The costume vault

The European Renaissance spans into a long period of time and has its own characteristics in every one of the different countries where it developed. This is something that is generally ignored in movies, which generally only focus on the span between 1530 and 1580 in England. Therefore, the general image of Renaissance Fashion is that of Tudor Fashion. And so, Mad Love (2001), a Spanish production directed by Vicente Aranda is a welcome break from that monotony. The movie tells the story of Queen Juana of Castile, more commonly known as Juana La Loca (Mad Juana) who is said to have been "loca de amor" (crazy for love). And it takes place between 1496 and 1506 (only covering her married years). The movie takes a highly accurate route both in the sets and the costume departments, creating a mesmerizing image. What makes it so fascinating, partially, is the fact that it focuses on a time period and a place that is often overlooked. So it's very refreshing se...