The history of the word "Mezzaro"

The word "mezzaro" has a long and fascinating history spanning centuries, languages, and cultures. Exploring its origins means tracing the history of a garment that has been an integral part of women's wardrobes for centuries, particularly in Genoa.

Etymology: from the Arabic mi'zar

The most widely accepted etymological hypothesis today traces "mezzaro" back to the Arabic word "mi'zar," which referred to a veil or cloth used to cover the head or body. Numerous variants attested in Mediterranean dialects derive from this root: mizar , mezar , meiero , mezzero .

In the past, other theories have been suggested – a connection to the Italian word “mezzo” or to the Arabic verb “ sarra” (“to cover, to wrap”) – but documentary evidence has led scholars to favor the origin of “mi’zar” .

The first testimonies

One of the earliest accounts in Italy dates back to 1517 and can be found in the travelogue of Antonio De Beatis, secretary to Cardinal Luigi d'Aragona, who described the clothing of women throughout Italy and Europe.

The term became established in Genoese usage in the 17th century . Inventories of wedding attire list mezzari made of silk, linen, and cotton, which were differentiated by quality and size.

Documents from 1666 and 1668 prove that the mezzaro was already widespread, not only among noblewomen but also among women of the middle and lower classes. An inventory from 1676 explicitly lists "crimson satin underwear" alongside a taffeta mezzaro.

The Golden Age: The 18th Century

The Mezzaro reached its zenith in the 18th century. Numerous sources attest to its presence in all strata of Genoese society: inventories, wills, travelogues, engravings, and prints.

The most important witness statements include:

• Carlo Giuseppe Ratti, Description of Paintings, Sculptures and Architecture (1780)

• Giuseppe Bratti, The Women of the Second Rank (1767)

• The manuscript by Gian Giacomo Casanova (1767)

• The text is by P. De La Lande (1768).

Genoese women wore the mezzaro in different ways depending on the occasion: folded over the head for visits, draped over the shoulders for more formal occasions, and completely wrapped around the body for religious ceremonies.

The mezzanine in historical prints

Contemporary engravings offer a vivid glimpse into Genoa in the 18th century. The views by A. Gualli (1749) – Strada Nuova, Piazza Annunciata, Palazzo del Duca d'Oria – which are kept in the collections of the Cassa di Risparmio di Genova e Imperia, show the mezzaro as an omnipresent element of the cityscape.

The phenomenon also attracted attention outside of Italy: The famous engravings by J.B. Greuze , published in 1768 in the Cabinet des Estampes in Paris, show the Genoese woman with the hot mezzaro on her head and the citizen of Genoa with the mezzo on her head , and testify to the European curiosity for this distinctive garment.

A painting of particular interest, Femme de qualité à sa toilette (Paris, around 1680, Bibliothèque Nationale), shows the mezzaro in the context of women's toiletry at that time.

Fabrics: between Orient and Mediterranean

Archival research shows that many of the printed fabrics used for the Mezzari reached Genoa via trade routes with the East, especially from Indian manufactories that were already known in the 16th century for the quality of their block prints on cotton.

From 1731 onwards, and then more systematically from 1768, some European manufacturers – particularly French ones – began producing fabrics that imitated Eastern motifs and techniques. From its very beginnings, the mezzaro is a garment born from the convergence of various traditions: ancient printing techniques, decorative motifs from different continents, and artisanal skills passed down from generation to generation.

An object that has survived the centuries.

The mezzaro survived the 19th century and the upheavals of industrial fashion. Today, the term refers not only to the historical garment but to an entire textile tradition that is constantly being reinterpreted.

Those who know the history of this word discover an object that carries within it five centuries of history: of languages that have met, of hands that have worked on it, of women who have carried it – generation after generation.