Born in Venice in 1667, the cardinal Ottoboni moved to Rome in 1685. A patron of poets, he was also a painter, musician, theatre enthusiast and a well-read man. He was known for his generosity as a patron and for his work as a librettist (for which he used the Arcadian nickname Crateo Ericinio). Ottoboni’s work was meant to edify his audience. It also showed his deep appreciation for the spectacular; this was obvious in the complex scenic machinery used in his theatre, to which the architect Filippo Juvarra made essential contributions.

Ottoboni’s puppet plays were performed in his Palazzo della Cancelleria – the most famous were Il Trionfo dell’Amore (1691) and L’Eurilla o Amor eroico tra pastori (1696). In 1708, Ottoboni asked Juvarra and Pelligrini to build a magnificent theatre. This “teatrino ad uso di pupazzi” came with one hundred and twenty-seven sceneries and required a team of operators specialising in the construction and manipulation of puppets. Ottoboni staged three drammi per musica in this theatre between 1710 and 1712: Costantino pio, Teodosio il Giovane, and Il Ciro. The puppets were almost four feet high; they were moved on wooden runners and manipulated from below the stage, using a counterbalance system similar to what Ottoboni and Juvarra had seen in Acciaiuoli’s performances.

Starting from 1712, Ottoboni’s financial situation deteriorated; from this point onwards, the cardinal devoted himself to his machines. His collection of puppets was scattered after his death.