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The beast, the lightning and the stone is a mythological comedy written by Pedro Calderón de la Barca for the birthday of Queen Mariana of Austria, second wife of Philip IV. It premiered in May 1652 in the Coliseum of the Good Retiro, with the stage of Baccio del Bianco under the possible title of The Dupuras of Anaxarte i el Amor correspondido. It was printed as La fiera in the third part of the comedies of Calderón, called Excelmo (1664) and His Excellency ("1644," reprint between 1664 and 1674).

This is an outstanding work in the history of the stage in Spain, due to the numerous scenographic variants that appear in the different versions available (the prints of the and several manuscripts of the XVIII), as well as the existence of a manuscript corresponding to a representation made in Valencia in 1690, with 25 drawings for the piece published in 1930 by Angel Valbuena Prat. This makes La fiera one of the few works of the Spanish Baroque theatre that can be seen with a great similarity to the representations of the time.

History of the work
The Anales of Madrid of Antonio de León Pinelo, commented on the premiere of the work in May 1652, in the Coliseum of Good Retreat, under the title of The Dupuras of Anaxarte i the love corresponding, for the birthday of the queen, Mariana of Austria, second wife of Philip IV. He had arrived in Spain in 1649 and his arrival at the court had revived interest in the representations, which had been affected by political events and the deaths of the king's first wife, Isabel de Borbon in 1644 and the successor to the throne, Prince Baltasar Charles in 1646.
The royal couple attended theatrical performances in the Golden Salon (or Comedias Salon) of Real Alcázar in Madrid, in El Escorial or El Pardo and especially the Coliseum del Buen Retiro, restored in 1650. Although his birthday had been on December 22, it was not uncommon for the celebrations to be postponed, nor for there to be delays in the premiere of palaciegal comedies. The note notes Calderon's authorship, and as "executor of appearances" to "Italian Vagio." No manuscript of such representation is retained.
The stage of La fiera was the first task they entrusted from the Spanish court to the Florentine Baccio del Bianco. He had arrived in 1651 in Madrid to succeed as a stage artist the Italian also Cosme Lotti (died in 1643) and worked for the court until his death in 1657.

The beast, the lightning and the stone were rerepresented in 1690, in the Royal Palace of Valencia, in order to celebrate the marriage of Charles II with his second wife, Mariana de Neoburgo. The stage was carried out by the Valencians José Gomar and Juan Bautista Bayuco.

In 1930 Angel Valbuena Prat published the pen drawings accompanying the manuscript describing the Valencian parties of 1690, drawn from the decorations provided by Gomar