Traditional Women’s Headdresses of Catanzaro and Cosenza: Borrowings and Ethnic Identity

DOI: 10.33876/2311-0546/2022-4/164-181

Abstract

In Catanzaro and Cosenza, the two largest provinces of the Italian region of Calabria, traditional women’s costumes are still preserved not only among the Italians, but also among various linguistic minority groups. The Arbresh diaspora in southern Italy, descendants of Albanian settlers, passes their historical clothing from generation to generationю It was brought from the Balkans as early as the 15th century and changed under the influence of Calabrian culture. One of the key and most complex details of any costume is a headdress, which has its own specifics and performs not only practical, but also symbolic or identity-­related functions. The variety of headdresses presented in Calabria is the result of a centuries-old process of formation of historical costumes of both the local population and representatives of the migrant diaspora. The mutual influence of different cultures led to the adaptation, modification or disappearance of already existing types of headgear and the emergence of new ones. The article examines the main types of traditional Calabrian and Arbresh women’s costumes in Catanzaro and Cosenza, and reveals the symbolic meaning of headdresses and the specifics of their modern functioning.