The queens of Castilla, from Doña Urraca to Isabel the Catholic, wore sumptuous garments. They layered piece upon piece: camisias, sayas, briales, cloaks, and veils, all made with exquisite and delicate fabrics.
Their sayas were crafted from fine silks, skillfully woven in the workshops of Al-Andalus. Their bielas were made from luminous fabrics adorned with oropel, a mysterious golden thread produced by the Andalusian textile industry.
They also wore rich woollen cloaks, woven in Castilla by master craftsmen from the textile guilds that began to appear in nearly every city of the Crown of Castilla from the 13th century onward.
These Castilian cities knew the art of weaving well—and that very craft now reemerges in the hands of our Segovian weavers, who delicately interlace warp and weft to recreate the silk "cloak" once worn by the Queens of Castilla. This thread now connects us to the culture and history of our country.
One of ÁBBATTE’s core missions is to recognise and promote the value of the weaving tradition. The identity of the brand is rooted in the preservation of the artisanal, historical, and cultural heritage of this region of Castilla—reviving once-forgotten practices.
In line with this mission, ÁBBATTE offers courses in weaving, dyeing, and basketry at its headquarters in Segovia. The next session will be part of the seminar “History Through Daily Life: Clothing and Furniture”, focusing on the classical world—Greece and Rome—and will take place on October 22, under the title: “Recreating the Classical World Through Its Furniture and Clothing.”
Through these gatherings, ÁBBATTE offers participants the chance to immerse themselves, for a day, in a specific period of history. Clothing and furniture, as reflections of the mindset, tastes, and customs of a given society, are essential elements that help us understand a broader cultural reality.
These sessions take place at ÁBBATTE’s headquarters, next to the ruins of the Cistercian Monastery of Santa María de la Sierra. In this privileged setting, with exceptional views over the Castilian landscape, participants enjoy a very special day: immersing themselves in the culture of a specific era, enjoying a breakfast of monastic pastries, and a lunch inspired by the period. The day also includes a visit to the monastery, the textile and dye workshop, and a stroll through the dye plant garden.
A truly unique experience.
Text: María Olmos Mochales
Photos: Pablo Gómez – Ogando