Conversation so far:
Where did the name Burlesque come from?
The word first appears in a title in Francesco Berni's Opere burlesche of the early 16th century.
When did burlesque come about?
For a time, burlesque verses were known as poesie bernesca in his honour.
'Burlesque' as a literary term became widespread in 17th century Italy and France.
Are there any other interesting aspects about this article?
Shakespeare's Pyramus and Thisbe scene in Midsummer Night's Dream and the general mocking of romance in Beaumont and Fletcher's.

Question: What started the development of burlesque?
Self-contained rewrite: What started the development of 17th century burlesque?