Traditional Dress of Samassi

Historical background and roots of tradition

Samassi, known in Sardinian as Samàssi, is a village in the Campidano di Cagliari, in the province of Sud Sardegna. Situated around 38 km from Cagliari and crossed by the Mannu river, it is one of the most productive agricultural centres of the Campidano, renowned in particular for artichoke cultivation. The place name has an uncertain etymology: one hypothesis links it to the Phoenician cult of the sun god Shamash, another to a pre-Nuragic root connected to the hydrographic characteristics of the territory.

Women’s dress

Su Bistiri Bonu de Imbodrau — The dress took its name from the skirt fabric in use throughout the Campidano, but differs in the way it was tailored: with tight pleats at the top gradually widening downward, decorated with silk ribbons and fringe. The costume consists of the skirt (sa gunnedda), the brocade bodice (is pabas) finished with ribbons, rosettes and silver bullion fringe (su tremi tremi), the white cotton shirt (sa camisa), and the apron in patterned silk of various colours (su davantagliu), edged with coloured lace. On the chest was worn su muncadori ‘e tzugu, a silk handkerchief or small shawl covering the breast. The head is dressed with silk handkerchiefs and/or shawls.

Bistiri de Indiana — The simpler women’s dress, characterised by a gathered printed cotton skirt (indiana), a plain cotton apron of the same fabric, which could be worn either with the shirt or with the short jacket (su gipoi). The head is dressed with cotton handkerchiefs or su muncadori mannu.

Men’s dress

The men’s costume reflects the fashion of the Medio Campidano area, featuring the cratzonis de arroda and the black orbace waistcoat (su cropettu), the cratzonis de linu in white linen, the white linen or cotton shirt (sa camisa), the jacket and leggings (is cratzas) in black orbace. The head was dressed with sa berritta or a borsalino hat. Sheepskin or kid leather waistcoats (sa ‘esti e peddi) were also worn.

Su Bistiri Scrallau — Costumes reproduced from the watercolour by Nicola Benedetto Tiole, datable between 1819 and 1826. The women’s dress features a skirt and panel apron in red cloth or orbace, a white cotton shirt embroidered in puntu vanu, a patterned velvet jacket with three-quarter sleeves and a muslin veil covering the head. The men’s costume is that common throughout the Campidano, with the addition of a leather surcoat (su collettu) and a coat (su gabbanu) in black orbace trimmed with red/brown velvet.

A second variant of the women’s dress was depicted by Jean Baptiste Barla in 1841. The skirt remains in red cloth or orbace, while the apron and jacket are in patterned silk and a large printed cotton handkerchief covers the head.