Il Costume del Capitano del Popolo a Orvieto

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Il Costume del Capitano del Popolo a Orvieto

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 Originally made in the 1970s using fabric woven by the Fondazione Lisio, it has now been recreated through the Foundation’s handwoven Lorenzetti lampas—a sumptuous silk and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 representative costume of the Historical Parade of Orvieto: the Captain of the People has been recreated both in its weaving and sartorial construction.

In 2019, the delegation of the “Associazione Lea Pacini” approached us with an important request: to remake a costume that had been worn for 50 years during the Corpus Domini festival. The main body of the garment was originally made using our “Lorenzetti” lampas fabric.

The armor, embossed by Marcello Conticelli, includes a copper helmet with a crest of ostrich feathers.

The sword features a gilded hilt with enamel decoration and the coat of arms of the Monaldeschi family. The belt is made of red leather with layered leather applications, handcrafted by the shoemaker Franco Menichini, as are the boots with spurs and a buckle depicting the head of Medusa.

Byzantine eagles appear on the red silk lampas of the mantle, while lions and peacocks decorate the brown-ground fabric used for the tunic with giaco.

It is easy to understand why the costume of the Captain of the People, which has paraded through the streets of Orvieto during the solemnity of Corpus Domini since 1951, and which is the result of modifications and reinterpretations over the years, is one of the most representative and beloved figures.

In more than seventy editions, only five performers have alternated in the role: Eraldo Cortoni, who held the position for a long time wearing costumes of different designs; Mario Torroni, who alternated between two Fondazione Lisio mantles; and then Giancarlo Giacomini, Corrado Cortoni, and Federico Cortoni, who still wears the costume today with great pride and presence.

Starting from a relatively simple idea by Mrs. Lea Pacini, founder of the Historical Parade, it has evolved into the making of an important and precious uniform, rich in refined details. The need to replace a part of the costume that showed clear signs of aging provided an opportunity to celebrate the figure of the ancient military commander, to whom the imposing civic building located in the historic center is still dedicated.

The decision on how to proceed was made after several considerations and reflections, both methodological, fully respecting the original model, and in the choice of materials. Initially, after our research into fabrics capable of recalling medieval design typologies did not yield satisfactory results, the members of the parade asked whether we could reweave the “Lorenzetti” lampas.

This fabric was first woven by Giuseppe Lisio in 1919, both as a lampas and as a velvet, and in the early 1970s Lea Pacini, the driving force behind the Orvieto Historical Parade, chose it for the making of the Captain of the People’s costume.

The work therefore shifted to manufacturing, starting with the refinement of the design based on the original pattern draft, followed by weaving on a hand loom at the Foundation, and then production in silk and gold.

At this stage, with the newly woven “Lorenzetti” sample, the search continued for a second fabric used for the sleeves, the inner garment, and the trimmings.

After consultation with the delegation for the submission of samples and the final selection process, the work of our tailoring workshop began:

Development of the pattern and the toile (mock-up).

Wear fittings and adjustment of measurements.

Cutting of the “Lorenzetti” fabric, the secondary fabric, and the linings.

Assembly and fitting of the basted costume.

Foto con delegazione Associazione "Lea Pacini"

Prove di imbastitura con costume completo

Final adjustments.

Our tailor Vittoria Valzania during the final adjustment of the costume.

The exhibition “The Captain of the People” in Orvieto

a historical, artistic and photographic journey

An exhibition is now on view at the “Claudio Faina” Etruscan Museum, open from April 9 to June 18, offering a journey through the historical representations of the Captain of the People, who has paraded through the streets of Orvieto over the years. The exhibition concludes with the display of the original costume, marked by time and the wear of those who wore it, alongside the newly made costume presented in its complete form, together with the silk and gold lampas mantle “Byzantine Eagles,” also produced by our manufactory.

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