The Secret Workshop of the Venetian Puppets

In Santa Fosca, a Venetian artisan has been creating odd and bizarre puppets for 27 years. Since he was a boy, our expert puppet master enjoyed creating dolls. After 3 educational years in the shop of his master in the Tuscany countryside, his mastery knew its best development.

This experience was indeed the fuse that allowed him to open the one that is now his workshop in Venice.

Inside his kingdom, you will breathe a dreamlike and surreal atmosphere. His workshop, located on the first floor of an old Venetian palace dated back XVIII century, was in the past a painting workshop and later a chandeliers warehouse – and this can be seen by the piece of chandelier our artisan found and hung up on the ceiling beam as decorations.

During this visit, you will learn how puppets are shaped using natural materials and following the traditional technique, including the use of a cross with eight threads to move them. Puppets bodies are all made of wood, while feet, head and hands are shaped with a wooden paste and hand painted.

All dresses and costumes are designed and sewed by his sister, seamstress skilled at sewing Venetian Carnival costumes. It takes up to 15 days to create a puppet. Our master’s puppets are exclusive creations, a witness of a now unknown very old tradition. Once upon a time, puppets were used in the ancient puppet shows to entertain guests with shows mixing satire and surprise.