Graduation wreaths in Turin: laurel, its meaning and ribbon colours by faculty

Laurel, the symbol of graduation

Before it was an academic degree, the Italian laurea was a wreath. In ancient Greece and later in Rome, laurel (laurus in Latin) was the plant sacred to Apollo, god of light, poetry and knowledge: it crowned the heads of victors, of poets, of those who had distinguished themselves through merit. From laurea, the laurel wreath, come the words Italians still use today: laurea, a degree, and laureato, a graduate, the one who wears the laurel.

The meaning has stayed the same: victory, wisdom, recognised merit. Laurel is evergreen, and perhaps that is another reason it is still so loved: an achievement that does not fade. Every wreath we make by hand starts from here.

Ribbon colours by faculty

By tradition, the wreath ribbon carries the colour of your faculty. It is a custom that grew out of the colours of academic gowns and has been handed down from university to university. These are the pairings that come up most often.

An honest caveat: there is no national standard. Colours vary from university to university, and sometimes from course to course within the same university. The table above is a guide to the most common ones, not a rule. In Turin it is always best to check with your own degree course, or to ask someone who recently graduated from the same faculty. In any case, we make the ribbon in whatever colour you prefer: your faculty's colour, the red that brings luck to every graduate, or the shade that represents you.

In Turin: UniTo and the Politecnico

Turin has several universities, and their conventions do not always match. The University of Turin (UniTo) brings together very different faculties (Law, Medicine, Literature, Economics, Sciences, Pharmacy), each with its own reference colour. The Politecnico di Torino focuses on Engineering and Architecture, where black is the most common ribbon colour. We serve graduating students from both, as well as those from the city's other universities: if you are unsure about the colour, message us and we will sort it out together before making the wreath.

Fresh or preserved

Our wreaths are made with fresh laurel, worked shortly before the graduation ceremony. It is a deliberate choice: freshly woven laurel is firm, glossy and fragrant. You can see it in person and in the photos, because the leaves keep a full green that wreaths prepared too far in advance lose. On request we add berries, small roses or gypsophila.

If, however, you want to keep the memory for years, there are two ways. The first: drying the laurel wreath after graduation, a simple method we have described step by step. The second: pairing the wreath with something made to last, such as preserved flowers or dried flowers, which stay lovely without water or care.

When and where to order it in Turin

You will find us at Via Giambattista Pergolesi 9a, in Barriera di Milano. Wreaths start from €38.90 and you can see them all on the graduation wreaths in Turin page.

If you order by 12:30 (Turin time) we deliver the same day in Turin; alternatively, you can collect from the shop. During busy graduation sessions it is better to order a day ahead, so we can work the laurel without rushing. And as we said, we make the ribbon in whatever colour you want.

Frequently asked questions