ROMSO Cyprus Knowledge Base

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The innkeeper is a comedy in three acts written by Carlo Goldoni in the first half of December 1752. It was first performed at the Teatro Sant'Angelo in Venice, with Maddalena Marliani-Raffi, called Corallina, in the role of the protagonist and is by far the most fortunate comedy of the Venetian comedy.

The story focuses on the events of Mirandolina, an attractive and cunning young woman who owns in Florence an inn inherited from her father and administers it with the help of waiter Fabrizio.

Trama

First Act
Mirandolina manages in Florence the inn where it is constantly courted by every client, in particular by the Marquis of Forlipopoli, aristocrat who has sold the prestigious noble title, and by the Count of Albafiorita, a young merchant who, enriched, joined the new nobility by buying the title.

The two characters represent the extremes of the Venetian high society of the time. The Marquis, relying exclusively on his honor, is convinced that his protection is sufficient to conquer the heart of the woman. On the contrary, the Count believes he can get the love of Mirandolina as he has acquired the title (it does it in fact many and expensive gifts). This reiterates the differences between the nobility of sword and the nobility of toga, that is, that of the descendants of medieval nobles and that of those who bought the noble title.

The abrupt innkeeper is not allowed to either of the two men, leaving both intact the illusion of a possible conquest.

The fragile balance established in the inn is shocked by the arrival of the Knight of Ripafratta, aristocratic haughty and misogyn inspired by the Florentine patrizio Giulio Rucellai, to which the comedy is dedicated. The Knight, anchored to his noble origins and complaining of the poor service, called orders to Mirandolina. He also tries to ridicule the Count and the Marquis by accusing them of having lowered to court a woman.

In order to be misunderstood Mirandolina, not accustomed to being treated as a servant and wounded in her female pride, she promises to make the Knight fall in love.

Second Act
To make the Knight fall in love, Mirandolina is always more kind and full of concern to her, until the latter begins to show the first signs of surrender. He also declares to despise women who aim exclusively at marriage, immediately raising a certain admiration from his victim. He cannot defend himself as he would like: Mirandolina uses in its own favor the misogyny of the Knight showing false sincerity to despise also women and to think just like a man.

In addition, Mirandolina shows ostentatiously that she does not want to congratulate the Marquis. In a famous scene, the squattrinated Marquis wants to pavoneggiarsi with the supposed goodness of a Cyprus wine that actually tastes disgust