Kat's Zoccoli

Purple Files: Kat's Zoccoli - Platform shoes.
Recreated by La Signora Onorata Katerina da Brescia.

Left:Zoccoli from Saint Benedict appearing to the Monks, Siena (1508-10)

Something I have wanted to make for many years now are some chopines. Chopines are classically associated with Venice where the fashion was at its height. in the 16th century. Sumptuary laws were made to limit the height of Venetian chopines for both safety and economic reasons- to prevent pregnant women falling and having miscarriages and to limit the amount of material used in the length of skirts. Similar sumptuary laws are recorded in Florence. Platform shoes in Florence tended to be shorter in height, though there is mention of the popular 'foreign fashion' of chopines. The more common platform shoe in Florence, was the zoccoli. - a wooden platform shoe typically made from white poplar wood. Dressing Renaissance Florence documents that zoccoli or chopines could be material covered and even embroidered for festive occasions.

Though I would love to make a lovely set of high chopines, I am doing the Florentine thing - restraining myself to respectability and making a pair of wooden zoccoli. This pair are a plain pair being my first attempt at this sort of thing. I had found this simple example from Sienna before I had managed to find other pictures from Florence. For now, this is what I am making. I will make a more Florentine version later...
Zoccoli can be worn over the more delicate dress shoes, to protect them from mud etc. The can also be worn directly over the hose. There are many pictures showing this. Some (particularly the early ones) look like sandles (and are very similar to pattens). This is particularly so of the 15th century zoccoli.

Diary:

Some pictures of Florentine contemporary zoccoli: (I will write up my research later, so watch for the link).


1435: Gentile da Gavriano (Florence) Italian Renaissance Interior p 177 (similar to pattens)	1443 : Andrea del Sarto (Florence) Birth of virgin Italian Renaissance Interior	1490's: Ghirlandaio (Florence) An Angel appearing to Zacharias WebGallery (similar to pattens)	1520's: Andrea Sarto (Florence.) Birth of the Virgin Italian Renaissance Interior

1560: Vasari Lucian and Cicier Panorama of Renaissance	1581: Plate 12 (Florence) Habitus Variarum orbis gentium	1590's: VecellioTuscan Peasant	1590's: VecellioTuscan Noblewoman

My zoccoli are intended to wear over my existing leather shoes to protect them from the wet ground and mud.
Firstly I traced around the shoe to get a shape. The original picture had a cut out on the bottom. This was made using a chisel and sanding (a lot of sanding).
My dear Dafydd helped with the woodworking.

I made a paper toile over the shoe, for the vamp. Leather pieces were cut to size (above right).
I used 'blued cut tacks' from the local hardware store. They had that 'rough' look of what I have seen of period nails and were intended for use with leather and furniture (at least that is what the sign said). It must be noted here that I am not a woodworker and have done very little of this sort of thing.!
I used the tacks to nail the leather onto the wood. I am happy with the look, as I wanted a plain look to these.

Left: The debut of the zoccoli.
Now I can attest to the contemporary account of the Italians knocking their feet against walls to keep their chopines on. (they are slippery suckers). I think next time, I will make them smaller and tighter.
Considering I am not a woodworker and this was my first (joint) effort at this sort of thing (and shoes in general) I am happy with the results.
I am find the sewing much easier!!!
Now... I have plans for a covered pair!!

Bibliography:

Arnold, Janet Queen Elizabeth's Wardrobe Unlock'd, Maney, Leeds, 1988, ISBN:0-901286-20-6

Thornton, JH Italian Renaissance Interior 1400-1600

Frick, Carole Collier. Dressing Renaissance Florence.: Families Fortunes & Clothing. John Hopkins University Press. Baltimore. 2002. ISBN: 0-8018-6939-0

Kovesi Killerby, Catherine, Sumptuary Law in Italy 1200-1500, Oxford University Press. NY. 2002. ISBN:0-19-924793-5

O'Keeffe, Linda. Shoes: A celebration of pumps, sandals, slippers and more. Workman Publishing. NY. 1996. ISBN: 0-7611-0114-4

Hibbert, Christopher. Florence, The Biography of a city. Viking Penguin Group. London. 1993. ISBN: 0-670-84294

Reynolds, Helen. A Fashionable history of the shoe. Henemann Library. London. 2003. ISBN: 0-431-183430

Gre, Fancis & Neergaard, Margrethe de. Shoes and Pattens. Museum of London. Boydell Press. 2001. ISBN: 0-85115-838-2

Met Special Topics page/ The Chopine. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd//chop/hd_chop.htm

Bayerisches National Museum. www.gilindex.de/bilder/

V&A Access to Images. http://images.van.ac.uk/

MFA Boston. Muesum of Fine Arts. www.mfa.org/

Resources - Aneala - by Alessandra Torrigiani d'Arezzo: http://aneala.sca.org.au/arts/ATPianelle.html

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