Untitled Document

The Rietina

2005 Campobello di Licata
Vesione italiano
Versione ungherese/Magyar verziò

For opening all the photos click on the picture

The short story of the Rietina

On the third Sunday of August there is a fest of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary: the fest of the Helping Madonna ("La Beddra Matri di l'Aiutu"). One part of this fest is the Rietina. Rietina means the traditional dressing of the horses and the Sicilian carts and the procession of the carts in the streets of the town.

The religious fest is hold in the last Sunday of August and the Rietina is hold in the following Monday.

The today became a turistical attraction, large number of tourists travel to Campobello di Licata to see the dressing up of the horses and the traditional Sicilian carts.

On Monday the dressed up Sicilian carts are running across the village accompanied by groups of local folkrolists.Downer on this page you can read more about the Sicilian music and about the typical instruments in Sicily.

The auction (L'Asta)

The procession is ended with the so-called auction, during which all the citizens of the town can make an offer to the Virgin Mary. The one who offers the most, can possess the flag of the Virgin Mary for one year, until the next Rietina. This is a very prestigious post in the community. There is also the annunciation of the "left" and the "right", on the basis of the second and third greatest offer for the Virgin Mary.

The traditional Sicilian cart: a mix of art, legend and history

For opening all the photos please click on the picture

The Sicilian carts are painted with hands with really vivid colors, realised by wise craftsmen. The motives in general represent the figures of paladins and knights of France, who drove the saracens out of the country. From them stands out the figure of Rinaldo, who is also the chief personage of the famous theatrical performance of the Sicilian puppets. (If you want to read more about the Sicilian puppets and about their history, check the following web site: http://www.pupisiciliani.com/eng/Default.htm). The home page is written also in English and in Italian.

Another scene that is often reproduced is the story of Gabriele Archangel, who smash the snake, that is often represented under the form of a dragon.

The ornaments of the pictures of the carts has changed during the time and has been adapted to the modern times. Today it is possible to find wood lateral supports, that are added to the carts to increase the capacity of the carts. This kind of supported carts were especially used by the small fruit commercial hawkers.

These painted carts nowadays are predominantly used only during the popular fests.

During the day of the Rietina, all the owners of the Sicilian carts dress up the horses together with the carts. Rietina is a kind of procession of these dressed up horses and carts to show the traditional dresses and music of the Sicilians. During the procession, the public can get acquainted with the traditional Sicilian music and the traditional Sicilian dresses of the the women and the men.

On Monday the dressed up Sicilian carts are running across the village accompanied by groups of local folkrolists. In some of the carts we can also see small groups who are playing on the typical Sicilian musical instruments, such as the “marranzano”, the "tamburelli" and the“friscaletto”. These istruments usually are made by hand by professional craftsmen..


Marranzano	Tamburello	Friscaletto

If you want to listen how they sound control the following web site: http://www.siciliasearch.com/download/musica/default.htm. The site is written in Italian.

If you are interested reading more about the culture, music and traditions of the Sicilian population, check the following web site: http://www.sicilianculture.com/ae/armos.htm. This page is written in English.

For listening traditional Sicilian music please click on the picture

	Femine costums: The uniform of the women includes a brown or bordeaux cotton skirt with an apron linked to the waist with squares on brown background. The shirt is white cotton covered with a black velvet waistcoat. The headgear is a foulard of brown or black cotton. The women wear a black wool scarf on the shoulder in the wintry months. The costume for the fest is of a more valued material, organdie and have more vivid colors, like the yellow. With the costume for the fest the headgear also have more colorant the women wear bright earrings and necklaces of red corral.

Femine costums:

The uniform of the women includes a brown or bordeaux cotton skirt with an apron linked to the waist with squares on brown background. The shirt is white cotton covered with a black velvet waistcoat. The headgear is a foulard of brown or black cotton. The women wear a black wool scarf on the shoulder in the wintry months.

The costume for the fest is of a more valued material, organdie and have more vivid colors, like the yellow. With the costume for the fest the headgear also have more colorant the women wear bright earrings and necklaces of red corral.

	Masculine costums: The masculine costume is the classical costume of the "carters", the costume of the conductor of the carts, containing a waistcoat and a knee-high black striped velvet trousers.The headgear is the typical Sicilian hat, called "coppola", that is made of black or brown velvet. On the waist they wear a wool band, usually red with a "pon pon", like a tie on the neck during the fests, or a scarf during the work in the field or in the farm.

Masculine costums:

The masculine costume is the classical costume of the "carters", the costume of the conductor of the carts, containing a waistcoat and a knee-high black striped velvet trousers.The headgear is the typical Sicilian hat, called "coppola", that is made of black or brown velvet.
On the waist they wear a wool band, usually red with a "pon pon", like a tie on the neck during the fests, or a scarf during the work in the field or in the farm.