The corno ducale (), a unique ducal hat, was the headgear and symbol of the

Doge of Venice The Doge of Venice ( ; vec, Doxe de Venexia ; it, Doge di Venezia ; all derived from Latin ', "military leader"), sometimes translated as Duke (compare the Italian '), was the chief magistrate and leader of the Republic of Venice between 726 a ...

. It was a stiff horn-like bonnet, which was made of gemmed brocade or cloth-of-gold and worn over a

camauro A camauro (from the Latin ''camelaucum'' and from the Greek ''kamelauchion'', meaning "camel skin hat") is a cap traditionally worn by the Pope of the Catholic Church. Papal camauros are made from red wool or velvet with white ermine trim, an ...

. The ducal horn was a fine linen cap with a structured peak at the back reminiscent of the Phrygian cap, a classical symbol of liberty. Every

Easter Monday Easter Monday refers to the day after Easter Sunday in either the Eastern or Western Christian traditions. It is a public holiday in some countries. It is the second day of Eastertide. In Western Christianity, it marks the second day of the O ...

the doge headed a

procession A procession is an organized body of people walking in a formal or ceremonial manner. History Processions have in all peoples and at all times been a natural form of public celebration, as forming an orderly and impressive ceremony. Religious ...

from St. Mark's basilica to the convent of St. Zechariah's church, where the

abbess An abbess (Latin: ''abbatissa''), also known as a mother superior, is the female superior of a community of Catholic nuns in an abbey. Description In the Catholic Church (both the Latin Church and Eastern Catholic), Eastern Orthodox, Cop ...

presented him a new ''camauro'' crafted by the nuns.

Origins

The origin of the design is uncertain. Venice was heavily influenced by the

Orient The Orient is a term for the East in relation to Europe, traditionally comprising anything belonging to the Eastern world. It is the antonym of '' Occident'', the Western World. In English, it is largely a metonym for, and coterminous with, the ...

through trade and cultural exchange. This ceremonial headdress shares similarities with the Phrygian cap or the

white crown Hedjet ( egy, ḥḏt "White One") is the formal name for the White Crown of pharaonic Upper Egypt. After the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt, it was combined with the Deshret, the Red Crown of Lower Egypt, to form the Pschent, the double ...

Upper Egypt Upper Egypt ( ar, صعيد مصر ', shortened to , , locally: ; ) is the southern portion of Egypt and is composed of the lands on both sides of the Nile that extend upriver from Lower Egypt in the north to Nubia in the south. In ancie ...

. When Venice was still part of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire, high-ranking Byzantine soldiers stationed in Venice also wore a headdress reminiscent of the horned Phrygian cap. The first recorded mention of the corno is from the 12th century, although it is possible that the doges already wore similar hats before then.

Heraldry

In heraldry, a distinction is made between the doge hat of the Republic of Venice and the doge hat of the

Republic of Genoa The Republic of Genoa ( lij, Repúbrica de Zêna ; it, Repubblica di Genova; la, Res Publica Ianuensis) was a medieval and early modern maritime republic from the 11th century to 1797 in Liguria on the northwestern Italian coast. During the ...

. From the end of the 18th century, this emblem of rank and dignity was only occasionally carried on in the arms of Venetian noble families ( Vendramin, Sagredo, Giustiniani). The corno was also used as a crest on the coat of arms of the Doge. Due to a special Italian

Presidential decree A decree is a legal proclamation, usually issued by a head of state (such as the president of a republic or a monarch), according to certain procedures (usually established in a constitution). It has the force of law. The particular term used for ...

, the coat of arms of the modern-day city of Venice features the corno. It replaces the

mural crown A mural crown ( la, corona muralis) is a crown or headpiece representing city walls, towers, or fortresses. In classical antiquity, it was an emblem of tutelary deities who watched over a city, and among the Romans a military decoration. Later ...

that is present on the coat of arms of other Italian cities. File:Coat of Arms of the Republic of Venice.svg, Coat of arms of the Republic. File:CoA Città di Venezia.png, Modern-day coat of arms of the city of Venice.

Election

The Venetian Doges were appointed for life by the

city-state A city-state is an independent sovereign city which serves as the center of political, economic, and cultural life over its contiguous territory. They have existed in many parts of the world since the dawn of history, including cities such as ...

's aristocracy. The hat was presented to the doge on the day of his election. It was placed on his head by the youngest member of the Great Council, with the following address: "Accipe coronam ducalem, Ducatus Venetiarum" (''"Receive the ducal crown, Doge of Venice"''). The doge then wears this horned cap in all circumstances where the dignity and power of the Republic are expressed, in particular on Easter day and during the

feast of the Ascension The Solemnity of the Ascension of Jesus Christ, also called Ascension Day, Ascension Thursday, or sometimes Holy Thursday, commemorates the Christian belief of the bodily Ascension of Jesus into heaven. It is one of the ecumenical (i.e., shared by ...

, for the Marriage of the Sea ceremony.

History

Due to its particular shape, the corno ducale is a very recognisable symbol of the Most Serene Republic. The cap is featured in countless works of art. In the Venetian language, the ducal horn is called ''zoia'', literally "jewel". The rear point in the shape of a curved horn giving the cap its name is mentioned in the 13th century during the reign of

Reniero Zeno Coat of arms of Reniero Zeno Silver Grosso of Doge Raniero Zeno, 1253–1268, Venice. Reniero Zeno ( vec, Renieri Zen) (died 7 July 1268) was the 45th Doge of Venice, reigning from 1 January 1253 until his death in 1268. Life The first refer ...

(). In this description the headdress is made of crimson velvet, with a gold circle around its perimeter. A golden cross is added to it by the doge

Lorenzo Celsi Lorenzo Celsi (born Venice, c. 1310 – died there 18 July 1365) was a Venetian statesman who served as the 58th Doge of Venice, from 16 July 1361 until his death. Biography He was the son of a rich Celsi family, and was previously noted for ...

(). Another transformation of the zoia occurs in the 15th century when the doge Nicolo Marcello () had one made in gold. The horn disappeared along with the dogal institution in 1797, after the capture of Venice by

Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader wh ...

and the abdication of Ludovico Manin, the last doge.

Gallery

File:BartolomeoGradonicoGoldCoin.jpg File:Grand Procession of the Doge of Venice.png File:Bellini, Gentile - Mocenigo, Giovanni, Doge - Museo Correr.jpg File:Francesco Donato, Doge of Venice.jpg File:Frari (Venice) - Chapter Room - Doge Marino Morosini by Palma il Giovane.jpg File:Lodovico Manin.jpg File:Giovanni Bellini, portrait of Doge Leonardo Loredan.jpg File:Portrait of Doge Leonardo Loredan, by Vittore Carpaccio.jpg File:Choir of Santi Giovanni e Paolo (Venice) - Statue of doge Leonardo Loredan.jpg File:Ritratto del Doge Andrea Gritti - Tiziano 059.jpg

References