The photographs of Jean-Pierre AMET present the headstocks produced by Fanette Istria. A collection of twenty-three costumes, having for reference the thesis of Disavows Pecqueux-Barboni, constant in 1983 at the university of Provence. A study so detailed that it with licence with Mrs Fanette Istria, Fozzano, to create these exact reconstitutions.

Before to approach the “CORSICAN COSTUME” as such, we will see how at one time for a very long time completed, one obtained the raw material for the development of this one.

During centuries, the women and the young girls of the villages, wove and spun the wool, the hair of goat, the hemp and the flax which were intended for their vestimentary use. It was current, while it was occupied with its daily occupations, to see the fair sex, a stopper rod under the arm.

The use was besides to offer, with an young girl who took husband, the day of her wedding, a pretty stopper rod (rocca has) enrubannée and flowered for the circumstance, symbolizing the tasks that this one should from now on achieve in its new residence.

The spinning and weaving (made at the house) were very fascinating activities. Of this weaving, tries more difficult, one obtained three textile qualities.

- The fabric of Flax
- Corsican cloth called commonly “pannu corsu” or “pannu frisu”
that one obtained starting from wool of ewe and
- The cloth of “Piloni” with which one made the cape “rams” shepherds and which was, in hairs of goat.

Useless to specify, that when the shepherd vêtait himself of this fur-lined coat with hood, very hot and very robust, it could face without any problem, all the bad weather and at night if it slept with “open air” it was in its “rams” that it was emmitouflait.

The black ewes were very required, because their color, ensured says one, with wool that one drew from them, an extreme solidity.

While white ewes, one drew the white cloth, in which the waistcoats and the underskirts were made.

When with gray cloth, it was dyed with copper sulfate and wood of campêche.

After these indications, somewhat rudimentary, we will see now, of what the “CORSICAN COSTUME was constituted”

The Male costume

On the basis of a single base, each area could bring a characteristic to this costume and, it is that which made all the originality of it.

However, this last was composed, invariably:

- of a Shirt
- of a Waistcoat
- of a Jacket
- breeches
- of a cover-chief
- and … … of gaiters

Let us take for example, two areas among so much of others:

The NIOLU and the CORSICAN CAPE

- The SHIRT (Camisgia has)
It was always full, in fine flax woven at the house.

Camisgia of the “Niolin” was a shirt buttoned with the collar and on which had passed a red cloth waistcoat,

That of the “Cape Corsin”, on the other hand, was closed with the collar, by a kind of tied tie, which one called (frisghjettu) and went under a striped silk waistcoat.

- The BREECHES (Braghe)
Broad, with bridge, they were cut in “Pannu Corsu” black or brown, stopped with height of the knee where they were buttoned, while the legs, they, were protected by gaiters made in this same cloth. These gaiters, recovering the shoe, went up to the knees where, closed by a dozen buttons they came to be fixed. When with the gaiters, carried by the shepherds of the mountains, they had this characteristic, to be made in peeling, goatskin, turned towards outside.

- THE COUVRE-CHEF: (Barreta has)
During centuries, to protect itself from the heats of the sun, the men wore a pointed bonnet (barreta pinzutta has) made cloth or velvet. , this one yielded the step to the wool Phrygian cap which, in its turn did not delay has to disappear with the profit from a supple bonnet, of round form which carried then, the name of (barreta misghia). It is only in the neighbourhoods of 1875, that “barreta has” emblematic, was supplanted by the cap. The latter initially reserved for the feastdays, used the everyday usage little by little to perfect this traditional costume, one should not omit to speak about the leather belt, very important element, of this one. Girdle through which had passed the stylet and, attached by front, the giberne (Carchera has) in which were deposited, not only ammunition but all the hardware requirement to repair shoes or clothing, in the course of voyages, if that were essential. In its study on a family of Bastelica, in 1887 Maximilien RELIGIOUS BIGOT * draws up the vestimentary inventory of the father, who was owner of a herd:
° 2 Corsica cloth Jackets - 2 Trousers - 2 black cloth Waistcoats - 2 “Baretta misgia” of brown cloth - 3 Pants of fabric - 12 shirts of fabric of flax (made at the house) - 4 handkerchiefs of pockets 2 pairs of shoes - 4 pairs of socks -1 coat (rams).

It is interesting to specify that in this inventory, were included/understood, clothing of festivals which were not distinguished from clothing of every day, that by their least degree of wear.

The Female costume

This one was composed as follows:
- of a Shirt
- of Justaucorps
- of a Dress
- underskirts
- of bottom
- of a small bonnet
- of rotten

With of course, as for the male costume, much of alternatives according to the age, the social status, where the area, of the person who carried it
- The SHIRT (Camisgia has)
made it also of fabric of fine flax woven at the house.

That of the “Sartenaises” (SartInese) was very bordered of lace to the collar and the wrists, was wrinkled with the neck and was decorated of an elegant drill plate.

In the area of the “Niolu”, it was embroidered bright colors, was buttoned to the chin and comprised a folded and goffered flange.

In the Corsica Cape, (Capi Corsu) the shirt had a flange which was folded back on a yellow or white waistcoat of pricked fabric.

- The JUSTAUCORPS (Imbustu)
was out of silk and its semi-long sleeves, let see those of the shirt.

- The DRESS (U Vestitu)
In the “Sartenais” the dress was largely machine-made, to emphasize the elegant shirt, (described above). With silk or velvet, this one, whose handles were split elbow with the wrist, was decorated in its base, of floral reasons. Its color was generally clear for the young women and darker for the women of a certain age.

In the “Niolu” it was made in “pannu” brown. Quite as machine-made that of Sartenaise, it did not comprise however a handle, so that one can see the silk justaucorps, whose long sleeves showed the possibility for those of the shirt.

In the “Corsica Cape”, was carried the feastdays, a dress very bordered of velvet, whose also embroidered blouse, was laced in front of, on a red silk busquière. under this dress, the 7 underskirts hid, (which will be described hereafter) and over this one, it to protect, the apron (U sculzale), decorated with pretty laces

- THE UNDERSKIRT
The underskirts should say to us, (E Rote) because those were as we saw, 7 and each one, of different colors. They went, the feastdays, superimposed the ones on the others, in order to let foresee the edge of each one of them.

- BOTTOMS
Those could be, of blue cotton, black wool and for the young girl, if the latter were easy: red or striped.

- The BONNET (Scuffiotu)
It was declined in varied forms and colors. This small fancy, which could be made of silk or coloured velvet, was posed on their long raised hair, beforehand plaits and derrières the ears, out of macaroons. On this one, one pinned (U Mazzaru) appeared at the XVIIe century and which was a pretty made square of Indian for the days of week and silk or lace for the feastdays.

This one, to go just as easily floating, tied under the chin, that raised, forming wings then. That according to the various ones (pièvi). (1)

To supplement this costume, we will speak finally about:

The FALDETTA clothing which carried especially the married women. (Faldetta has) was a skirt of blue color harms, short by front but very long by behind, so that it can be raised on the shoulders and enclose the head. It was mainly carried Sunday to go to the church or to go to the cemetery, Because this clothing at the time, missed mourning.

It should be known that until the end of the XVIII E century the blue one was the color associated with mourning. It is only to the XIX E century that the black color symbolized it.

Nowadays, we find “has Faldetta”, only in the traditional processions.

As we could see it, in the study made by Maximilien RELIGIOUS BIGOT in 1887 * concerning the inventory of the father; We go, always on the information left by this one, to discover the inventory of the female trousseau.

The guard wraps feastdays, was composed as follows:
- 1 Black dress as an Indian
- 1 dark Dress
- 1 pair of blue bottoms out of cotton
- 1 pair of savings black
- 4 handkerchiefs of Indian for the head
- 1 black wool handkerchief
- 1 handkerchief as an Indian sunk for the shoulders
- a pair of shoes
- 1 pair of gloves and a pin with Gold head, to retain has faldetta.

As for that of the days of week, it consisted of:
- 1 Dress of Indian
- 1 Justaucorps of coarse linen
- 1 white Corsican cloth Underskirt
- 4 underskirts as an Indian (2)
- 3 handkerchiefs
- 2 rotten of neck
- and for the winter: 1 wool nightshirt and 1 velvet corset (giupone).

It is however singular to note, which wrote, in 1894 Julie FILIPPI:

“Formerly, in Niolo, the young girls from seven or eight years, until the day of their marriage were equipped as boys. This costume preserved them attacks of the witches (Streghe) as well as companies of young people.

See some old postcards

* (1) religious and administrative units of the Old Mode

* (2) made with hurdy-gurdies dresses. The fabrics being expensive, one thought of usefully employing again it at other ends, when initial clothing was soiled.


Large a thank you with Dominique BONAVITA, who with written this text. Dominique BONAVITA is Ecrivain. She is the author of two works, “Antonio BONAVITA - Biography” and “the meanders of time” you will find on the Litterature page

You can also return to you on his Web site d.bonavita.creations