TraditionalCostumes

Comenius Project “Lost in Time”Istituto Superiore “Majorana”

Palermo (Italy)

18th century

Typical feminine costumes were made up of red or yellow draped damask skirts, black striped velvet waistcoats enriched with a flowery trim, white blouses, culottes and smocks with precious lace.

Typical Sicilian male costumes were made up of black striped velvet trousers and waistcoats, white or checked shirts, caps and various ornaments such as red or yellow waistbands and pompons.

The bride wears a precious silver grey dress with embroidery and lace and wears an ivory white veil . She holds a rosary and tools to spin wool in her hands to symbolize hard work and faith in her marriage.

Wedding Procession

The groom wears a beautiful velvet dress with a blue vest and a cap embroidered with silk.

Twelve couples of dancers interweave long, colouredribbons around a pole to the rhythm of “Tarantella”, following the directions given by the “bastoniere” in order to form a polychrome fabric. After that, they unravel the fabric with big ability, dancing in the opposite direction.

The types of weaving represent the four seasons of the year and the different phases of the fieldwork.

A sheaf of wheaton the top of the pole

Typical Movements of the Dancers

plus fours

neckerchief waistband

Musical instrumentsaccordion, flageolet, Jew’s or mouth harp, tambourine, guitar and mandolin.

The Arbëresh Costume

Dresses influenced by Eastern and Byzantine tradition are unique and precious in Pianadegli Albanesi, the most important Albanian community in Sicily with its own ethno-linguistic and religious identity.

Piana degli Albanesi was founded in the late fifteenth century by a large group of Albanian refugees coming from the Balkans during the conquest by the Ottoman Empire.

The wedding dress is the most valuable one . It isrichly embroidered in pure gold and embellished withjewels and a rich and heavy silver belt.

Traditional women’s costumes for special occasions are bright in colours, have precious fabrics

embroidered with silk, gold and silver and the draping skirts are large, long and wide.

Jewels are all made according to the Byzantine tradition and

complete the woman’s attire on feast days.

Earrings, garnet necklaces , pendants and breast-pieces are worn on special

occasions.

Clothing for ReligiousFestivities

Every day dresses: a young man, a mourning lady, a young woman wearing a black linen skirt and a velvet corselet with large sleeves, an old lady.

Comenius Project “Lost in Time”Istituto Superiore “Majorana”

Palermo (Italy)