Marionette Theater of Isola Madre

This 17th-c. marionette theater was originally installed in the opulent Palazzo Borromeo on Isola Bella and used for royal performances, including a 1828 show for the King and Queen of Sardinia. Now housed in the summer palace on Isola Madre, it retains elaborate sets and puppets, from fire-breathing demons to multiplying meta-marionettes, revealing the Borromeos’ love of spectacle, trickery, and theatrical delight.