The "Poulaines" fashion continued ( see chapter n.° 9.1) with even longer points, some measured more than 90 centime- ters from the heel to the tip, so, to avoid stumbling, the tips were fixed to the legs by strings or small chains.
NORMAN KINGDOM OF SICILY
In Vienna there is a pair of sandals that belonged to Queen Constance wife of
Henry the Fourth (1050 - 1106) emperor of Germany that have a mermaid embroidered on
the upper.
In the same city, as the Kunsthistorisches Museum,
a pair of shoes used for the coronations of princes of the Holy
Roman Empire are on show; their uppers are made from skin and cream and
red-colored cloth and are decorated with semiprecious stones and glass beads appliqués (see picture
n.° 45 ter).
In the royal sarcophagi of Palermo cathedral
some models of footwear have been found; amongst them those of Henry the Sixth
(1165 - 1197).
They have silk uppers decorated with gold and pearls and a cork sole covered
with silk.
Those of Frederic the Second (1194 - 1250) were ankle boots with
silk uppers embroidered with a deer and a cork sole covered with silk.
VENICE
the Venetians employed the vegetable tanning method using sumach and durmast extracts,
using alum and also grease.
The shoemakers were associated in the guild of the "Caleghéri and Zavateri" (shoemakers and
cobblers) that also inclu- ded some special categories of shoemakers like that
of the
"Solarii" who made only shoe soled socks ( see under the Waldenses) or that of the "Patitari" who made clogs called
"Patitos".
The guild imposed on its members the
observance of a set
of rules that safeguarded the customers rights.
The "Patitos" had a ram-hide upper and a high
sole and were used in every region of Italy, both in the country and the city as
not to spoil and soil the soled socks ( see under the Waldenses) with the mud of the
unpaved streets.
The Venetian women wore, in that period, a sort
of clog called "Socchi" and "Zanghe"; both models had
a wood or cork sole, but, those with a cork sole, owing to the rules
safeguarding of the rights of the customers, had to have a upper made from Cordovan
leather a very soft skin dressed by tannin, while those with a wooden sole had a ram-hide upper.
THE WALDENSES Were
disciples of a religious movement that rose in France in 1175 named after Peter Valdo
trader from Lyons, who, in a certain moment of his life, decided to give all
his wealth to the poor and live in accordance with the Gospel.
At first they were tolerated by the catholic Church, but when they decided to let
women become parsons they were accused of heresy and persecuted especially after the
1532, when they joined the protestant Reformation.
In the 12th century they moved to Switzerland from the
borders between Piedmont and France and then returned to Pied- mont in1689 when the Duke of Savoy let
them and tolerated their religious activities.
In the 12th century their men began to wear soled socks
called in French "Haut de chausses", a sort of woven
tights with a leather sole protection that
made the use of the shoes unnecessary.
CLERICAL
FOOTWEAR In that period the Pope wore slippers
called "Sandalia"; there are two models the first had a
blue silk upper, the second made from red and golden silk.
With the liturgical vestments "Udones" and
"Caligae" were worn (see chapter n.°.6). They had white wool, linen or silk
uppers.
In the Musées Royaux d' Art et d' Histoire
in Brussels a pair of
liturgical sandals made in Italy are on show.
They come from the Abbey of Stavelot (Belgium) and
have red leather uppers decorated with gold thread embroidery and golden skin
appliqués ( see picture n.° 45 bis) (take note that some sources define that model
as "Calceus").
45 bis 45 tris
in order to know something else about ancient Europeans...
Webmaster: Alfredo Armellini, via Vittorio Emanuele, 22/1 - 16030 Moneglia - Italia - E-mail:VANND02@vaancalz.191.it
The text and pictures of this page are the property of Alfredo Armellini; the reproduction without permission of the author is forbidden
Send me an E-mail with your comments and/or suggestions about this work!
Last revision: 06/02/2008