What's with the Pope and funny headgear?

[fpb]

The Alpini or mountain corps are the elite troops of the Italian army - "the few, the proud," etc. They are the ones who are sent in to straighten out dramatic situations, plug holes and rescue people. In Nikolayevka in 1943, they broke a Russian encirclement - I repeat: broke a Russian encirclement, which is not something people normally do. In the disastrous winter of 1917, they stood between Italy and defeat, indeed between the Allies and destruction. Their record is comparatively short (they were only set up in 1873), but it is glittering. I served next to them during my time in the Army, and ended up with genuine respect for their officers, whose integrity and efficiency put all the rest to shame. I have more respect for them than for my own unit.



Therefore, I have been quite delighted with these pictures of the Pope being given an Alpino hat by a little girl.

Comments

[sporty233.livejournal.com]

Stupid question..but do you think he knew what kind of hat this was?

[fpb.livejournal.com]

If you look around, you will see that this is some kind of veterans' reunion in St.Peter's Square, and a lot of old guys are wearing the same hats. Surely the Pope knows who comes to visit him in his own state.

[fpb.livejournal.com]

I should also have asked, what is it with modern Popes and mountains. Pope Pius XI was a keen mountaineer. Pope John XXIII was born in an Italian village in the shadow of the Alps. Pope John Paul II was a passionate skier and Pope Benedict loves to take holidays in the high Alps. As a great lover of the Alps, I do like this.

[bufo-viridis.livejournal.com]

Heh, an no less than with the general's badge.
So now we wait for him to wear bersaglieri headgear.
This will be fun.

[fpb.livejournal.com]

Just noticed this. How the HELL did you know about different badges? I did not imagine that the mountain troops' reputation reached as far as Poland.

[bufo-viridis.livejournal.com]

Well, no false modesty, but I know everything... :)

The truth is more plain, I'm afraid. Did a bit of searching, when seen the badge on the hat.
Unfortunately the Alpini are not known In Poland and here the hat would be (quite justly :) dubbed Tirol hat. In more recent past we haven't met with Italian mountain troops; with "Pavia", "Trento" and "Brescia" divisions we met at Tobruk and after capitulation Italian troopers withdrawn from Eastern front sold some weapons to our underground, but that would be about all, if we skip the naval operations.