THE COSTUME: THE PRIORESS

THE COSTUME: THE PRIORESS The traditional costume of the women of Nettuno is sumptuous and elegant. Historians believe it has oriental, Arab, origins and trace it back to the costume worn by Saracen women who were taken in marriage by the flrst inhabitants of the "Castle" of Nettuno.
The costume, known as the Prioress, may be admired whenever a popular celebration or public ceremony is held, thanks to the worthy dedication of a handful of townswomen. Not only do they aim to keep the tradition alive, but they work steadily to recover the most ancient details of the costume. The costume, before its decline towards the end of the 1800s, was described thus:
"The blouses are open in the front and lined with specially worked lace around the borders. This descends from the neck to the point called capezzo. The women wear a sleeveless coat called the guarnaccia that descends from the shoulders right down to their heels. It is close fitting al the hips and always worn open at the chest. Below, it is richly pleated. Over this there is a waistcoat (corsaletto), also open in front. This is closed wilh fabric, embroidered with two rows of gold and silver frills for married women, and only one for unmarried women. The guarnaccia and corsaletto, which are scarlet red, are decorated with lace or frills, often in gold or silver. Unmarried women replace this decoration by a green ribbon similar to the one they wear braided in their hair. Married women wear a red ribbon instead of green, and widows a purple one.
Rather than the Turkish-style borzacchini, abandoned because of the length of the skirts, the Nettuno women wear slippers instead of sandals. These are made of silvery leather or covered in red cloth. Instead of a turban they cover their heads with a linen kerchief which is also bordered with gold, silver, and multicolored silk".
(A. Ademollo. Anzio e Nettuno dal secolo decimosesto al decimottavo, Rome 1886, in Librairians' Colleclion "lOOLibri per Nettuno", inv. n. 182).