Niccolò Barbieri

Niccolò (or Nicolò) Barbieri (Vercelli, 1586–1641)

Barbieri was a successful author and actor, and one of those who toured Europe; he is known, for example, to have played at the royal court of France. which is also an important source of information on the commedia culture.

As a commedia actor, Barbieri introduced the habit of acting while standing on a chair, which is supposedly the origin of the Italian word saltimbanco (which roughly translates to "s.o. who jumps on chairs") to refer to comic actors and jesters.

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