Camauro

Pope Julius II in Camauro and Mozette

Camauro ( Italian: Camauro ; from the Latin camelaucum , from the Greek καμηλαύκιον , “[hat of] camel hair”, a word of the same origin as the Kamilavka ) is the headdress of the Pope .

Papal kamauro: red, woolen or velvet, trimmed with white ermine, usually worn in winter, instead of zucchetto ( Italian: zucchetto ), which, in turn, comes from the headdress of Catholic priests worn by other members of the clergy. Like the headdress of Catholic priests worn by the clergy and the academic cap worn by academics, the camauro comes from the academic headgear ( pileus ), originally worn to protect the tinted crown of the head from the cold. Camauro is often worn with a winter shoulder cloak - ( mozzetta ), also sometimes with a fur lining.

Camauro has become part of the papal wardrobe since the 12th century. Until 1464, camauro without ermine finish was also worn by cardinals ; then the kamauro became exclusively a papal garment, and the cardinals instead wore only a red scarlet - zucchetto ( Italian: zucchetto ). The papal camauro went out of use after the death of Pope John XXIII in 1963 , but was restored in December 2005 by Pope Benedict XVI . The wearing of Benedict Camauro caused the media to compare him with Santa Claus .