Telling the whole town the time. An automated wooden figure, clad in metal clown costume, strikes the hours on top of a tower, the Torre di Pulcinella (Tower of ‘Mr Punch’), in Piazza Michelozzo, Montepulciano, Tuscany, Italy. Pulcinella was a character who appeared in Italian commedia dell’arte in the 1600s.
Montepulciano, Tuscany, Italy: this white-painted wooden figure with piercing eyes, clad in a metal clown costume, strikes the hours on the Torre di Pulcinella (Tower of 'Mr Punch'), in Piazza Michelozzo. Pulcinella was a character who appeared in Italian commedia dell’arte in the 1600s. Today, Punch & Judy traditional puppet shows featuring Mr Punch and his wife Judy are popular around the world. An early (Italian) version of the Mr Punch character featured in a marionette show seen by diarist Samuel Pepys in Covent Garden, London, in May 1662. Punch became very popular in London, Bath, Dublin and Paris and by the end of the 18th century, he was also playing in Britain’s American colonies. George Washington was among those who bought tickets for a show. Punch and Judy booths, operated by a sole puppeteer, are today still seen at British seaside resorts.
Size: 4288px × 2848px
Location: Torre di Pulcinella, Piazza Michelozzo, Montepulciano, Tuscany, Italy
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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