comb") but also conveys an implicit critique to the vanity and shallowness of aristocracy and clergy. The character was further developed by Milanese poet

Carlo Porta Carlo Porta (15 June 17755 January 1821) was an Italian poet, the most famous writer in Milanese (the prestige dialect of the Lombard language). Biography Early life and education Carlo Porta was born in Milan to a well-to-do family. His fath ...

, who used it in several works, including his debut ''El lavapiatt del Meneghin ch'è mort'' ("The dead Meneghino's dish-washer", 1792). Porta also developed the anti-clerical traits of the character in works such as ''Meneghin biroeu di ex monegh'' ("Meneghino Servant of the Former Nuns", 1820). Meneghino thus eventually became the embodiment of the Milanese's critical attitude towards the powerful, the rich, and the oppressors of the people. As a consequence, in the years that led to the

Italian unification The unification of Italy ( ), also known as the Risorgimento (; ), was the 19th century political and social movement that in 1861 ended in the annexation of various states of the Italian peninsula and its outlying isles to the Kingdom of ...

(i.e., during the

Risorgimento The unification of Italy ( ), also known as the Risorgimento (; ), was the 19th century political and social movement that in 1861 ended in the annexation of various states of the Italian peninsula and its outlying isles to the Kingdom of ...

), he became a symbol of the Milanese revolutionary movement against the

Austrian Austrian may refer to: * Austrians, someone from Austria or of Austrian descent ** Someone who is considered an Austrian citizen * Austrian German dialect * Something associated with the country Austria, for example: ** Austria-Hungary ** Austria ...

oppression.

References

Culture in Milan Commedia dell'arte characters {{fict-char-stub

See also

References