Lentorama 2013: There's a Name for That

Day 27: triregnum

The mother of all papal headgear, this is the Latin name for the papal tiara or crown that was used in papal coronations until recent times. The details of how it went from one to two to three tiaras isn't clear, though there's some thought that the move from one to two represented the spiritual and temporal power of the pope when there were Papal States to rule. In any case, the crown tended to be beehive-shaped and made up of the usual combination of precious metals and jewels that you'd see in any royal crown.

John XXIII was the last to wear one in any regular way, and Paul VI was the last to have one used at his coronation. The coronation itself fell out of favor with the John Pauls, and Benedict XVI didn't even incorporate one into his personal coat of arms, opting for a mitre (as has Francis). While the tiara hasn't been banned, it seems unlikely to come back into favor any time soon, which is probably for the best.