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Laurel crowns: history, meaning and graduation in Florence
The laurel crown worn at many Italian graduation celebrations connects a personal milestone with a long history of using laurel to honour achievement. The ancient symbolism and today's ceremony customs are related, but they are not one unchanged ritual across two thousand years.
The origins: laurel in ancient Greece
Laurel was a sacred plant in ancient Greece, consecrated to Apollo — god of light, poetry, the arts and prophecy. According to myth, Apollo fell in love with Daphne, a nymph and daughter of the river god Peneus. To escape him, Daphne asked the gods to transform her — and she became a laurel tree. Apollo, heartbroken, embraced her and swore to wear her leaves forever, making laurel an eternal symbol of devotion and achievement.
From Apollo — deity of wisdom and the arts — laurel passed into everything that human striving reaches for: excellence, knowledge, creative achievement. Gian Lorenzo Bernini captured this myth in one of the most breathtaking sculptures ever made: Apollo and Daphne, housed at the Galleria Borghese in Rome. If you are studying art history in Florence, it is worth the trip to Rome just to stand in front of it.
From myth to poet laureates
In ancient Greece, laurel crowns were awarded to winners of the Pythian Games — the musical and poetic competitions dedicated to Apollo. In Rome, they became the mark of military and civic triumph: emperors wore them in processions along the Via Sacra.
The public crowning of poets helped preserve the association of laurel with achievement. The words poet laureate, laureato and laurea retain that connection. This explains a linguistic and symbolic link, rather than the origin of every academic title.
The Italian graduation tradition
Today, many graduates in Italy wear a fresh laurel crown during celebrations and photographs. Families may choose plain leaves or decorations such as roses, berries and ribbon, according to preference and the occasion.
In Florence, a city that has been home to poets, artists and thinkers for centuries, this tradition carries particular weight. Dante Alighieri, who studied in Florence and whose statue stands in Santa Croce, famously dreamed of being crowned with laurel in his native city. He never was — but the tradition he embodied lives on every time a student walks out of an exam room wearing those leaves.
How to choose a laurel crown for graduation in Florence
A laurel crown needs to be fresh, well constructed, and made to last an entire day — from the photos outside the university to the dinner that evening. The difference between a crown prepared with care and one put together quickly shows immediately, and shows even more in the photographs.
Fiorit prepares laurel crowns to order in Florence. Browse the current designs and check any particular decoration before buying. For an early ceremony, a collection appointment on a suitable earlier day may be easier than relying on delivery just before the event.
Order at least 24 hours in advance. During the busiest graduation sessions — particularly July and October — 48 hours is better.
Delivery and collection: plan before the ceremony or celebration
Allow at least 24 hours; 48 hours or more is recommended around busy graduation dates. Delivery operates Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays, to served Florence addresses. Same-day delivery is not available. A morning or afternoon preference is a request, not a guaranteed exact time.
Collection from the laboratory at Via Mario Roselli Cecconi 29/r–31/r is by appointment. Use RITIROBOTTEGA at checkout to deduct the delivery component and agree when to collect. An automatic Shopify estimate does not confirm your appointment.
See delivery and collection details, explore graduation flowers or contact us before ordering about a venue, a time-sensitive event or a bespoke design.
