Luxury in the mirror of the past - folk costumes of Vodnjan

Olive groves and top-quality olive oil, historic places with beautiful beaches, dry-walled kažuns, numerous churches and sacred treasures - these are all reasons to visit Vodnjanština, which will delight you with something else, namely the carefully preserved folklore customs.

Vodnjan, photo: TZ of the City of Vodnjan

Watery and the places of the Vodnjan region still preserve the delicate and archaic world of bygone times woven from clear and picturesque reflections of the past. The history of a hard-working and cheerful life imbued with spirituality is reflected in preserved customs, everyday and festive objects, books, music, dance and, above all, folk costumes that amaze with their beauty, colors and layers.

A visit to Vodnjanština, especially during the holidays, is an opportunity for each of its places to show you the precious heritage of your ancestors. If you want to discover a part of that identity, take a walk with us through Vodnjan and during that walk meet its former inhabitants dressed in festive clothes that occupy a special place in the heritage chests of Vodnjan.

Vodnjan costume - layering trimmed with silver lace

Even 4000 years have passed since the creation of Vodnjan, which is based on the wisdom and harmony of its inhabitants. Indigenous people of Vodnjan - who are called bumblebees – they were decorated with an independent and original spirit, they were diligent and religious, they deeply respected nature and its changes. For centuries, Vodnjan lived as a homogeneous, rich rural place with numerous artisan workshops. Due to the possibility of exchanging various goods, he was self-sufficient and independent. All Vodnjan residents knew each other, family foundations were solid, they communicated in the specific Vodnjan dialect (favela) which was later replaced by Istrovenetic. They were decorated with many customs, they danced characteristic dances called vilotta and furlana, and Vodnjan folklore was based on original songs such as and bass declared by UNESCO as intangible heritage. The main instruments were the violin and leron, an indigenous violin-like instrument whose players were primarily self-taught. The rich heritage and customs of Vodnjan are carefully preserved through a series of activities by the Italian Community of Vodnjan.

Vodnjan costume, photo: Ana Lorencin

Women's costume from Vodnjan

The Vodnjan costume represents one of the variants of the wide Venetian area with the closest comparisons being in nearby Friuli. Rich and very layered with striking colorful sleeves, it always evoked admiration and was passed down through dowry contracts drawn up by notaries and in which fabrics and decorative ribbons from Venice, lace and expensive scarves are mentioned.

The women's formal costume consisted of: braghisa (white linen or hemp underpants decorated with lace), Cameis (shirt with lace around the neck and on the wrists with wavy and very wide sleeves), camisulein ie bustein (vest made of fabric or cloth of bright red color with wide straps), rag (underskirt made of white, green or red cloth decorated with folds, lace and embroidery), brasarola (colorful and decorated vest made of satin or brocade), Soca (heavy black densely pleated skirt decorated with silver lace and red thread), manighe (colorful and decorated satin or brocade sleeves that are tied to the back of the red vest), crossbar (silk or spotted damask apron), sintoura (colorful canvas or leather belt decorated with silver buckles, veil (a delicate white tulle scarf crossed on the chest), tovajol (white headscarf), fasulito de fianco (a large white embroidered linen scarf attached at an angle above the apron), fasulito de man (embroidered or lace handkerchief that is held in the palm of the hand and attached to the rings at an angle), calse (white thread or wool socks) i scarpite (black smooth leather shoes).

Women's costume from Vodnjan, photo: Ana Lorencin

Water women also wore rich jewelry: long, thick gold chains or beads (Venetian cordon) and gold earrings with three pendants (pyrroles), rings and brooches enriched with azure stones and corals. In order for the bridegroom's daughters to be as desirable as possible, the father had to provide as many gold objects as possible. The most imaginative is the very elaborate hairstyle of long hair with braids, curls and partings collected in a bun (cogon), which starts from the waves (cape), and decorated herself with rich jewelry made of numerous needles - pianeta, pianetola, trèmoli, ciodi, curarice (larger and smaller filigree silver swords with floral decorations and pins with a flat head) arranged in a radial pattern on the back of the head so as to resemble a halo. It is interesting that the girls in costume are called maruss based on the character from the opera by Antonio Smareglia Nozze Istriana which was inspired by Vodnjan folklore.

Vodnjan men's costume

Formal men's clothing (black, red and white) was, of course, simpler, but also very striking, and consisted of the following parts: Cameis (linen or white linen shirts with very wide sleeves), camisulein (a red vest decorated with thin ribbons that were tied in two rows), Braghe (black pants made of rolled wool), girl (black woolen jacket with folds on the neck), fasuletein (white embroidered handkerchief) i burecio (a type of long cloak or coat), and in the past the people of Vodnjan wore shoes and ankle boots made of natural leather called buseighini.

Vodnjan costume, photo: Danilo Dragosavac

It is certainly an exceptional opportunity to get to know the folklore of Vodnjan in its most festive form and first-hand LERON, international folklore festival which brings local and foreign folklore groups to the streets of Vodnjan every summer. LERON promotes multiculturalism, getting to know and respecting the folklore customs of various nations and encourages the continuous preservation of folklore customs as an important part of identity.

Two days a year, as part of the festival, the folklore customs of various peoples come together in the Vodnjan square, and on the streets of Vodnjan you will find a real fireworks display of colorful costumes, sounds of instruments, song and dance.

He is the organizer of the festival Community of Italians in Vodnjan i Italian Union, and the festival itself, which has been held since 2000, got its name from a traditional, autochthonous Vodnjan musical instrument.

During the festival, Vodnjan is reminiscent of Europe in miniature, bringing together folklore groups of different nationalities who present their folk dances and costumes. Numerous participants present the traditions of different peoples through dance and song and in this way make it possible for Vodnjan to become a center of multiculturalism for a few days, where national differences are respected and one's own culture and traditions are nurtured.

Thanks to valuable sources such as the book "Women's National Costume in Istria" by Dr. Jelka Ribarić Radauš and the group of authors from the monograph "Vodnjan-Dignano - the city of stories" (Anita Forlani, Luana Moscarda, Matija Drandić, Danilo Ljubotina) we looked with you in a mirror of the past in the hope that the beautiful costumes of Vodnjan will encourage you to visit this part of Istria.

Info, photo: Tourist Board of the City of Vodnjan,

Author of the text: Silvija Jacić
Cover photo: Danilo Dragosavac

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