Filippo Sorcinelli with LAVS, his atelier of sacred vestments, has been collaborating in close synergy with the Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff for more than 20 years and has worked for Pope Francis since the first days of his pontificate, creating the sacred vestments for the Mass of the Beginning of the Ministry broadcast worldwide. Subsequently, Filippo Sorcinelli and his team designed numerous other robes for Francis for various celebrations in St. Peter’s Basilica and for some Apostolic Journeys, including the most recent one to Indonesia.
For the burial of Pope Francis, as was the case for Pope Benedict XVI, a mitre by Filippo Sorcinelli was chosen, made for the pontiff’s past liturgical celebrations. In white silk foil, it is edged with a traditional gold trimming, in observance of the liturgical rules for the burials of the popes.
3 November 2014, Mass for the Cardinals Dead, St. Peter’s Basilica
A thought by Filippo Sorcinelli on Pope Francis:
“Pope Francis was a surprising and consistent man for the choice – not revolutionary – of a sobriety of language and presence. He applied in a personal way what the Second Vatican Council had already outlined: the idea of “noble simplicity”. In my stylistic intervention for Pope Francis, I took into account his geographical origin far from the European liturgies strongly rooted in the furrow of tradition, and I had the intuition that the historical period of reference to be inspired by his sacred vestments could be the medieval one and in particular by Giotto’s frescoes. It was the right path to take, and I think the pontiff appreciated it. It is no coincidence that this style has become an inspiration and imitation for many of my colleagues who produce sacred vestments.
With Pope Francis I remember a Church on a forced journey, sometimes provocative, new and with a still unknown perspective. Surely his death will not leave a footprint, but a great scar where inside there are many values and many needs to work on and discuss. I am happy to have been able to contribute to this, but at the same time my life is being questioned. I think a moment of profound change has arrived for me too. It’s nice to leave a message and look beyond it when the party is still going on.”
LAVS WORKSHOP
LAVS is the acronym for Laboratorio Atelier Vesti Sacre, but also Praise, in Latin, that man renders to God through the work of his own hands.
Based in Santarcangelo di Romagna, the atelier deals with the study, design and production of sacred vestments, furnishings and accessories for the sacred Catholic liturgy.
The LAVS adventure began in Mondolfo, a small enchanted village in the province of Pesaro Urbino, where Filippo Sorcinelli was born in 1975. His strong fascination for the sacred began as a child when, attending the village church, he was fascinated by the vestments that were kept there and by the sound of the organ.
After embarking on a course of study focused on art, which led him to obtain the Licentiate of Master of Art first and the maturity of Applied Arts, he graduated from the Rossini Conservatory in Pesaro, perfecting himself at the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music in Rome and becoming, over the years, titular organist at the cathedrals of Fano, Rimini and San Benedetto del Tronto, and particularly appreciated internationally for his improvisation skills on the organ.
In the meantime, observing his aunt and sister, both seamstresses, he began to learn the art of tailoring and embroidery. It is thanks to a phone call, arrived at the end of 2000, that his career path takes a new and unexpected direction: he is a friend who is about to take his vows and for whom Filippo decides to make his first chasuble. This is how, driven by the desire to experiment in a new and unexplored territory, he founded LAVS in 2001.
But there is more, because Filippo Sorcinelli also decides to perfume the packages that hold the sacred vestments at the time of being shipped and so in 2013 he also founded the brand of art perfumes FILIPPO SORCINELLI.
In addition to the Atelier in Santarcangelo di Romagna, LAVS has two stores, one in Rome in Borgo Vittorio, a few steps from the Vatican City and another in Assisi.
