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The coppola () is a traditional kind of
flat cap A flat cap is a rounded cap with a small stiff brim in front, originating in Britain and Ireland. The hat is known in Ireland as a paddy cap; in Scotland as a bunnet; in Wales as a Dai cap; and in the United States as an English cap, Irish cap ...
typically worn in
Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...
and
Calabria , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...
, where is it known as ''còppula'' or ''berretto'', and also seen in
Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
, Corsica, and
Sardinia Sardinia ( ; it, Sardegna, label=Italian, Corsican and Tabarchino ; sc, Sardigna , sdc, Sardhigna; french: Sardaigne; sdn, Saldigna; ca, Sardenya, label=Algherese and Catalan) is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after ...
(where it came to be known, in the
local language * A regional language is a language spoken in a region of a sovereign state, whether it be a small area, a federated state or province or some wider area. Internationally, for the purposes of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Lan ...
, as , , and or , possibly from the
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
). Today, the coppola is widely regarded, at least in Italy, as an iconic symbol of Sicilian or Calabrian heritage.


History

One popular theory of the coppola is that it originates in
Anglo-Saxon The Anglo-Saxons were a Cultural identity, cultural group who inhabited England in the Early Middle Ages. They traced their origins to settlers who came to Britain from mainland Europe in the 5th century. However, the ethnogenesis of the Anglo- ...
land, where the tradition of civil caps has been found at least since the late 16th century during the reign of the Tudors, when on Sundays and on holidays all males over six years old – with the exception of nobles and high-ranking people – had to wear woolen headdresses produced only and exclusively in England: so, in fact, it provided for an act of parliament of 1571, the short purpose of which was to support the domestic production of wool, thus protecting it from the import of foreign goods. This type of headgear belonged to the so-called "flat cap", a type of cap initially known as ''bonnet'' which is characterized primarily by its flat dome; at the same time, for example, the "Tudor bonnet" also belongs, a variant of the flat cap accompanied by a circular aquifer, now in use especially in academic clothing. First used by English nobles during the late 18th century, the coppola began to be used in Sicily and Calabria in the early 20th century as a driving cap, usually worn when at the wheel driving the car. The coppola is usually made in
tweed Tweed is a rough, woollen fabric, of a soft, open, flexible texture, resembling cheviot or homespun, but more closely woven. It is usually woven with a plain weave, twill or herringbone structure. Colour effects in the yarn may be obtained ...
. To date, however, the flat cap is no longer relegated to the Anglo-Saxon culture alone but is present in numerous countries, although its diffusion is now more limited than in the past. Vintage fashion, however, has revitalized the image of the flat cap at the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries, thanks also to the popularity of various actors, singers, sportsmen, etc. who sometimes wear flat caps of different shapes, thus promoting a relaunch on the market.


Adoption in Sicily and Southern Italy

The origin of the name is likely to be a Sicilian, Calabrian or
Apulia it, Pugliese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographic ...
n adaptation of the
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
word ("head"). By extension, is also Sicilian for "head". The word then became popular also in the rest of Italy, and was quickly acquired by Italian language by extension. Different colors of the hat were used to signify different levels of socio-economic importance. While the
ruling class In sociology, the ruling class of a society is the social class who set and decide the political and economic agenda of society. In Marxist philosophy, the ruling class are the capitalist social class who own the means of production and by exten ...
and English nobles traditionally wore a white version, the black coppola was typically reserved for the Working class, the brown coppola was for Farmers and field workers, and the blue coppola was used for Sailors. In Sicily the tradition of coppola stands between the late 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, a number of English families settled in Sicily in search of investment. Outsiders across the Country, as it may be, carried their costumes and clothing with them, including the
flat cap A flat cap is a rounded cap with a small stiff brim in front, originating in Britain and Ireland. The hat is known in Ireland as a paddy cap; in Scotland as a bunnet; in Wales as a Dai cap; and in the United States as an English cap, Irish cap ...
, which, in a spirit of emulation, was adopted by the
Sicilian people Sicilians or the Sicilian people are a Romance speaking people who are indigenous to the island of Sicily, the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, as well as the largest and most populous of the autonomous regions of Italy. Origin and infl ...
themselves as an integral part of their way of dressing. Sicilians have always covered their heads as it provides protection from the hot sun in summer. Before the coppola was in general use, forms of
turban A turban (from Persian دولبند‌, ''dulband''; via Middle French ''turbant'') is a type of headwear based on cloth winding. Featuring many variations, it is worn as customary headwear by people of various cultures. Communities with promine ...
were in widespread for men and women of
Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...
and parts of
Southern Italy Southern Italy ( it, Sud Italia or ) also known as ''Meridione'' or ''Mezzogiorno'' (), is a macroregion of the Italian Republic consisting of its southern half. The term ''Mezzogiorno'' today refers to regions that are associated with the peop ...
. However they had in a later stage lost popularity to the coppola, which has become a cornerstone of Sicilian Culture, not a simple import cap but a real symbol of belonging to the island's community and its traditions. However plausible, this historical reconstruction is not entirely certain and the English origin remains doubtful: the use of the term ''coppola'' throughout history is not explained above all, a word that boasts a long tradition in
southern Italy Southern Italy ( it, Sud Italia or ) also known as ''Meridione'' or ''Mezzogiorno'' (), is a macroregion of the Italian Republic consisting of its southern half. The term ''Mezzogiorno'' today refers to regions that are associated with the peop ...
and that has been in use since before the 19th century, as evidenced by some ancient writings. In 1789, for example, a vocabulary of
Neapolitan dialect , altname = , states = Italy , region = Abruzzo, Apulia, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Lazio, Marche, Molise , ethnicity = ''Mezzogiorno'' Ethnic Italians , speakers = 5.7 million , date ...
bears both the ''coppola'' voice and the ''coppolone'' derivative and describes the headdress as a "peasant ''biretta'' (ed. farmer's cap), common as a result of ''villani''", without adding any other details about the shape or style of the cap. To the same century also belongs a
Neapolitan Neapolitan means of or pertaining to Naples, a city in Italy; or to: Geography and history * Province of Naples, a province in the Campania region of southern Italy that includes the city * Duchy of Naples, in existence during the Early and Hig ...
song, entitled ''O cunto 'e Masaniello'' which, narrating the story of the famous
Masaniello Masaniello (, ; an abbreviation of Tommaso Aniello; 29 June 1620 – 16 July 1647) was an Italian fisherman who became leader of the 1647 revolt against the rule of Habsburg Spain in the Kingdom of Naples. Name and place of birth Until recent ...
, alludes among other things to "its red coppola", a sign that the term was already known and of common use at a popular level. The case of Masaniello, in this case, offers an interesting starting point for reflection on the concept of coppola, especially on its most remote origins, both in a historical sense and from a purely
linguistic Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. It is called a scientific study because it entails a comprehensive, systematic, objective, and precise analysis of all aspects of language, particularly its nature and structure. Linguis ...
point of view. In ancient depictions, in fact, the famous Neapolitan rebel always wears a red headdress – the so-called "red coppola" of eighteenth-century singing – but the shape of the cap has nothing to do with modern coppola: it is, if anything, of a kind of fleece or Phrygian cap, symbol of
freedom Freedom is understood as either having the ability to act or change without constraint or to possess the power and resources to fulfill one's purposes unhindered. Freedom is often associated with liberty and autonomy in the sense of "giving on ...
in the past era, it is no coincidence also taken up by the revolutionary France of the late eighteenth century that has made the bonnet rouge a real national icon (famous is the image of Marianne, the personification of the
French Republic France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
, represented precisely with a Phrygian cap of red color).


See also

*
Ascot cap The Ascot cap, also known as the Coffey cap or Lippincott cap, is a men's hard cap similar to the flat cap, but distinguished by its hardness and rounded shape. Ascot caps are typically made from fur or wool felt and worn in the fall or winter, b ...
*
Flat cap A flat cap is a rounded cap with a small stiff brim in front, originating in Britain and Ireland. The hat is known in Ireland as a paddy cap; in Scotland as a bunnet; in Wales as a Dai cap; and in the United States as an English cap, Irish cap ...
*
Newsboy cap The newsboy cap, newsie cap, or baker boy hat (British) is a casual-wear cap similar in style to the flat cap. It has a similar overall shape and stiff peak (visor) in front as a flat cap, but the body of the cap is rounder, made of eight pi ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Coppola (Cap) Culture of Sicily Caps Italian clothing