Caterina da Savona: Difference between revisions
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== Persona Background == | == Persona Background == | ||
Born into a successful merchant family in Savona, | Born into a successful merchant family in Savona (Liguria, Italy), I was a young child when the Black Death swept through my town. It was devastating but I survived, along with my father and one of my brothers. Like the other girls from important trading families, I learned enough arithmetic, reading, and writing to help my family -- and, later, my husband -- with bookkeeping. | ||
My husband was a kind young man, the son of our business partners in Savona. We had two children who survived to adulthood. Sadly, my husband never lived to see our second child reach majority. He was wounded during a battle at sea, against those horrible Genoese merchants. My children are married well and reside in Savona. | |||
After some time, I re-married to Hugues de Bertoncourt. Now I live in his manor-house near Rethel, in France, not far from Ghent. He has a noble name, although his family is not very large. Together, we have access to Flemish woolens and Italian brocades and many other precious goods, using ships held by my family and to overland routes managed by Hugues. It is a comfortable life. | |||
Caterina's registered arms are inspired by medieval Italian merchant family marks, which may have been used to label boxes and crates, as well as for correspondence, etc. | (Caterina's registered SCA arms are inspired by medieval Italian merchant family marks, which may have been used to label boxes and crates, as well as for correspondence, etc.) | ||
== SCA Interests == | == SCA Interests == | ||
I always had friends who were involved in the SCA, but I didn't jump in and try it myself until 2019 -- then we attended only three in-person events before COVID hit! | I always had friends who were involved in the SCA, but I didn't jump in and try it myself until 2019 -- then we attended only three in-person events before COVID hit! I already had a background in sewing, pattern-making and tailoring, wirework, leatherworking, and fermented foods & beverages. I enjoy learning how these intersect with medieval history, technology, and culture. I have begun to dabble in narrow-ware weaving, as well. | ||
I already had a background in sewing, pattern-making and tailoring, wirework, and | |||
=== Costuming === | === Costuming === | ||
My primary focus is continental fashion (Italian, or French with some Flemish influence) from the late 14th to early 15th century. Fabrics, styles, and accessories are chosen with the persona of "minor nobles engaged in trade" in the 1380s-1390s. This is a fascinating time in fashion history, with exquisite tailoring, styles that changed every decade, and an adequate collection of surviving illuminated manuscripts, effigies, etc., to provide guidance. I strive for a head-to-toe collection of garb in a "capsule wardrobe" style. | |||
Athenaeum 2020 exhibit: [https://athenaeum.baronyofmadrone.net/exhibits/the-rise-of-fashion-italian-and-french-garb-for-1385/ The Rise of Fashion: Italian and French Garb for 1385] | Athenaeum 2020 exhibit: [https://athenaeum.baronyofmadrone.net/exhibits/the-rise-of-fashion-italian-and-french-garb-for-1385/ The Rise of Fashion: Italian and French Garb for 1385] | ||
I love to teach rectangular construction and how simple it is for new sewists to dive into their first garb, so we also have Slavic clothing from the setting of the First Bulgarian Empire. (Ekaterina? LOL) These are well-off farmers/landowners, as the Bulgarian ruling class still holds sway over their culture. This was substantially more difficult to research; Slavs practiced cremation during this era and were consummate woodworkers, so little has survived from their 9th century material culture. I had to study and extrapolate from Slavic cultures before and after the time period and consider the possible effects of contact cultures. | |||
Athenaeum 2021 exhibit: [https://athenaeum.baronyofmadrone.net/exhibits/early-medieval-slavic-garb-a-beginners-journey-into-embellishment/ Early Medieval Slavic Garb: A Beginner’s Journey into Embellishment] | Athenaeum 2021 exhibit: [https://athenaeum.baronyofmadrone.net/exhibits/early-medieval-slavic-garb-a-beginners-journey-into-embellishment/ Early Medieval Slavic Garb: A Beginner’s Journey into Embellishment] | ||
Finally, our third time period (work in progress) is a deep dive into Anatolian Greece, Ephesus 3rd-5th century BC. | |||
=== Fermented Foods & Beverages === | === Fermented Foods & Beverages === | ||
Revision as of 18:54, 8 June 2024
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 Caterina da Savona | ||||||||
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 Or, a triangle inverted gules within in annulo five roundels sable 
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Persona Background
Born into a successful merchant family in Savona (Liguria, Italy), I was a young child when the Black Death swept through my town. It was devastating but I survived, along with my father and one of my brothers. Like the other girls from important trading families, I learned enough arithmetic, reading, and writing to help my family -- and, later, my husband -- with bookkeeping.
My husband was a kind young man, the son of our business partners in Savona. We had two children who survived to adulthood. Sadly, my husband never lived to see our second child reach majority. He was wounded during a battle at sea, against those horrible Genoese merchants. My children are married well and reside in Savona.
After some time, I re-married to Hugues de Bertoncourt. Now I live in his manor-house near Rethel, in France, not far from Ghent. He has a noble name, although his family is not very large. Together, we have access to Flemish woolens and Italian brocades and many other precious goods, using ships held by my family and to overland routes managed by Hugues. It is a comfortable life.
(Caterina's registered SCA arms are inspired by medieval Italian merchant family marks, which may have been used to label boxes and crates, as well as for correspondence, etc.)
SCA Interests
I always had friends who were involved in the SCA, but I didn't jump in and try it myself until 2019 -- then we attended only three in-person events before COVID hit! I already had a background in sewing, pattern-making and tailoring, wirework, leatherworking, and fermented foods & beverages. I enjoy learning how these intersect with medieval history, technology, and culture. I have begun to dabble in narrow-ware weaving, as well.
Costuming
My primary focus is continental fashion (Italian, or French with some Flemish influence) from the late 14th to early 15th century. Fabrics, styles, and accessories are chosen with the persona of "minor nobles engaged in trade" in the 1380s-1390s. This is a fascinating time in fashion history, with exquisite tailoring, styles that changed every decade, and an adequate collection of surviving illuminated manuscripts, effigies, etc., to provide guidance. I strive for a head-to-toe collection of garb in a "capsule wardrobe" style.
Athenaeum 2020 exhibit: The Rise of Fashion: Italian and French Garb for 1385
I love to teach rectangular construction and how simple it is for new sewists to dive into their first garb, so we also have Slavic clothing from the setting of the First Bulgarian Empire. (Ekaterina? LOL) These are well-off farmers/landowners, as the Bulgarian ruling class still holds sway over their culture. This was substantially more difficult to research; Slavs practiced cremation during this era and were consummate woodworkers, so little has survived from their 9th century material culture. I had to study and extrapolate from Slavic cultures before and after the time period and consider the possible effects of contact cultures.
Athenaeum 2021 exhibit: Early Medieval Slavic Garb: A Beginner’s Journey into Embellishment
Finally, our third time period (work in progress) is a deep dive into Anatolian Greece, Ephesus 3rd-5th century BC.
Fermented Foods & Beverages
I've been making fermented foods for many years, but it never occurred to me this piece of my mundane life would find a home in the SCA. We frequently make bread, various sourdough items, yogurt, sauerkraut, soda pop, country wines (anything but grape!), and meads. I have dabbled in cheeses but find them a bit spendy (1 lb of cheese from 1 gal milk, OUCH).
Guilds and Group Memberships
An Tir Gardening (informal Facebook group)
Dragon's Laire Culinary Guild