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| 1490s Florentine Italian for Candlemas 2024 |
In the beginning, I honestly had no thoughts about what to wear to Candlemas in February - I figured I would just go Viking, like I always do. But then I went to the event webpage and saw this:
"The year is 1494 and the wealthiest bride in Europe is about to become the queen of Germany and future Empress of Rome. Come re-live the wedding of Bianca Maria Sforza of Milan and King Maximilian I of Austria and Germany."
1490s Italian? I'm in. The Sforza wedding was said to be one of the most amazing spectacles in years, by several people who wrote about it later: a pageant of high fashion and pomp the likes of which the writers had never seen. Candlemas this year is intended to be a huge costume extravaganza, and everyone will be wearing their finest Italian and German garb - there's even a costume contest! Time for a new fancy outfit, I thought.
My first thought was to make some minor alterations to the red velvet Florentine-ish outfit I wore to Baronial in 2022 (the trim is wrong, the sleeves are too big, and the whole thing needs small adjustments here and there), but I wanted something new. And so of course, I started with something old.
Gamurra
I did the same this time, applying a gold and black braided trim to the neckline and front edges, and attaching some gold (brass) lacing rings to the front opening (yes, on top of the hand-sewn eyelets that were already there. The eyelets are very small, and they don't show under the rings when the dress is laced at all).
Giornea
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| before - Burgundian dress |
I removed the sleeves and all of the faux fur trim, cut the armscyes a bit deeper, removed the collar and opened up the center front seam all the way to the hemline.
I also stitched a length of gold braided trim along the neck opening/center front. I didn't want to dress this giornea up TOO much, because the sleeves and the trim on the gamurra were more than enough decoration for this outfit, but it did need something so that the edges weren't just plain.
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| closeup of the front |
Giorneae were usually open either at the front or sides or both, to allow the gamurra underneath to show through - mine is only open up the front, and is belted all the way around with a long, black, double-faced satin ribbon sash. My giornea was inspired by several Renaissance paintings, like these two (both fragments of frescos by Domenico Ghirlandaio):
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| fragment from the "Birth of St. John the Baptist" fresco |
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| fragment from the "Visitation" fresco |
Sleeves
Since the fabric was fairly dressy, I opted for a plainer sleeve design, closed at the upper arm and open on the lower arm, and laced open to allow my linen camicia to poof out through the lacings.
I stitched eyelets along the open forearm edges and on the sleeve heads where the sleeves attach to the gamurra in a tan/brown thread which matches the "gold" parts of the fabric's design.
I took my inspiration from images like these:
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| another fragment from the "Visitation" fresco by Ghirlandaio |
I'll talk about the accessories, and my hair, tomorrow. For now, although I won't be the fanciest nor the richest-looking person at the Candlemas event in my made-over dress, I'm proud of this outfit and I can't wait to wear it. I just hope it's not too hot, and that it holds up to dancing.
Bonus: my Project Cat, Rabi, asleep on an Ikea pillow underneath my work table:
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