December 9, 2015
When you get your university diploma in Italy, you are laureato (lau-ray-áh-toe), literally “crowned with laurel.” Some graduates still wear the bay leaf wreath, a tradition dating back to ancient Greece, when poets and scholars were so honored (thus “poet laureate” and Nobel Laureate”).
I found this laurel-bedecked graduate wandering the streets with his Botticelli maiden.
When he saw my lens, he pulled her in for a smooch, Latin-lover style.
Long live laurels. Long live love, lads and lasses. Evviva l’Italia.
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the mortarboard also has Italian roots based on the biretta, a similar hat worn by roman catholic clergy and in the 14th and 15th century students and artists.
🙂 Thanks Dennis. I don’t know where you dig up these fascinating tidbits, but I appreciate them. xxxx
Jan, I think I remember learning this in school — thanks for jogging my memory! I love the idea of a laurel wreath headdress for graduates!!
Yes, it would be nice to feel like a Greek god/goddess upon graduating–I certainly did not enjoy wearing the tasseled mortar board. Thanks for stopping by Debbie!
Lovely lovely Jann! I miss seeing the laureati and their entourages parading around. Perugia as a university town is a hotspot. So elegant and proud. xx
Ciao Janine. Glad you stopped by. Hope you get back to your Perugia soon. xxxx
Nice couple. Welcome back Jann.
Hi Cemal–hope you’re well. xxxxx
Awwwwwwwwwww.
What a sweetheart.
Love the green crown.
Reminds me of Animal House!
xxxxx LOVE for you, Jann. What will you do for Christmas?
Hey Kim–Christmastime for me means music & baking & roasting & over-eating. And you? xxxx
Awwwww!He is pretty smart – kissing his woman for you! What a wonderful picture. I didn’t know that about the word laureate.
Yeah. We need more romance in the world. Thanks for dropping by, Nan. xxx
So great to get your post!!! Can always count on you to brighten the day!!!!
Jan, thanks! And you brighten mine.
I have many pictures of my cousins in Sicily with their laurels. Great post!
Ciao Maria, and thanks so much for dropping by. xxxx
Very nice. But with a laurel crown, shouldn’t the graduation gown be a toga?
🙂 Thanks Sam. He needs sandals too.
The Italians do it right. So much more attractive than a flat board on your
head. The colors are so appropriate for Christmas too. What about gift buying
there and when do they exchange ?
Vicki
Ciao Vicki, as far as I know most Italians exchange gifts on Christmas day, though kids also get gifts on the eve of Jan 5 from La Befana (the witch)…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Befana
Jann,
Thank you for explaining that. I just returned from Italy where I saw this twice, once in Rome, and once in Bologna. I wondered what it meant. I should have just ask you.
Glad that mystery’s solved for you, Rosann. There are always so many in Italy. (Believe me, I haven’t figured out even 1% of what’s really going on around me.)
Where did you take this. So very nice. I like it better than the cap we wore at my graduation.
Hi Toni–they were in Ragusa Ibla.
Lovely couple in a beautiful setting.
Thanks Francesca. xxx