Who is Zampano from the film, La strada?

Zampano is a traveling performer who often works alone but joins circuses sometimes. At one time he worked with a girl named Rosa who came with him because he paid her mother. After Rosa died, Zampano went back to tell the family and bought their next daughter, Gelsomina, for 10,000 lira.

Zampano is a strong man, and his main show is breaking a chain using his chest muscles. Zampano is also a womanizer; he even leaves Gelsomina alone for a whole night so that he can go off with another woman. He treats Gelsomina harshly, demanding perfection from her on the first day after receiving little instruction in her duties.