Traditional Dress of Abbasanta

Historical background and roots of tradition

Abbasanta takes its name from the Sardinian words abba (“water”) and santa (“sacred”), a reference to the ancient springs and sacred wells that marked the territory, including the nearby nuragic sanctuary of Santa Cristina. The name is recorded as Aba Sancta in the twelfth-century Rationes decimarum Sardiniae, while in Roman times the site was known as Ad Medias or Ad Medias Acquas, reflecting its equidistant position between the towns of Karalis and Turris Libisonis. The village stands on the basalt plateau of central-western Sardinia, in the Guilcièr region, in the province of Oristano, and is renowned above all for the nuraghe of Losa, one of the best-preserved nuragic complexes on the island, included in the UNESCO World Heritage route of Sardinian nuraghes.

Women’s dress

The women’s festive dress is characterised by a rich layering of garments. The headdress consists of the muccadore, a square black cotton headscarf folded into a triangle to gather the hair and tied behind the nape; over it is worn the issallu, a square bordeaux damask silk shawl enriched with fringe along the edges, folded into a triangle with the ends loose and pinned in place. The blouse (camisa) is white cotton, with embroidery on the chest and cuffs, more or less décolleté, and reaching to the knee. The bodice (cossu) is red broccatello with golden floral patterns, edged with red cotton ribbon and laced at the front with a crossed red cord. The skirt (gunnedda) is black woollen cloth, pleated all over except for the front panel, covered by the apron (antalene) in bordeaux damask silk. The shoes (bottinos) are black leather ankle boots, laced at the front.

Men’s dress

The berritta is black woollen cloth, tubular in shape with rounded edges, about sixty centimetres long; it is worn folded several times over itself. The shirt (camisa) is white cotton with embroidered collar and cuffs. The waistcoat (zippone) is black velvet, double-breasted. The trousers (cartzones) are white cotton, reaching mid-calf, tucked into the gaiters. The small skirt (ragas) is black orbace, pleated and edged with black velvet, reaching mid-thigh; a narrow strip of fabric joins the front and back panels, passing under the crotch of the trousers. The gaiters (burzighinos) are black orbace, with an upper turn-down and edged with black velvet at the lower part; they cover the calf, end in a rounded shape hiding part of the shoes and are fastened below the knee with a lace. The shoes (bottinos) are black leather ankle boots, laced at the front.