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A zucchetto is a small skullcap worn by some members of the clergy in the Catholic, Lutheran, and Anglican churches. It was introduced in the 13th century to keep clergy members’ heads warm. The color of the zucchetto indicates the clergy member’s position, with the pope wearing white and cardinals wearing scarlet. Other religious orders may also wear zucchetto based on Catholic traditions. The word zucchetto means small pumpkin in Italian.
A zucchetto is a small, round skullcap worn by some members of the clergy, particularly in the Catholic church. Clerics in some other Christian traditions, such as Lutheranism and Anglicanism, also wear zucchetti. A zucchetto is designated by other words, such as pileolus, berrettino, calotte and submitrale.
Zucchetti has been used in the church for quite some time, although the exact dates and reasons for its use are unknown. They are believed to have been introduced sometime in the 13th century with the intention of keeping the heads of clergy members warm when preaching in cold, damp churches; Many members of the clergy had a circlet of hair removed from their heads upon initiation into the clergy, so this was a particularly practical tradition.
In Catholicism, a clergy member’s position determines what color they will wear zucchetti. The pope traditionally wears a white zucchetto and the cardinals wear bright scarlet zucchetti; These traditions were instituted in the 1500s and 1400s, respectively. Catholic bishops and archbishops can usually be seen wearing a purple zucchetto. Clergy members lower in the hierarchy are not required to wear zucchetti; in fact, it is quite rare that they do. Priests and deacons wear black zucchetti on the rare occasions they choose to; This is extremely rare for priests and almost unheard of for deacons.
Sometimes specific orders in the Catholic church may wear different colored caps. Members of the Franciscan order, for example, who follow Saint Francis of Assisi’s ideas on voluntary poverty and simple living, can often be seen wearing a brown zucchetto. Clergy members in other religious orders, such as some Anglican bishops in Africa, may also wear zucchetto on occasion. They tend to do so based on the traditions instituted by the Catholic Church; There is little or no difference in style or purpose. The few other religious institutions that have clergy wearing caps of various shapes also generally follow the traditions established by Catholicism.
The word zucchetto is an Italian word meaning small pumpkin. There are various theories as to how the word became associated with a head covering. Some believe that it refers to the shape of the zucchetto, which can be said to resemble half of a small squash or other squash. Others suggest that it refers to the fact that it sits on the head, which could be considered as a kind of gourd.
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