It was in January 1817 that a dog unlike any other arrived in Paris with his master, Castelli d'Orino. Very quickly, the duo managed to unleash passions, and spectators flocked to see the dog perform incredible feats. Because yes, Munito was not like all other dogs: he was an intelligent dog, who could find a chosen card!
Discover in this video the incredible story of Munito and his master, and how they became symbols of canine intelligence with many imitators who succeeded them. Through numerous archival documents (engravings, plates, booklets, ...) set off to discover the intelligent dog named Munito.
Video summary:
This video from "Chroniques de l'illusion" tells the story of Munito, an intelligent dog who was a magician in 19th century Paris. From the opening of the illusion cabinet in January 1817, the public flocked to see Munito perform magic tricks. His master, Salvator Castelli d'Orino, a Milanese, patiently trained him to the point where he could play dominoes and spell words by assembling letters with his mouth. The success was immediate and the admission price quickly doubled.
The video highlights that Castelli d'Orino was skilled in communication, publishing booklets, engravings, and advertisements signed by Munito. One of his masterstrokes was the story of their heroic rescue of a woman from drowning in England in 1817, for which they received a medal from the Royal Humane Society and which was the subject of a large engraving.
The video also describes one of Munito's magic tricks where he would find a card chosen by a spectator. However, Munito died in 1820 in Toulouse. His master reportedly had at least four different dogs named Munito, continuing the performances, but never achieving the success of the first. A newspaper from 1833 even mentions the difference in popularity between "Munito the father" and his successors.
Despite the end of Castelli d'Orino's performances after his death (after 1836), Munito's name remained famous, inspiring many imitators and leading to caricatures, booklets, scores, and even a statuette. Artists like Nicolas Nief presented their own intelligent dogs as Munito and Munito fils.
The video raises the question of how Munito performed his tricks, suggesting that there was trickery in addition to training. In conclusion, the video states that Munito's performances left their mark on popular culture, and objects featuring his likeness can still be found today. The video's author also published a book on the history of Munito and his master.
