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Date: Sat, 9 Nov 1996
From: Mary Smith
Subject: Italian Ren
The following notes are courtesy of Maestra Francesca di Pavia, from the
Shire of Caer Galen, the Outlands.
"As near as I can tell, there were two basic styles of overdress commonly
worn in Italy in the second half of the 15th Century.
One was called a cioppa or pellanda (regional variations), and was
related to a houppelande.
It was very long and full in the skirt.
The bodice could be pleated to the skirt, or could be all one piece with a
complex system of pleats starting above the breastline (possibly tied in
place on the inside).
The bodice was usually round-necked and somewhat high, but could be cut
lower.
The skirt was open in the front to reveal the skirt of the dress beneath.
(BTW, I can see no evidence that the basic Italian dress, the gamurra,
camora, or cotta - again mainly regional variations - ever had a split
skirt and underskirt, as I so often see done in the SCA. That's a
misinterpretation of a gown and an overgown, as I see it.)
The sleeves were generally hanging sleeves, and were often ridiculously
long and full, and sometimes dagged.
The second style of overgown was the giornea.
This was a tabard-like affair, which was left open on the sides to reveal
the gown beneath, and was usually cut in a low V-neck so the bodice
beneath could show.
This could be sleeveless or have long, hanging (sometimes dagged) sleeves.
In either case the sleeves of the dress beneath would be seen (and these
were often elaborately beaded and embroidered).
(Incidentally, a woman of status would rarely go out in public without an
overdress, except in the summer, and then her gamurra would be of silk and
as heavily embellished as she could muster.
Only a lower-class woman would go about in aplain wool gamurra without a
cioppa or giornea.)
Judging from the many paintings I've seen, there were wide variations in
these basic styles.
This was an age of great display of individualism in costuming, and as
much conspicuous consumption as thewearer could afford - the penalty for
violating sumptuary laws was a fine.
The nouveau riche happily paid the fine in order to look more like the
nobility."
Francesca di Pavia/Meg Baron
Original copiado do site:
www.geocities.com/Athens/Delphi/3212/h-cost1/12-31-96.html
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