The Theatre in Italy in the 17th century / Troupes and itineraries       Troupes and itineraries In Italy, the first troupes of professional actors, organised in large families, appear with the Commedia dell'Arte. At the time they are few in number but meet with huge success and their names are inscribed in the history of the Italian and European royal courts. From the middle of the 16th century there follows a succession of companies such as those of Pedrolino, Zan Ganassa, the famous Gelosi, or the Desiosi, the Confidenti and the Uniti. The name of the troupe is taken from the main actor leading it. Later it becomes a brand name; so the name of Gelosi meaning jealous, should be interpreted as “ jealous to please ”, in the same way that Confidenti means “ confident in their art and in the indulgence of the public ”. During the second half of the 17th century, the companies are no longer designated by a collective name, but rather by that of their protector and sponsor, such as the Estense of Modena or the Farnese of Parma. These troupes are organised with care and precision, like small commercial enterprises. In principle they number about a dozen members united by a contract signed before a notary, although the actors frequently change troupe. Their main characteristic is their professionalism and the quality of the people that make up the group. They are not a ragged and miserable band of roving acrobats but financially stable organisations that include scholarly and cultivated people capable of incorporating philosophical reflections in their stories. Finally, these troupes are above all mobile and this particularity, unique in Europe at the time, is essential to an understanding of their influence. They travel the roads of Italy and beyond its borders, and their itinerary reveals as much the political links that exist between some countries as the commercial routes that define European trade at the time. The story of Don Juan is a perfect example. This play originates in the Spanish Empire which at the time includes southern Italy and the Kingdom of Naples. It therefore travels naturally from Spain to Italy and subsequently spreads throughout Europe, conveyed by the Commedia dell' Arte. It reaches Paris, Vienna and Germany and is taken up by the comedians of these different cities. How it arrived in Italy, at what date and with whom, are unanswered questions but it is certain that traces of Italian companies are found in Spain from the end of the 16th century. Indeed, the Cortesi were in Madrid in 1582, and in Seville in 1584. From 1574 the Zan Ganassa troupe encounters such success in Spain that for several years it establishes its base in Madrid. In the 17th century, the house of Hapsburg shrewdly established by Charles Quint, not only reigns in Spain, but also over the Austrian Empire through its other branch. Thanks to the relations uniting these countries with the Roman Church and the Spanish possessions in Italy, the Commedia dell' Arte also travels beyond these borders. Thus the Fedeli troupe works in Prague and Vienna in 1627 at the Court of the Emperor Ferdinand. The travels of the Commedia dell'Arte in France also have a political origin since it visits at the invitation of Catherine de Médicis on her advent to the Court of France. The path is thus wide open and the Gelosi Company is called to Blois in 1577 by Henri III, taking up residence in France at the Hôtel de Bourbon for a year. Numerous troupes follow in Paris and the Italian comedians are definitely installed there in the first half of the 17th century. In Italy itself, the itinerary of the troupes is guided by the carnivals, the great commercial fairs or by the request of princes or dukes who wish to engage them for a festival. If the movement of these companies implies the constant transportation of decors and costumes, it must be remembered that this comprises a large volume of equipment. Some performances take place on trestles in the open air and when the situation allows, the troupes play in the private theatres of the aristocrats who employ them. On these occasions they deploy painted decors with streets scenes in perspective and can call on a vast amount of complex machinery including pyrotechnics, fountains and sensational effects. In this manner a new theatrical approach spreads in Europe with structures, organisations, operating procedures and showmanship that revolutionise the practices and techniques and which contributes to in the evolution of the European theatre.