Cagliari Folk Groups: Villaggio Pescatori Giorgino

Giorgino is a very particular historical and geographical reality: the neighbourhood was founded in 1939 under the fascist regime to create housing for local fishermen. So close and yet so far away from the city, its inhabitants continue to keep alive the traditions and the customs of the village.

In this sense, Saint Efisio plays a predominant role for the community of Giorgino: the fishermen are the only ones that lead the martyr to the little church in their village. Here the city and luxurious clothes of the Saint are taken off, to make him wear the more humble ones of the countryside.

The costumes worn by the inhabitants of Giogino are very simple in their workmanship, almost devoid of jewels and symbolize in their colours the strong relationship between those who live in the village and the sea.

Men's clothing

The traditional male suit consists of a pair of trousers, a white cotton shirt and a black skirt. The group leader wears a red sash tied around the waist. A distinctive feature of men, is to not wear shoes, in fact, during the fishing in the ponds, shoes were not used.

Women's clothing

Women wear a shirt, similar to the men one, on which is placed "su gipponi", the snug black jacket. They use a pleated skirt, whose amplitude is 4-5 meters, which allows it also to be worn by pregnant women. On this skirt is laid "su deventali'", a damask blue and green skirt, that shines like the sea under the sun. On the head they wore a black handkerchief tied like a turban, on which is placed a delicate white silk handkerchief and finally a colourful scarf, according to the style and the economic means of the owner. The Women of Giorgino don't wear many jewels: just the golden button of the shirt and some precious ornament in silver filigree. The traditional dress expects that the shirt is rolled up on the chest in order to create an important "v-neck", that highlights the prosperous breast of the fishermen's women.

Source: Press office Municipality of Cagliari. Special thanks to Mrs Irene Mura and the cooperative "Non solo mare"