- BY ISSIMO
- September 26, 2024
Sheets! We all have them, we all use them. But we might not realise that this humble household item holds a surprisingly significant place in Italian culture. Far from being a simple piece of material used to make a bed, the lenzuolo has long been symbolic of family, community and enduring traditions. From weddings to local festivals and beyond, we explore the ItalianISSIMO side of sheets and the role they have played in daily life for centuries.
Weddings and the traditional ‘corredo’
In many cultures bed sheets are an important part of a bride’s traditional dowry, and Italy is no exception. Traditionally, sheets were included in a bride’s corredo – an extensive collection of household linens and textiles prepared by her family as an offering to her future household. Often embroidered with the finest details and laces, these sheets were more than a matter of practicality. They symbolised domesticity, family, and social status. For many Italian brides and families, especially in southern Italy, this corredo was passed down through generations, and it became a treasured family heirloom. In fact, we’ve definitely admired these precious embroidered sheets that still take pride of place in Nonna’s special linen collection!
In Sicily, for example, the making of the ‘wedding bed’ was an enduring tradition involving special white silk or linen sheets. The day before the wedding, the bride’s closest female friends and relatives would go to her house and prepare her bed, with at least one unmarried and one married woman helping in the process. The unmarried girl would make the bed under the watch of the married woman, and proceed to jump on it in a gesture that was said to bring fertility and joy to the couple.
While these bridal traditions have endured for centuries, they are no longer as prominent in Italy today. However, a set of embroidered sheets is still a popular wedding gift, and sheets maintain their sentimental and symbolic relevance as a celebration of a couple’s unity and future life together.
A symbol of celebration and cultural pride
Beyond wedding traditions, sheets have symbolised unity and community spirit in society and public celebrations throughout Italy. Particularly in the central and southern regions of Umbria, Tuscany, and Puglia, sheets are used in processions, religious festivals, and public displays. These include special festivals and processions for patron saints in smaller cities and towns, where locals hang their finest bed linens from windows and balconies.
Dating back centuries, this custom began as a way for local communities to display their status and honour the sacred figures they worshipped. Over time, it has evolved into a broader symbol of cultural pride. Few sights are more ItalianISSIMO than rows of sheets fluttering from a balcony in the breeze, bringing their poetic charm to the streets of quaint towns and villages where a sense of local tradition is often still strong.
Among these religious festivals is the annual Festa dei Ceri in the medieval town of Gubbio, Umbria. In honour of the town’s patron Saint Ubaldo, three huge ceremonial candles are paraded through the streets in a procession that takes over the entire city centre, and sheets are draped from nearly every window to mark the celebration.
A homage to ‘artisanal Italy’
The role of sheets in Italy continues to evolve today, representing a balance between tradition and modernity. Heritage Italian luxury linen houses like Frette, for example, continue to preserve traditional artisanal approaches to handcrafting the finest sheets, as they have done since 1860. We’re talking bed coverings that are fit for royalty and the Pope, literally! Bed sheets are not just household objects, they are deeply personal possessions. That’s why expertly crafted sheets featuring both classic and contemporary colours, prints and embroideries are as popular as ever. They transform the bedroom into a sanctuary where the finest quality materials mean ultimate comfort and a luxurious personal touch. Our new ISSIMO x Frette collection is the perfect example!
Whether hanging from a window during a festival, part of a cherished family heirloom, or a new addition to your bedroom, sheets mean culture, connection to tradition, and a reminder to celebrate life’s simple pleasures.
