Italy's Cenerentola Cinderella by Melina Beltran

Italian Fairytale: Italy's Cenerentola Cinderella

melinabeltran1 — 2025-01-15 03:19:55 UTC

La Cenerentola was written in 1634 in Rome, Italy. The author is unknown, but it was later retold as an opera and theater performance written by Gioachino Rossini around 1817. This version became more well-known than the fairytale itself, but now the fairytale is left as entertainment and education.

Summary of the Italian Cinderella Fairytale, Cenerentola Cinderella

melinabeltran1 — 2025-01-16 00:46:15 UTC

There once was a prince who had a daughter with his wife, who sadly passed away. The prince adored his daughter, she was called Zezolla. The prince hired a governess to help teach her many valuable lessons, that her mother couldn’t. Eventually, the governess wanted to be a mother to her. Her mother wanted to put a stop to that and wanted to stop the governess’ wants to marry the prince. On the night of the prince’s and the governess’ wedding, there was a big feast, but on that night, a dove came down to Zezolla and said that it would grant her one wish. Now that the governess was Zezolla’s new stepmother, she was treated even better than before. Eventually, the governess began to reveal her six daughters, making them Zezolla’s stepsisters. Now that there were new members added to their family, the prince got distracted and immediately forgot about his daughter. Zezolla fell ill and went to the kitchen for a meal, but while she was there her name became switched from Zezolla to Cenerentola. Later, the prince had to go to Sardinia and ask each of his stepdaughters what he would like for him to bring back home with them. They all asked for nice dresses, fancy accessories, and other things, but when the price asked Cenerentola what she would like, she replied that she didn't wish for anything. When he was going to begin his travels, the boat became stuck at the harbor. The captain of the ship was exhausted, so he lay down for a nap, and in his dream came a fairy who told him that the ship was unable to set sail because of the prince. The prince got off of the ship and went to the Grotto of the Fairies and asked them to send his daughter something, but when he asked, out came a maiden. The maiden spoke to the prince, and after she bore him a bucket of gold, a date tree, a hoe, and a silk napkin. The plants that she watered allowed her to make wishes, so she wished to be dressed nicely in a beautiful dress. There was a ball so her stepsisters were all beautifully dressed, so she went back to the plants and requested to be even more nicely dressed than before. After the plant had worked its magic, she was dressed better than a queen. She went to the ball, unbeknownst to her stepsisters. The king noticed Cenerentola and sent his maiden to follow her to see where she lived, but she caught on and threw down a handful of crown pieces. Cenerentola arrived home before her sisters so that she could change so that they would never even know that she went to the ball in the first place. The king had thrown another ball to find Cenerentola and all of her stepsisters attended but she also wanted to go, so she went back to her plants and requested her beautiful dressing, but with that came a coach drawn by horses. When she stepped foot into the ballroom, the king was overcome by love, so she sent his maid to follow her, but she threw her jewels and pearls on the ground and ran off to change into older clothing. She went to the king in tears because she had lost Cenerentola again. After, the king hosted another feast to find Cenerentola. Her stepsisters got ready and dressed in pretty dresses and Cenerentola went back to her plant and found herself dressed up with a gold coach waiting for her. When the ball came to an end, Cenerentola fled, she found that one of her glass slippers had fallen off of her foot, but still she continued back home. The king organized a banquet and made all of the women there try on the slipper, but it didn’t fit anyone, until the prince told the king the truth, that he had a daughter still at home, Cenerentola. The next day another banquet was scheduled, but Cenerentola was in attendance. The slipper had only fit the size of Cenerentola’s foot. The king embraced her and made her the queen. Her stepsisters were upset with this and silently slipped out of the banquet.

Multimedia:

melinabeltran1 — 2025-01-16 00:52:49 UTC

A real 10 minute clip from the opera show, La Cenerentola

Comparing Cenerentola/Zezolla to Cinderella

melinabeltran1 — 2025-01-16 00:54:40 UTC

Cinderella and Cenerentola both don't have a mother
Cinderella and Cenerentola both attend a ball to be married into royalty, and go unbeknownst to her stepsisters
Cinderella and Cenerentola both have fairy godmothers
Cinderella and Cenerentola both have families that don't treat them well
Cinderella and Cenerentola both lose theor glass slippers
Cinderella and Cenerentola both run away from the man at the ball

Cinderella Contrast

melinabeltran1 — 2025-01-16 00:55:39 UTC

Unlike in the movie, Cenerentola has six stepsisters rather than two
Cinderella has her animal friends make her clothing in the movie, but in the Italian version, she wishes for it from a tree that her father brought her
Cenerentola has a father, Cinderella does not
The king hosts 3 different banquets and feasts to find Cenerentola, but in the movie there is only one
The governess does not have any pets, but in the movie the step mother has a cat, Lucifer
In Cinderella, her new things for the ball, were turned back into the odd things they were before, but in the story, everything stays the same

Italian Reflections of Culture:

melinabeltran1 — 2025-01-16 00:56:26 UTC

This photo shows popular Italian art style. The style is popular in many pieces of famous Italian art as well as shows an Italian artists take on a fairy/fairy godmother in a grotto, similary to the events in La Cenerentola.

The Moral of Story

melinabeltran1 — 2025-01-16 00:56:43 UTC

The moral of the story is to realize the true worth and inner beauty before you try to judge. Cenerentola is a kind and worthy young woman with a lot of things to offer, but her stepmother and stepsisters never knew that because they never even tried to give her a chance. They hated everything she did, and kept her and her stunning characteristics hidden away from eveyone else. A coveted, kind heart will always find a way out, even through what feels like an impossible scenario, even when people are keeping you kind heart hidden.

Italian Reflections of Culture

melinabeltran1 — 2025-01-16 20:29:31 UTC

A hoe is an ancient tool used for planting crops. Cenerentola used a hoe to plant the date tree that would make her wishes of beautiful dressing gowns for each of the balls and banquets hosted by the king. With the help of the hoe, the date tree and the upcoming love between the king and Cenerentola was planted.

Italian Reflections of Culture

melinabeltran1 — 2025-01-16 20:29:43 UTC

In the story, Cenerentola attends and runs away from 3 different balls and banquents, changes out of her ball gown 3 times, and wore 3 pairs of slippers. The number 3 is prominent in La Cenerentola. In Italy, the number 3 is considered lucky and important to Italians. It is believed that if one wishes on the same thing 3 times, it is bound to come true, similar to how the king wished to find the woman from the ball 3 times. His wish came true after 3 wishes, closesly realting to the Italian superstition revovling around the number 3.

Multimedia:

melinabeltran1 — 2025-01-17 03:09:59 UTC

This is a quick 4 minute synopsis, expaling the details of La Cenerentola, the opera. This should help you better understand the plot and characters that appear throughout the story.