Papal zucchetto in white silk, belonging to Pope Leo XIII (1810-1903), attached with a cotton thread sealed with wax to the calling card of Cavalier Pio Centra, chamberlain to His Holiness and Pontifical Mace-bearer, and handwritten by him «Settembre 1903 / Il [...] certifica che questo zuc- / chetto fù usato da Sua (al verso) Santità Leone XIII / S. M.»('September 1903 / I [...] certify that this zucchetto was used by His (on the reverse) Holiness Leo XIII / S. M.')   The zucchetto or papalina is also called ""solideo"" because only Deo tollitur, you take it away only in honor of God.   Leo XIII born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci (1810-1903) is remembered as ""pope of the encyclicals" He wrote more than eighty with the aim of averting the isolation in which the Holy See had found itself after the Unification of Italy and even more after the breach of Porta Pia, under the pontificate of Pius IX. His most famous encyclical was the Rerum Novarum which earned him, together with the others, the name of «pope of the workers» and «social pope»   Pio Centra was Adjutant of the Chamber of His Holiness and Papal Dealer assisting Leo XIII until the death of the pontiff on 20 July 1903

Estimate € 1,000 - 1,500

Sold € 1,300