Never before has such an impressive papal collection been offered for sale; we call it The Pope Collection. Four personally owned and used zucchetto’s by four different Popes of the Roman Catholic Church. In order:

H.H. Pope Pius X (pp. 1903-1914)
H.H. Pope Pius XII (pp. 1939-1958)
H.H. Pope Benedict XVI (pp. 2005-2013)
H.H. Pope Francis (pp. 2013-)

A Pope is often defined by his white outfit; a tradition started by Pope Innocent V in 1276. The single most important, significant, and iconic part of the clothing is the small white hat, also known as a zucchetto or a calotte. From the moment he wakes up, until the moment he falls asleep, the white zucchetto is placed on the head of the Pope.

The white zucchetto is a personal and private property of the Pope. It’s indeed extremely uncommon for items like these to leave the Vatican.

All four zucchetto’s of this sale are accompanied with an individual exclusive mahogany box with red inner velvet pieces and gold details, including a personalized gold-plated name sign on the outside of the box.

Size: Approximately 6.5 to 7.5 in. / 16,5 to 18 cm in diameter for all four zucchetto’s individually.

Condition:All four zucchetto’s are in used condition. The Pope Francis and the Pope Benedict XVI zucchetto’s are in very good condition; with small pinholes, which are somewhat difficult to see. The Pope Pius XII and the Pope Pius X zucchetto’s are slightly discolored on the inside due to heavily use; the latter has four miner hatches on the outside.

Provenance: Pope Pius X: Certification from the Vatican dated 1911, written in French “Calotte portèe par Sa Saintetè Pie X” (English: ”Used calotte by His Holiness Pius X”); Private collection, Italy. Letter of authenticity from Alexander Bitar History.

Pope Pius XII: Certification from the Vatican dated 1957, written in Italian “Lo Zucchetto bianco che viene consegnato con questo biglietto è stato usato da Sua Santità PIO XII, felicemente regnante” (English: ”The white zucchetto that is accompanied with this card has been used by His Holiness Pius XII, reigning”); Private collection, USA. Letter of authenticity from Alexander Bitar History.

Pope Benedict XVI: Certification from the Vatican dated 2014, written i Italian “Si certifica che l’accluso zucchetto è stato portato da Sua Santità Benedetto XVI, Papa emirito” (English: ”It is certified that the accompanied zucchetto was worn by His Holiness Benedict XVI, Pope Emeritus”); Private collection, Italy. Letter of authenticity from Alexander Bitar History.

Pope Francis: Certification from the Vatican dated 2015, written in Italian “Si certifica che l’accluso zucchetto è stato portato da Sua Santità, Papa Francesco” (English: ”It is certified that the accompanied zucchetto was worn by His Holiness Pope Francis”); Private collection, Italy. Letter of authenticity from Alexander Bitar History.