Uta

The Traditional Dress of Uta

Uta is a municipality of the Metropolitan City of Cagliari, at the heart of the Campidano di Cagliari, whose territory extends to the foothills of Monte Arcosu, home to one of Sardinia’s most important nature reserves and a refuge for the Sardinian deer. The village preserves evidence of a very ancient settlement, from the Neolithic to the Nuragic age, and the Romanesque Church of Santa Maria, among the most significant on the island.

Women’s dress

The bistiri bonu, the festive dress, includes three headscarves layered on the head: the turbanti, brown in printed cotton and square in shape, gathers the hair and is folded into a triangle, with the ends tied behind the nape, crossed and knotted above the forehead, and is then entirely covered by the other two headscarves; over it is tied the muccadori de seta, beige in brocaded silk and square in shape, folded into a triangle and knotted with a bow under the chin; finally the muccadori tanau, brown in printed cotton and square in shape and trimmed with a purple and blue silk ribbon, is folded into a triangle with the ends left loose, covering the two underneath. The camisa, the shirt, is white cotton, with crochet lace applied at the neckline and cuffs; the fullness of the fabric is reduced by dense pleating at the armholes and cuffs, while the wide sleeves are starched into small horizontal folds, a sonettu. Over it is worn the cosso, the purple bodice in polychrome-flowered brocade, trimmed with light-blue braid and enriched at the back with gold passementerie, fastened at the front with a crossed ribbon; to protect it the pannu de pittura is added, the peach-coloured chest-cover scarf in printed wool and square in shape, fastened to the bodice and skirt. The gunnedda insedara, the brown skirt in brocaded silk satin, is densely pleated at the waist except for the front panel covered by the apron, and is trimmed with a black velvet ribbon; over it is worn the divantaliu, the green apron in brocaded silk, pleated and trimmed with black lace. The crapittas, black leather court shoes, complete the dress.

Men’s dress

The men’s bistiri bonu, a reconstructed festive dress, is made up of the berritta, the black orbace cap fastened on the forehead with a printed black cotton headscarf; the camisa, the white cotton shirt; the cropettu, the blue velvet waistcoat; the gianchetta, the black orbace jacket with blue velvet inserts on the cuffs; the sereniccu, the short black orbace coat with velvet inserts; the cratzonis, the white cotton trousers; the cratzonis de arroba, the black orbace kilt-like garment; and the cratzas, the black orbace leggings.