A stiff, square cap with three or four ridges worn by Roman Catholic clergy.
From Italian 'berretta' or Spanish 'birreta,' possibly derived from Latin 'birrus' (a hooded cloak). The cap evolved as religious vestments developed in the medieval Church.
The birretta is like a religious uniform—clergy developed these specific hat shapes so you could instantly recognize their rank and position in the Church hierarchy just by looking at them!
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