Gold and semi-precious stones, Presentosa

Collezione The Presentosa

The Presentosa is a typical jewel from the Abruzzo Region. This jewel was often given to young women as a promise of love; the word comes from "presente", i.e. a present, a gift, which then turned into "presentenza" and "presentosa" in the local dialect. This is why the heart decoration is the most common for this jewel. It has the shape of a star with 7 points or more, surrounded by a filigree decoration or an elegant string. In the center of the star there are two or one hearts depending on the emotional status of the woman that received it. An heart meant that the girl was free and willing to marry, in this case the jewel was given to her by her parents. Two hearts linked by an half moon were a wish of fertility for the couple. The Presentosa with two hearts was given by the mother in low to be and meant that the girl was engaged. It was very common in the area of Lanciano, Valle Peligna and L'Aquila, but also in other areas of southern Italy: the most important producing centres were Agnone and Guardiagrele. Gabriele D'Annunzio, who was often inspired by the Abruzzo folklore, called it “Presentosa" in his work "Il tionfo della morte" (1894), thus rendering it famous at national level.