The Baron in the Trees Characters

A young man who, sometime before the novel begins, possibly raped Battista. Biagio, however, implies that Battista was actually the aggressor, as servants found the Marquis della Mela screaming, with his pants in shreds. He refused to marry Battista after this incident.

A lieutenant in the French Army. Lieutenant Papillon loves nature and is a natural poet; he’s a poor leader and disinterested in making war. Cosimo discovers Papillon’s unit in the woods around Ombrosa, and sees that all the soldiers are growing moss and ferns out of their uniforms.

A band of impoverished boys, including Ugasso and Bel-Loré, who steal fruit from Ombrosa’s farmers. They’re considered a nuisance, and before taking to the trees, Cosimo never thought them worthy friends. He begins to run with them when he learns that they’re friends of Viola’s.

Count d’Estomac’s son, and eventually, Battista’s husband. As an adult, young Count d’Estomac leads a regiment of Austro-Sardinian soldiers and briefly lives with Biagio. But when the French conquer more land in Europe, young Count d’Estomac and Battista have to flee.

As a child, Ugasso is one of the fruit thieves in love with Viola. Along with Bel-Loré, he engages in banditry with Gian dei Brughi as an adult. In the months after Gian dei Brughi’s capture, he and Bel Loré light fires in the woods surrounding Ombrosa.

One of the fruit thieves who’s in love with Viola in his childhood. In adulthood, he becomes one of Gian dei Brughi’s bandits. Later, angry at Cosimo, he sets fires in the woods surrounding Ombrosa.

A count who visits the di Rondò family not long after Cosimo climbs into the trees. Cosimo delights him, much to Baron Arminio’s chagrin, and he spreads news of Cosimo throughout the courts of Europe.

A general early in the French Revolution, and later the Emperor of France. He meets Cosimo in Ombrosa after being crowned Emperor in Milan, Italy.

The Generalessa’s father. He was a general in the War of Austrian Succession, and he took his daughter with him on his campaigns.

It’s unclear if Zaira is real or a figment of Cosimo’s imagination, but she appears in Cosimo’s story of the cavalier avvocato’s death. If real, she’s possibly a former lover or a daughter of the cavalier avvocato.

The king of Spain. He banishes the Spanish nobles whom Cosimo meets in the trees.

An Enlightenment philosopher whom Biagio meets in Paris. Voltaire has heard of Cosimo, and Cosimo reads Voltaire’s work.

An elderly duke in Ombrosa who owns a vast hunting ground. He marries 21-year-old Viola, but dies after a year of marriage in his early 80s.

A Jesuit who masquerades as a Freemason. He conspires with Don Fulgencio and Father Sulpicio.

A Jesuit who masquerades as a Freemason. He’s in cahoots with Don Calisto and Father Sulpicio.

One of Viola’s caregivers.

Viola’s father.