Do you know the real story of the famous fairy tale Cinderella...? We bet not.

Actually, the original European Cinderella tale,  "THE CAT CINDERELLA" , was  written in Neapolitan dialect by the writer Giambattista Basile and first published in Europe in 1663 in the collection "Pentamerone, or Lo cunto de li Cunti."

It was a form of popular expression chosen by its author to tackle the topic of the mistreatment of a young and bloody girl, ZEZOLLA, by her stepmothers. The original Neapolitan Cinderella was in fact a warrior rather than a docile girl, an Italian prince`s daughter obliged by her father`s wives to live like a servant. A really  interesting story worthy of being read!

Our picture shows one the most famous scenes of Cinderella: when she loses her shoe while running down the stairs of the palace. Well, in the original story  ZEZOLLA`s shoe was not of glass and the Palace was not even mentioned.Some  believe it  referred to the Royal Palace of Naples, others to the Spanish Viceregal Palace, being Naples under the Spanish rule.

In our opinion, the timeless tale of Cinderella is a clear way to narrate how the Neapolitan imagination has influenced  so many different  cultures in Europe, being it also represented in the  puppet shows of half Europe thus binding its people a little closer.