SATURNO ROMAN HAT

Hat for Priest Saturn, or Roman hat

A cappello romano (literally Roman hat in Italian) or saturno (because its appearance is reminiscent of the ringed planet Saturn) is a hat with a wide, circular brim and a rounded crown worn outdoors in some countries by Catholic clergy, when dressed in a cassock. It is made of either beaver fur or felt, and lined in white silk. Unlike many other articles of ecclesiastical attire, it serves no ceremonial purpose, being primarily a practical item. (The galero is a ceremonial wide brim hat no longer usually worn, though on February 19, 2011, Raymond Cardinal Burke became the first cardinal in recent times to wear (for a single photo) the galero.)[1] The cappello romano is not used in liturgical services. Since the general abandonment of the cassock as street dress, it is uncommon even in Rome today, though it was quite popular there and in some other countries with a Catholic majority population from the 17th century until around 1970.