I Gelosi

I Gelosi (Italian: [i dʒeˈloːzi, -oːsi]; lit. 'the Zealous Ones') was an Italian acting troupe that performed commedia dell'arte from 1569 to 1604. Their name stems form their motto: Virtù, fama ed honor ne fèr gelosi, long thought to mean "Virtue, fame and honour made us jealous", or "We are jealous of attaining virtue, fame, and honour",^[1] signifying that such rewards could only be attained by those who sought for them jealously. Modern reevaluations have considered "zealous" (present-day Italian zelanti) as a more accurate translation over "jealous", redefining their motto to signify that, as actors, they were zealous to please.^[2]

I Gelosi was formed in Milan, Italy, by Flaminio Scala. Their first notable performer was Vittoria Piisimi. I Gelosi was the first troupe to be patronized by nobility: in 1574 and 1577 they performed for the king of France. Audiences in France were enthused by the raunchiness and comedy of their performances and were willing to pay a decent sum to watch them.^[3] After this they toured all over Europe, spreading commedia dell'arte from Italy to France, Poland, Spain, Germany, and England. Not only was I Gelosi the first troupe patronized by nobility, they were also some of the first to allow women to perform as women, and also write and direct, during this time period^[3]

In the 1570s, Francesco Andreini joined I Gelosi and in 1578 he married Isabella Canali, an actress with the troupe. The Andreinis became the troupe's most famous performers and eventually Francesco took over as its head.

In 1604, Isabella died in childbirth in France. Francesco was so overwrought that he disbanded the troupe and retired from the stage. The stock commedia dell'arte character Isabella is named in her honor.