The history of masks is as old as the history of men.
We can divide them into three categories: the ones
created by a simple fancy dress, used for rituals and
holy representations.The second was based on imitation
of behaviour, used especially for Greek and Roman
comedies. The third kind of masks is the expression of
the inhabitants of a certain locality. The latter category
gives rise to the protagonists of the “Commedia dell’Arte”.
Tespi is considered the creator of masks because, in the
sixth century BC, he organized the first itinerant theatre
company. The forerunner of the “Commedia dell’Arte” is
an Atellan farce born in Greece in the fourth century BC,
based on a primitive sketch, the “Trica”, and embellished
by the improvisations of the actors.Italy is considered
the birthplace of the masks because of the richness and
variety of characters created.The golden era of the “Italian
Comedy” was between the XVI and the XVIII century, when
the representations were proposed in all Europe.