Spotlight on Eva Sorribas Costantini

Meet our Contributor in the Spotlight for January 2025,
Eva Sorribas Costantini.

Eva Sorribas Costantini was born in Barcelona Spain, but currently lives in Rome Italy. She is a graduate of La Sapienza University of Rome, specializing in in the courses of Etiquette, Good Manners and Costume Paths, Ceremonial, Protocol and Institutional Etiquette. She has performed Basic and Advance courses in Etiquette and Good Manners at the Accademia Italiana Galateo in the city of Rome, and has studied British Etiquette, English Afternoon Tea, Social History of Tea and Colonial Drinks. She also worked in the luxury retail fashion sector in window dressing, image consultancy and fashion history. Her expertise is in the history of dress code and court dresses with a focus on the psychology of fashion, gender identity, body, image and symbolism of color.

Below are links to Eva Sorribas Constantini’s articles on etiquette which you’ll find on Etiquipedia:

• Restaurant History and Dining Out
• Roman Era Dining in Today’s Italy
• The French Revolution and Haute Cuisine

The following is a Q. & A. with Eva:

What was the impetus for starting your Etiquette business?

As a curious woman, I have always been interested in good manner especially how to present yourself appropriately dressed on formal occasions due to my work in the luxury retail but it wasn't enough for me. For this reason i started attending any single private school / university course or lesson, my main goal was to get to the root of the topic because i do not like stop me on the surface, to me is more important the substance than the form.

At an important exhibition(2023) about italian royal table "Sovereigns at the table" in the Regia della Venaria (Turin)

What do you enjoy most about teaching etiquette? 

I truly enjoy  teaching the historic part of etiquette and good manners, especially the ancient history of the objects that include the world of the table. Every single lesson/lecturing I give I discover something new. I like very much the time that I spend researching in archive papers, ancient books, museums and exhibitions.

Measuring for a proper and correct place setting.

What do you find rewarding about teaching etiquette?

Teaching/lecturing etiquette and good manners is one of the most rewarding works of my life. I can share my knowledge, I can see the surprise in people's faces, the pleasure, their curiosity, something very strange in the age of social media. It does not seem like lecturing/lesson, they told me that time flies, once the course is finished they ask me about new updates. 

Eva with some of her favorite books in her library.

What type of classes do you offer?

I choose to teach three specialized courses/lectures

1. *Anthropologie of the table, a four hour course in which I teach history of the table and contemporary dining etiquette. 
2. *English Afternoon tea and Colonial drinks
3. *Dress Code with a focus in its history

Eva discussing “Power Dressing” at a seminar.

What age group do you enjoy working with most? 

Usually the  range group age are from thirty to seventy-five five years old most of them are women, also most of them have a degree or are graduate, they usually have contact with public institutions or a very intense social life they want to learn who to have the propers manners and social skills.They come with preconceptions but once i talk about the history of etiquette and good manner they are fascinated.

Eva with is shown here with her teacher, Barbara Ronchi della Rocca

Who are some of the older etiquette authors or authorities you enjoy reading? 

Italy is one of the homelands of good manners and etiquette.  I studied at university the analysis and history of some of the two most important books of the world about this topic, "Il Cortigiano, The Courtier"1528 by Baldassarre Castiglione, "Il Galateo"1558 by Monsignor Giovanni della Casa. Another historic book from European table manners is from the XIII century, " Cinquanta Cortesie a Tavola, Fifty Courtesies at the table"  by Bomvesin della Riva.  

I also studied the difference between books and mere manuals, the first books of etiquette written by women  in the XVIII century because in the past it was a topic written by men. I currently owe a lot to my teacher Barbara Ronchi della Rocca, especially the lessons about table manners, she is an authority, and wrote about etiquette. "Si fa non Si fa" 2013, by is one of the most well known books of hers. There is another very important authoress, Colette Roselli "alias" Donna Letizia, she wrote a very important book in 1960 "Il Saper Vivere" by Donna Letizia the bible of etiquette for middle class women. This book taught the new post-second world war Italians, how to behave in the proper manner.

🍽Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J. Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia