Even though everybody recognizes world-famous Spanish dresses – it is not only the design of flamenco dresses that is so important for Spanish women. The tradition of flamenco dresses has started in XX century but not many people know that there is a part of Spanish costume which has a longer history.
Mantilla is a significant element of Spanish culture and fashion – it’s a veil, cut in a shape of a circle, which edges are precisely decorated with lace. It is usually made of tulle, silk or just entirely with lace. Spanish women wear it on a top of their heads, so that its sides fall down on shoulders. In traditional Spanish version Mantilla is attached to hair with a big decorated comb called peineta.
Mantillas were born in the hot Spanish climate in Andalusia at the beginning of the seventeenth century and they have gained recognition among the high class very quickly. We can recognize them on many paintings of Velazquez or Goya. A huge fan of this type of veil was Queen Elizabeth II, but after her abdication in 1870, the habit of wearing mantilla began to fade. Primary it has symbolized woman's humility before God. Right now it is still strictly associated with catholic religion and tradition. However Spanish women started wearing it only during special occasions like funerals, weddings, Sunday masses but also during less religious events such as bullfights. Today mantilla is a mandatory headgear during official visits to Vatican.
Also during the celebration of famous Holy Week, we can see women dressed in flamenco dresses holding decorative black fans and rosaries. But it’s a tradition than during Holy Thursday they wear black Mantillas as well. It is an essential element of folk costume worn by women in some parts of Spain, so certainly it cannot be missed during Semana Santa.
