THE GIORDANO

THE CITIZEN GENTLEMAN

COMEDY

To be performed at the Roman Seminary by the Gentlemen

CONVICTORS Students boarding within the institution. of the SMALL CHAMBERS

during the Carnival of the Year 1736.

ARGUMENT.

An ornate initial 'G' depicts a figure seated amidst elaborate scrollwork.
Giordano Spiluzzi, a simple citizen and Roman merchant who has developed an ambition to become a person of quality, spares no expense to be considered such in the city, intruding with ridiculous simplicity into the friendship of distinguished personages. To better achieve his imagined nobility, he wishes to remove his son, Aurelio, from the company of Erasto and Fidalbo—also merchants—by sending him to study in Bologna in the company of Doctor Ardelione, brought from that city for this purpose. Furthermore, he intends to marry his daughter, Lucilla, to a Marquis. Flaminio, Giordano’s brother, unable to bear his extravagance, does not cease to scold him to make him recognize his madness, but all in vain, as he is confirmed in it by Count Dorante and the Marquis of Petrognano, who use his foolishness for their own interests. Fidalbo and Erasto, therefore, seeing that Giordano’s madness cannot be cured, set out to thwart his foolish designs. Thus, 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 Grand Turk who desires the hand of Lucilla, they satisfy his crazy arrogance, obtaining his consent to give her to him as a consort, leaving the madness of the foolish Giordano, if not cured, at least thwarted in its designs. The scene is set in Rome.

INTERLOCUTORS.

Character	Actor
GIORDANO.	Mr. N. N.
FLAMINIO, brother of Giordano.	Mr. Marquis TOMMASO GALLARATI, Candidate in Letters.
AURELIO, son of Giordano.	Mr. Count Vincenzo Gambara.
MASCARIGLIO, servant.	Mr. Alessandro Spada, Count of Coll'Albero.
DOCTOR Ardelione.	Mr. Count NICOLA GAMBARA, Candidate in Arms.
COUNT Dorante.	Mr. Marquis Carlo Molinari.
MARQUIS of Petrognano.	Mr. D. Guglielmo Ruffo, Prince of Palazzolo, of the Princes of Scilla.
FIDALBO, friend of Aurelio (merchant).	Mr. Count Sperello Aurelj.
ERASTO, friend of Aurelio (merchant).	Mr. Count Gio. Battista Scotti.
MASTER of philosophy.	Mr. BARTOLOMEO PARI, Academician in Letters.