The tradition of the Sicilian puppets throughout Sicily has existed since the 1800s.
This theatrical tradition has its roots in the stories of the ancient storytellers.
The Puppet Theater was declared a UNESCO Masterpiece and Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2008.
The work of the puppets had probably origin around the 16th century, perhaps in the Spain of Charles V, before reaching Naples, then Rome, to arrive in Sicily only in the first half of the Nineteenth century. It cannot be excluded, however, that there were multiple centers of the phenomenon.
On the island, however, it would have reached its maximum development.