El Recueil Fossard, la compañía de los Gelosi y la génesis de Don Quijote

Resumen

A possible source for the creation of Don Quijote and Sancho Panza is found in one of the most famous troupes of the commedia dell¿arte: the compagnia di Gelosi. In order to do this, it utilizes a Bakhtinian analysis of the Recueil Fossard, an iconographic document that suggests that Cervantes knew the members of this compagnia. First, their onomastics and physical appearance are very similar to those of Don Quijote and Sancho. Moreover, Cervantes took the plot for his entremés ¿El viejo celoso¿ from the Gelosi¿s homonymous Il vecchio geloso. Finally, some plots, situations, and burlesque motifs of the aforementioned compagnia are articulated in Don Quijote. In conclusion, Cervantes very likely knew the compagnia either personally or through the Recueil Fossard, and relied on some of their physical and psychological traits for the creation of his characters.