Black or white? Robe or cassock? Imagining the spaces and the environment of Pomposa means ideally placing its monks and their figures inside it. its monks and their figures.
The spirituality of the brothers was also expressed through the minimalism of their clothing.
St Benedict himself describes “the clothes and footwear of the monks” in Chapter LV of the Rule, giving specific indications:
«It is necessary to give the monks clothes suited to the conditions and climate of the place in which they live, because in cold areas there is a greater need to cover themselves and in hot areas less: the judgement in this regard is the responsibility of the abbot. In any case, we believe that in temperate climates a tunic and a cocolla are sufficient for each monk, the latter of heavy wool for the winter and light or smooth wool for the summer; in addition, a scapular for work and shoes and socks for footwear.
As for the colour and quality of all these garments, the monks should not attach too much importance to them, being content with what can be found locally and is cheaper.
The abbot, however, should be careful about the size of the garments, so that they are not too short, but in the size of the wearer.
The monks who receive the new clothes should return the old ones, which should be stored in the cloakroom and then distributed to the poor.
In fact, each monk needs only two cocollas and two cassocks to change at night and to wash them;
Anything else is superfluous and must be discarded.
Stockings and any other used items must also be returned when a new one is assigned.
Monks who are sent on a journey should receive the necessary garments from the cloakroom and return them washed on their return.
Also, the coats and tunics for the journey should be a little better than those usually worn; those concerned should take them from the cloakroom when they leave and return them on their return.
A straw mattress, a large cloth blanket, a coltrone and a straw or horsehair pillow are sufficient for the provision of beds.
The beds, however, must be frequently inspected by the abbot, to see if any small personal possessions are hidden in them.
And if anyone is discovered to be in possession of an object that he has not received from the abbot, he is to be subjected to a very severe punishment.
But, in order to eradicate this vice of ownership from its roots, the abbot should distribute all the necessities, namely: cassock, tunic, socks, shoes, belt, knife, needle, handkerchiefs and the necessities for writing, so as to remove any pretext of need. In this, however, he must always bear in mind what is said in the Acts of the Apostles, namely, that “Each one was given according to his needs”. So take into account the special needs of the weakest, rather than the malice of the envious. However, in all your decisions remember God’s judgement.»
The moment of dressing is a moment of high symbolic value and coincides with the renunciation of worldly life. The simplicity of dress and the recognisability of the Order to which one belongs become over time two factors that come together. The habit initially adopted was white, with wide sleeves and a hood, only becoming black later.
The monk’s outfit consisted of a tunic in direct contact with the body, an overlying robe with a hood (cuculla), the scapular (an overcoat with an opening for the head, sometimes with a hood, hanging over the chest and back and used to cover the main robe during labour work). The equipment was completed by handkerchiefs (mappula), bands to be wrapped around the feet (pedules) and by shoes (caligae) tied by strings around the instep.

– cover image from a shot by Roberto Romagnoli –