THE PRISENTI OF GIBELLINA
The tradition of the prisenti – long embroidered drapes carried in procession during the festivities in honour of the patron saint San Rocco in Gibellina – dates back to the feast of the SS. Crocifisso Festa Ranni and is probably rooted in Islamic tradition. The use of the prisenti, abandoned after the earthquake of 1968, was resumed in 1981 by the mayor of the city, Ludovico Corrao, thanks to the involvement of the cooperative of women embroiderers of Gibellina who made a large red velvet cloth decorated with golden ears of wheat.
The Prisenti are part of the permanent collection of the Museo Civico Ludovico Corrao of the Municipality of Gibellina, and have been made since 1981 by Michele Canzoneri, Pietro Consagra, Alighiero Boetti, Sami Burhan (Syria), Carla Accardi, Giuseppe Santomaso, Giulio Turcato, Carlo Ciussi, Isabella Ducrot, Renata Boero, Nja Mahdaoui (Tunisia) and, in more recent years, by Marco Nereo Rotelli and Gandolfo Gabriele David.
The tradition of the prisenti—long embroidered drapes carried in procession during the festivities in honour of the patron St. Roque (San Rocco) in Gibellina—originates from the feast of Santissimo Crocifisso Festa Ranniand likely has roots in Islamic tradition. Abandoned after the 1968 earthquake, the use of the prisenti was revived in 1981 by Mayor Ludovico Corrao, with the involvement of a cooperative of women embroiderers from Gibellina, who created a large red velvet drape decorated with golden ears of wheat.
The Prisenti are part of the permanent collection of the Museo Civico Ludovico Corrao in Gibellina and have been created since 1981 by Michele Canzoneri, Pietro Consagra, Alighiero Boetti, Sami Burhan (Syria), Carla Accardi, Giuseppe Santomaso, Giulio Turcato, Carlo Ciussi, Isabella Ducrot, Renata Boero, Nja Mahdaoui (Tunisia), and more recently, by Marco Nereo Rotelli and Gandolfo Gabriele David.
DIDASCALIA under the relief work
Alighiero Boetti, Prisenti, polychrome satin, 1985. Dim. 210 x 1080 cm