Learning the Carnival masks from Italy!

And from Bergamo it's off to central Italy, the home of tortellini! Here is Il dottor Balanzone!

Il Dottore (in Italian: [il dotˈtoːre]; lit. 'the Doctor'), more commonly known in Italian as Dottor Balan or simply Balanzone (in Italian: [balanˈtsoːne]; in Emilian Bolognese: Dutåur Balanzån), is a side character in the commedia dell'arte, who in one scenario is an obstacle for young lovers. Il Dottore and Pantalone are each other's comic counterpoint, Pantalone being the decadent rich merchant and Il Dottore the decadent scholar. He has been part of the main canon of characters since the mid-16th century.

Il Dottore was born in Bologna, Italy. He is comically inept. Usually extremely wealthy, although the demands of the scenario might suggest otherwise, and extremely pompous, fond of the sound of his own voice and fake Latin and Greek, Il Dottore is known for his excessive self-love and greed. His interaction in the play is mostly with Pantalone, as friend, mentor or competitor. The Doctor was born as Pantalone's comic sidekick. The character originates in 1560 with the actor Lucio Burchiella; two more mentions follow shortly after, with an old couple mentioned in 1565 and another mention of Dottore Gracian in 1574. Since its introduction, it has existed in one form or another due to its popularity and interactions with Pantalone; however, its popularity waned in Italy in the 19th century. Besides Il Dottore, he went by many other names: Dottore Gratiano, Dottore Baloardo ('Dr. Dolt'), Dottore Spaccastrummolo ('Dr. Hack-and-Bandage'), Dottore Scarpazon and Dottore Forbizone ('Dr. Large Scissor'). His many names reflect his buffoonish nature and draw attention to his positive traits. The Doctor emigrated to France with the company of the Jealous in 1572, again played by Lucio Burchiella.[8] As commedia dell'arte artists were itinerant by nature, it is natural that his character was transplanted to other countries. By the end of the 17th century, the Doctor was firmly rooted in the collective imagination, as demonstrated by the playwright Molière's inclusion of a Docteur-style character in his play La Jalousie du Barbouillé[fr]. In contemporary media, The Doctor can be found in many common characters, such as Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory and Dr. Zoidberg from Futurama.

Round, The Doctor is fond of drinks and food, but he especially loves chocolate. The Doctor also loves girls. However, he is not sincere and gets caught cheating several times; he is a cat burglar. The Doctor is a representative of the educated intellectual class and as such intends to jokingly parody the educated elite. He attended the University of Bologna and pretends to be an expert on many subjects, talking all the time, but usually having no idea what he is talking about. Depending on the interpretation, however, he can be very educated and bore the other players out of the scene. The audience favourite, however, is the Doctor who talks in circles. The Doctor walks with his chest up, knees bent and in a hopping motion, taking small steps; he gesticulates with his hands and fingers, making space around himself while keeping others at bay. He stands in one position and plants himself to make his point. The Doctor may be the father of one of the lovers, usually Colombina or Isabella. There are, however, scenarios in which The Doctor is not the father, notably 'the Tooth Puller' or 'the Cavadente'. There are also precedents in which The Doctor is cuckolded. Unlike most commedia dell'arte half-masks, that of Il Dottore is unique in that it is a one-third mask; the mask itself is intended as a parody of a Bolognese jurist. On the actor's cheeks can sometimes be applied rouge, to indicate that Il Dottore likes to drink. His costume is usually all or nearly all black and he often wears a black felt hat with long, draped robes. Beneath the black robes are shorter black robes and black shoes. The ruff around the Doctor's neck was only introduced when his popularity in France grew, at which point it was adopted in 1653 by Augustine Lolli.