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Tristano Martinelli (c. 1556 – 1630)

Martinelli was active in France in 1584 to 1585, where he presumably first acted in his Arlequin role. There is no mention of the Arlequin, Arlecchino, or Harlequin character prior to Martinelli's time in Paris.

Arlecchino first clearly appears in Martinelli's 1601 publication Compositions de Rhetorique, yet Tristano Martinelli would follow his name in 1590s signatures with "' detto Arlechino comico,' or 'alias Arlechino'."

It is also plausible that Martinelli used a tail or plume to imitate the style of the Bergamask people native to the region where Arlecchino is typically depicted as being from.

The name Herlequin likely came from Helle-kin, an Old French derivative of the Germanic Erlkönig (Elf-King), or from Schar der Hölle (Host of Hell), which became Höllen-Kind (Child of Hell). (Rühlemann)

Martinelli's personality and the appeal of his character created tension with other players, particularly the Andreini, who felt that he was usurping the Innamorati's traditional position at the top of the heirarchy. Virginia Ramponi, a renowned actress in her own right, wrote to a Cardinal in 1611 to demand that Martinelli not be granted a license to create his own theatrical company, as she believed it would be purely self-serving.

Martinelli, in service of the Duke, acted as both police and a tax collector for the actors and other street performers and merchants. A decree from the duke mandated that Arlecchino and Martinelli were superior to all other performers and street vendors, and that all were required to have a license from Tristano in order to perform, lest they be heavily fined. It was also declared that Arlecchino would act as a supervisor for public events as the Duke's personal representative.

On their way to Paris, I Accesi were held in Turin for quite a while, as the Savoyard Duke was so enamored with their performance.

Martinelli played Arlecchino for several famous companies, including La Compagnia Dei Desiosi, La Compagnia Degli Accesi, and I Confidenti. He is documented as having toured in Italy, France, Spain, Austria, and Bohemia.

Martinelli is known to have addressed himself later in life as Dominus Arlecinorum (Greatest of the Harlequins).

He is documented as having toured in Italy, France, Spain, Austria, and Bohemia. He and his brother, Drusiano joined with a troupe called I Accesi by 1599 and played for Henri IV in 1601, then returned to Mantua.

Martinelli returned in 1621 to play for the court of Louis XIII and remained in Paris through 1624, going so far as to accompany the King to Fontainebleau and back.

They returned to Italy in 1614, where Martinelli remained until 1620.

His company is recorded to have had 10-11 members in 1921.

The Italian players were immensely popular in Paris, with Tristano writing that, "The comedy was most successful, contrary to all expectation; but they are wild about comedies here so everything seems good." Louis XIII was willing to hold the child at the christening of one of Martinelli's children in 1614.

He and his brother, Drusiano are first recorded in Spain as early as 1587, along with Drusiano's wife.