Do you know that in Abruzzo you can find a beautiful,
traditional jewellery called Presentosa?

Presentosa is a traditional jewellery from Abruzzo, a gold pendant with a very refined filigree technique. This jewellery is handmade by skilled goldsmiths.  Presentosa comes in yellow and white gold, with or without gems.

The filigree of the jewellery represents symbols in different shapes and each shape has a different meaning: one heart in the middle means that the girl is single.

Two hearts, the girl who wears it is engaged. Two hearts joined by a crescent reversed moon shape means the girl is married.

Nowadays Presentosa is a gift for many different occasions and the symbols used varied: a dove is used for the baptism, communion and confirmation; a mirror is the symbol against bad luck and slanders.

Originally the Presentosa was related to the rituals of engagement, in fact it used to be offered to young women as a promise of love. The word comes from "presente", a present, a gift, which then turned into "presentenza" and "presentosa" in the local dialect.

The jewellery is a perfect gift representative of the region Abruzzo and its traditions.

Source: Abruzzo Rural Property

Abruzzo Presentosa traditional jewel

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Dances known as "lu saltarello" and the "lacci d'amore"

Although there is no characteristic mask-figure in Abruzzo, there are still various rituals and propitiatory customs connected with the Carnival. Among these customs we must mention the dances known as "lu saltarello" and the "lacci d'amore", a famous tradition at Sant'Andrea, the smashing of cooking pots and the greasy pole.

In Guardiagrele on the day of the carnival, people dresses in traditional clothes. Men wear a hat with a flower into the band or are dressed as carnival characters: the lawyer, the judge, the professor, the doctor, the captain, the merchant. Local women goes to church dressed in traditional long, black skirts with strips of brighter clothes and aprons, blouses decorated with handmade lace, handmade wooden shawls, and gold pendants.

Traditional clothes in Guardiagrele

In Schiavi d’Abruzzo, on the Carnival day, also known as “martedi’ grasso”, young men from the village dress up in funny carnival clothes allwearing a huge paper hat representing a bouquet of flowers and roses. These guys are called Mazzaroni in local dialect,  they stroll the streets of the village singing, playing and dancing a traditional dance called La Spallata, pushing each other shoulder against shoulder. They goes door to door performing their amusing show and asking for sweets, food and wine.

Boy wearing a hat representing a bouquet of flowers

In Molise, Carnival is characterised by an atmosphere that takes back to Pagan rituals and  is celebrated in a darker way than in many other regions of Italy where it is characterised by colourful masks, parades, amusing jokes and games. Molise celebrates the Carnival in a deeplysymbolic way.

At Carpinone, Roccasicura and Forli del Sannio, the carnival puppet “Fantoccio” is burned at the stake, in the main square of the village where a huge fire burns in front of the villagers.

At Sant'Agapito the “Fantoccio” is thrown off a cliff. At Castelnuovo al Volturno near Rocchetta al Volturno a man is dressed as a deer andis eventually caught by a hunter performing ceremonial rituals. At Tutara there is the procession of the devil.

Deer diguise performing ceremonial rituals

The cheese game of Vinchiaturo is something cheerer, in fact men competes in team by throwing large rounds of cheese of 15 km down the streets. This competition is called "Lancio della Ruzzola".

Cheese game: lancio della ruzzola

Source: Abruzzo Rural Property

Abruzzo carnival masks procession ritual tradition traditional dances

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