0 Cop CAPRI 25 - Caesar Augustus

del gruppo musicale intonava l’Ave Maria.
Per il luogo della celebrazione dei matrimoni
correva anche una leggenda molto
accreditata nella tradizione popolare e
riportata dalla scrittrice francese Julia
Kavanagh. Nelle belle pagine capresi
tratte dalla sua opera Un’estate e un inverno
nelle due Sicilie (1858) scrive, infatti,
che il caprese che le faceva da guida,
l’aveva condotta nell’attuale Grotta
di Matermania chiamandola, però,
“Grotta del Matrimonio” perché, diceva,
che là si erano celebrati i matrimoni
di tutta la sua famiglia.
Prima del pranzo allestito in casa della
sposa con dignitosa semplicità, possibilmente
sotto un pergolato, venivano serviti
ai convitati cioccolata e biscotti. Seguivano,
poi, le varie portate: ravioli al sugo
e pastasciutta tipo “ziti” così chiamata
perché servita in questa circostanza (ziti=fidanzati).
I secondi erano a base di carne, pol-
JUST MARRIED
by SALVATORE BORÀ
Customs, traditions
and ceremonies of this most
ancient ritual
Furtive glances exchanged in church,
occasional encounters during the
religious festivals celebrated on the
island or in the fields during the grape or olive
harvest – this is how the spark of love flared
up between two young people on Capri in the
past. Often the couple managed to slip away
from the mothers’ watchful eyes to talk in
secret around the corner from the house,
behind the garden wall or on the way to fetch
water from the fountain.
Eventually, when the couple felt their love was
solid, the official engagement took place with an
“a’mbasciata”; that is, after the parents of the
future groom had gone to the fiancée’s home to
ask for her hand in marriage. This would be the
first encounter of the two families, who had a
chance to get to know each other on this
occasion if they hadn’t already met, and they
would begin to establish the “conditions”,
according to the principle that “the husband
should provide for his woman”. Next came the
promises and agreements about any
bequeathed buildings, farmlands or money.
Regardless, it was the groom’s responsibility to
furnish the new home.
The woman’s family, however, had the task of
preparing the “trousseau”, with 12, 24, or 36
items, depending on the family’s economic
condition. The trousseau would include sheets,
nightdresses, lingerie, tablecloths or bath towels
DA “PITTORI A CAPRI” LA CONCHIGLIA ED.
made of terrycloth or embroidered linen,
handmade cotton quilts and all types of crocheted
covers. It took years to prepare all these pieces,
which were collected gradually and placed in the
eagerly-awaited cascia, the hope chest.
Eight days prior to the marriage ceremony,
the mother-in-law and female friends and
neighbours would go to the bride’s house to
inspect the trousseau. The father of the
bride’s oldest sister was also present on this
occasion, and “sweets trays” were offered, or
“tarallucci and wine”, depending on the local
customs. Risqué comments were inevitably
made during this “appraisal” of the trousseau
items, referring particularly to the greatness of
the couple’s genital attributes.
A “shirtless” bride was a girl who contracted
marriage with no dowry, offering the groom
only her youth and her beauty.
Orange blossom and a treasure chest
On the wedding day, the groom, dressed in a
black suit with a red scarf around his neck, would
go with his mother to the bride’s house, linger
there with the guests and put a sprig of orange
blossom in their buttonholes. Then he offered his
fiancée the cascettino, a kind of treasure chest
with some gold objects: a pair of earrings, a
ribbon with a bow, a bracelet and a pin.
Meanwhile, the bride in her white dress with a
crown of orange blossom and a ample tulle
veil would pay homage to her future motherin-law,
bowing down before her and
respectfully kissing her hand. This scene is
brilliantly reproduced in a painting by
Alexandre Sain, who settled in Capri in 1865
and succeeded in very precisely depicting a
number of the distinctive aspects of local life
and customs.
Once the procession had formed, it wound its
way to the church where the religious rite was
celebrated. The bride walked arm-in-arm with
her father, alongside the “godmother” from her
confirmation, often preceded by a band of four
musicians – a violin, two guitars, and a
clarinet – and a gang of exuberant children
keen to collect the comfit and coins that would
be thrown as the bride passed by, along with
the flower petals, confetti and rice that were
kept in special little boxes. Next came girls
wearing special local costumes who kept time
with tambourines, followed by the ranks of the
guests dressed in their finest clothes – for the
men, this meant waistcoats, bowler hats and
suits made of heavy black material, while the
women’s outfits were especially charming:
wide skirts down to their ankles and tight at
the waist to highlight their ample bosoms, and
large scarves tied around their necks. Even
the children were all dressed up and on their
best behaviour.
The weddings were often celebrated in the
bride’s home, while the church weddings were
held in front of the main altar or in a side
chapel, depending on the pious
21