Filippo Sorcinelli, a tailor known for crafting papal vestments, has played a significant role in shaping the visual identity of three recent popes, including the current pontiff, Pope Leo. Originally from Italy, Sorcinelli’s journey into liturgical garment design began unexpectedly and has since intertwined closely with the Vatican’s sartorial traditions.
Sorcinelli first gained prominence in papal circles in 2007 when he designed garments for Pope Benedict XVI, creating approximately 50 pieces that reflected the German pope’s preference for ornate and traditional styles. He later adapted his approach to suit Pope Francis’s simpler aesthetic, designing key garments such as the white mitre and chasuble embroidered with white crosses worn during Francis’s inaugural Mass in 2013. Sorcinelli drew inspiration from the frescoes by Giotto depicting the life of St. Francis at the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi.
Despite challenging conventional expectations—he is openly gay and often appears with visible tattoos and earrings—Sorcinelli has maintained a close working relationship with the Vatican. His atelier, Lavs, based in Santarcangelo di Romagna, employs approximately 40 artisans who craft ecclesiastical garments with a blend of tradition and personal expression. Sorcinelli’s design for Pope Leo includes a chasuble and mitre embroidered with an eight-pointed star, a symbol of the Virgin Mary and renewal, adorned with gemstones such as lapis lazuli. These pieces will be worn during the pope’s upcoming visit to Assisi.
Sorcinelli’s connection to the Church began in childhood and deepened through his musical studies and experience as an organist. He emphasizes that designing for the papacy requires not only technical skill but also profound faith, capable of transforming ordinary fabric into sacred vestments. Despite occasional challenges, including attempts to discredit him based on his sexuality, Sorcinelli describes the Church as more inclusive than commonly perceived.
In a separate development, a team of French neuroscientists has explored the brain’s mechanisms behind enduring olfactory memories by studying mice. The research, conducted by the French National Centre for Scientific Research and published in PLOS Biology, sought to understand why certain childhood smells remain vivid and emotionally resonant into adulthood.
The study involved over 600 human participants recounting their early scent-related memories and an experimental model using 272 young mice, whose olfactory systems are comparable to humans. The mice were exposed to pleasant odors, such as citronella, while exploring enriched environments containing toys, food, and social interaction. Researchers observed that mice exposed to these stimuli during a critical developmental window showed a lasting preference for the scent into young adulthood, accompanied by behaviors suggestive of positive emotional states.
Neural analyses revealed that neurons generated after birth within the olfactory bulb played a key role in maintaining these scent memories. Unlike most neurons formed at birth, these cells develop later and persist throughout life. As the animals mature, the scent memories become embedded in the limbic system, an area of the brain linked to emotional processing. This may help explain why smell-triggered memories in humans often possess strong nostalgic and emotional qualities, according to the study’s lead researcher, Dr. Nathalie Mandairon.