THE GIORDANO

OR

THE CITIZEN GENTLEMAN

C O M E D Y

A R G U M E N T .

Decorative initial G depicting a floral and scrollwork design.

Giordano Spiluzzi, a simple Roman citizen and merchant, has developed an ambition to become a person of quality. He spares no expense to be regarded as such in the city, and intrudes with ridiculous simplicity into the friendship of distinguished people. To better reach the nobility he has imagined for himself, he wishes to divert his son Aurelio from the company of Erasto and Fidalbo, who are also merchants, by sending him to the University of Bologna in the company of Doctor Ardelione, whom he has summoned from that city for this purpose. Furthermore, he intends to marry his daughter Lucilla to a Marquis. Flaminio, Giordano’s brother, cannot endure this wastefulness and does not cease to scold him to make him recognize his madness. Everything is in vain, as he is confirmed in his delusions by Count Dorante and the Marquis of Petrognano, who use his clumsiness to serve their own interests. Meanwhile, Fidalbo and Erasto, seeing that Giordano’s madness cannot be cured, set out to ridicule his foolish plans. Therefore, with the consent of Aurelio and the help of Mascariglio, they play such tricks on Ardelione that, besides discrediting him with Giordano, they force him to flee Rome after having taken everything he had. Then, having led Giordano to believe that Fidalbo is the son of the Great Turk who desires to marry Lucilla, they satisfy his crazy arrogance and obtain his consent to give her to him as a wife. In this manner, if not cured, the madness of the clumsy Giordano is at least deceived in its designs. The scene is set in Rome.

C H A R A C T E R S .