Traditional Sicilian Puppet Show in Palermo, March 2005

The Sicilian puppet theatre is a national treasure. These shows are NOT the kind of puppet shows that one would expect to be suitable for pre-schoolers. Traditional Sicilian puppets are several feet tall and are marionettes, moved with metal wires. The shows tend to involve spectacular battles between Charlemagne's knights vs. the Saracens, and often have scenes of "puppet decapitation."