A new life for the Captain of the People’s ceremonial costume. The garment with giaco, worn by time and years of use, has been faithfully renewed. Originally made in the 1970s using fabric woven by the Fondazione Lisio, it has now been recreated through the Foundation’s handwoven Lorenzetti lampas—a sumptuous silk and gold fabric with a brown ground decorated with lions and peacocks—and expertly tailored by the Fondazione Lisio’s workshop.

The request made to our costume experts was to create a reticella hairnet with historic references, for use in ‘Living History’ re-enactments, and above all, a product created by hand.

The three costumes presented, all made from LISIO textiles, come from a highly original private collection inspired by the intense interest of its creator – Mara Bertoli – in the history of fashion and costumes. Her creation of historical costumes now became invested with an antiquarian’s determination to ensure that every refined detail was absolutely right for the context in terms of authentic style, textile and pattern.

For this prestigious and historic occasion, Siena’s Contrada della Tartuca turned to Fondazione Lisio for production of precious damasks for the liveries of the drummer, the standard bearers and the official page – destined for use on official occasions and also for the costumes for the ‘Giro’.

A request by the Imago Antiqua cultural association sparked the project aimed at recreating a 15th-century silk fabric: the Cavaniglia-pattern damask, a replica of the damask used for the funeral doublet of Don Diego Cavaniglia, a noble condottiere from the Campania region who met his death in Otranto in 1481. The project targeted the world of ‘Living History’ and offers support to all historical re-enactors interested in using truly high-profile silk products in their activities.