Women's Portraits

Iolanda Dasso

A great passion to feel fulfilled and live a long life

Iolanda Dasso has always lived in Bosa, a town 28 kilometres far from Macomer, on the west coast of Sardinia. Proud and pleased with what she has achieved in her life, despite her nearly eighty years, Iolanda does not feel old at all and do not suffer either with melancholy or loneliness. Since her childhood, Iolanda’s great passion is the filet, an activity in which she is a teacher. It has meant for her an important tool for economic and social redemption and personal assertion.

The years of youth

The lastborn child of eleven children, she spends most of her life in one of the lanes closest to the castle that dominates its town. Belonging to a humble family, Iolanda tries to be helpful by embroidering filet and going to pick up the olives. She goes there using her wooden clogs, which holds under her arm as soon as she goes out of the town, in order to avoid scratching themselves on the stony ground. Even her clothing is poor. That is why the fondest memory of her youth is a beautiful dress given her at the age of 17 years. Her most painful memory is about her older brother, who left for the war, was taken prisoner in Algeria. She attends till the 3rd grade of the Primary School. 

The marriage and the maturity

She gets married at age of 24 and in the space of 16 years becomes a mother of six children. These are hard times and it is not at all easy to bring the children up, but Iolanda is doing everything for them in order to lack for nothing. Unfortunately, her husband, often unemployed, has to emigrate to Germany on business for six times between 1959 and 1967. Not even when Iolanda’s children grow up, she slackens her pace: the large family does not allow her to twiddle her thumbs. She is 60 years old when, in 1992, her husband dies. Iolanda’s two youngest daughters still live with her. When she is more than 60 years old, Iolanda has finally more time to devote to her passion: the filet. To give her joy and satisfaction is the growing recognition about skill and beauty of her work both in her home town and out of it.

Hard Times

Her husband emigrates to Germany

This is the most difficult period of her life. Iolanda remains alone, taking the responsibility of her family, house and seventy years old mother-in-law also in need of assistance. She is 27 years old and has two children, one of whom just two months old. During her husband's absence, to provide for the needs of her family, Iolanda must do everything she can in order to make ends meet : she works in the country for harvesting olives, wheat, grapes, depending on the time of the year; she washes bottles in a small soft drink industry and works in the kitchen of a hotel. When she has got free time, Iolanda produces filet works . All these things must be done without neglecting the house and her children, who must leave to her mother every morning before going to work. Her family of origin providential help is what always supports her physically and psychologically. 

The concerns for her children

Even some vicissitudes of her children make Iolanda suffer a lot. One of them, after achieving the dream of a permanent job, at first working as a Carabineer then as an employee of a wealthy businessman, leaves both of them, finishing to perform only casual jobs and certainly not safe. In 2000, because of an accident, one of her daughter suffers serious injuries and is forced to different surgical interventions and hospitalizations. Iolanda keeps close to her and for a long time she moves to Parma, where her daughter is hospitalized for an operation on her face. These and other situations have been and are of concern to Iolanda, although she is constantly striving to respond positively, putting the value of health, friendship and respect for the others before her problems and difficulties. Certainly she still lives moments of despair, but Iolanda keeps on living her life without losing heart, in an active way and with a constant optimism. 

Her present

Most of her free time is devoted to the filet. She produces it even in the middle of the night, when she cannot sleep. Iolanda also teaches a group of women how to embroider, on behalf of a cultural association in her town. “Her" school is attended by students of all ages, the oldest lady is 60 years old.
Lately she has been engaged in shooting for the making of a film set in Bosa, in which she plays the role of the protagonist’s grandmother.

Besides playing the role of mistress of filet, she finds great satisfaction in bringing the filet of Bosa everywhere, not only in Sardinia, but also in other Italian regions and abroad. She has participated in numerous exhibitions both in Italy and abroad.

Iolanda’s vitality and longing for doing are a truly enviable good example for all women.

Anna Rossini, Sara Deiola