Head Coverigs Worn by the "Cofradía Internacional de Investigadores del Santo Cristo de Oliva "

In January 2011 I wrote an article about
The Spanish Academical Birrete

Attached some pictures of the Cofradía Internacional de Investigadores del Santo Cristo de Oliva.

© picture: Sala de Prensa - Ayto. de Toledo

El alcalde de Toledo, Emiliano García-Page, presidió hoy el acto de apertura del curso académico de la Cofradía Internacional de Investigadores “Santo Cristo de la Oliva”, fundada en los años ochenta y vinculada desde su nacimiento con el Ayuntamiento.

Their regulations define: 

 "Uniforme y hábito:

Formado por una amplia toga, de terciopelo negro y doble golilla blanca en el cuello, del que pende un cordón carmesí y oro con la insignia propia de la Cofradía; Guantes blancos y un birrete también de terciopelo negro, con una borla de seda en su parte superior del color

representativo de la facultad a la que pertenece cada cofrade."

"... a biretta also of black velvet, with a silk tassel on the top in the colour representing the faculty to which each member belongs."

Mind the multi-colored pompons (borla):

In traditional (historic) universities of Portugal and Spain there is the tradition to mix the colors of the different graduations. For example: a doctor on Civil Law (red color) and Canon Law (green color), uses a black birrete with a red-green pompon (borla). A doctor in Theology (white) and Philosophy (blue) uses a black birrete with a white-blue pompon, etc.
The number of mixed colors depends on the number of graduations the bearer holds.

Some academic colors used in Spain and Portugal:
White: Theology, Architecture
Green: Canon Law, Veterinary
Yelow: Medecin
Red: Civil Law
Blue Sky: Philosophy, Humanities
Black: official color of Spanish rectors
Blue (dark): Natural Sciences, Mathematic

A doctor in theology and philosophy by Real and Pontificia Universidad de Mexico, 

XVIII century (Spanish colonial period)

Acknowledgements 

Many thanks to Mr Nunes of Virtual Memories Blog for his kind and competent support.

Mini Birettas as Souvenir

Have a look at these wonderful little treasures.

The Roman tailors make them as souvenirs.

Mini biretta cardinal

Mini biretta canon

Mini biretta Praemonstratensian

Mini biretta bishop

Even Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger had two mini cardinal birettas on his piano.
One biretta adorns the head of a little teddy bear.
© of the picture: Gianni Giansanti
Buy this wonderful book:
Benedetto XVI - L'alba di un nuovo papato
White Star S.p.A, Vercelli, 2005, ISBN 978-88-540-0500-6

Souvenir birettas made by Ditta Annibale Gammarelli, Rome

For the Spanish academics:

Mini birrete (ca. 12,5 x 11 cm), made by Rosario Berrocal, Málga, Spain

Doctor en Odontología (Dentistry)

Mini bonete

Mini Sombereo de teja (capello Romano, saturno)

Mini mitre

The Spanish Academical Birrete

© Universidad Alfonso X el Sabio, Madrid

4th of January 2011

Plácido Domingo received a Doctor Honoris Causa of the Universidad Alfonso X el Sabio

He received a white birrete with a blue pompon on top standing for Art and Literature.
Click to enlarge the picture and see the other colors of
the birrete, too.

© Bildquelle

31st of January 1998 Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger receives the Doctor of Honoris Causa from the theological faculty of the Catholic University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.

He received the white birrete with a white pompon (Bella Arte)

A film of the ceremony in Spanish language from Aitor Agirregabiria and Javier Martínez dated 8th of July 2007 with the title "El Cardenal Ratzinger en la Universidad de Navarra: Escenas de la ceremonia del nombramiento como Doctor Honoris Causa por la Facultad de Teología de dicha Universidad. Entrevista que concedió en la Clínica Universitaria de la Universidad de Navarra" can be found in the internet.

Professor Ole Fanger receives the Doctor of Honoris Causa of

the Universidade de Coimbra on 14th of June 2001.

The borla is the academic headgear of the Portuguese universities.

The borla is much more opulent and magnificent than the Spanish birrete.

The name of the cape is "capelo".

© pictures: Virtula Memories

"Borla doutoral" of the "Faculdade de Teologia", Universidade de Coimbra

To buy such a borla, you can contact:
CARVALHO & IRMÃO, LDA, Porto, Portugal