Women's Portraits

Giuseppa

Who's Giuseppa?

Giuseppa is a 89 years old woman. She was born in a small village in the heart of Sardinia, in the mountains, a thousand meters above sea level. She is a widow, has three children, a lot of grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. She lives alone, is a bit sad but cultivates many interests and is deeply religious. She enjoys good health. Giuseppa has a great fear: losing her lucidity. She likes fellowship and is a great talker.

Biographical Notes

Giuseppa has always lived in her home town, which she is strongly linked because there she is surrounded by the affection of a large numbers of relatives and friends and is fond of traditions that this community jealously guards.

She still wears traditional costumes and speaks in Sardinian, a language of Romance origins and with strong Spanish influences, but on some occasions, above all with strangers, she expresses herself in Italian.

When she was a child, there was little spare time for games and carelessness and very soon she began to cooperate with her parents in farm works, learning fast how to spin wool and weave the asphodel (ASFODELUS RAMOSUS, a typical plant in Sardinia) to create baskets of various shapes and sizes which were then sold or used in the family. But her dream was to learn the art of embroidery and sewing of traditional costumes for men and women. Following in her mother’s footsteps, she has become an expert in this field and with her daughter, to whom she transmitted the secrets of her work, she still continues to practice the same task with unchanged passion. At the age of 23, she married a young boy from her home town who was back from the Russian campaign in World War II a few years earlier. Her married life was serene but difficult. It was necessary to work hard and strive to do everything because at that time the economic resources were limited.

Hard times

When her first son was 15 months, an irreparable damage happens: a pot boiling on the stove is reversed and the child is severely burned. Unfortunately, due to complications after about one month of sufferings, the child dies.

Sustained by faith, Giuseppa manages to overcome slowly the despair about the loss of her Angel and starts her life again as usual.

After a few years another pain comes when the third child of about ten months falls ill with poliomyelitis. Her child undergoes numerous surgical operations and for Giuseppa it is a very difficult year: the anxiety for her child, the difficulties in reaching hospitals because there are few links, there are never enough money because of their frequent travels and numerous medical expenses. They have to stay away from home for a long time, neglecting their work.
Eight years ago her husband died. It was a painful tear that made her very sad, but she proved herself strong even on that occasion.

Her present

Giuseppa is always very active. She still likes working the asphodel, tilling the vegetable garden and of course sewing, knitting and crocheting. She attends church services and goes to visit her relatives and friends.

Giuseppa is very satisfied with her life, she feels richly rewarded for her children’s fulfillment in work and in their affections. She has numerous grandchildren, grown-up by now, and great-grandchildren of whom she is very proud.

Giuseppa is an independent, lucid and tireless woman. Despite her copious commitments and numerous relationships, she suffers a bit from loneliness that overcomes thanks to her capability of reacting without surrendering.

Caterina Lostia