COTTA. – A white tunic worn by priests in rites not associated with Mass, and by clerics. Christian liturgy always required ecclesiastics, without distinction, to be clothed in a white basic garment, after the likeness of the twenty-four Elders and the innumerable throng which, in heaven, stands around the throne of the Lamb (Apoc. 4:4).
In its original form it has been preserved in the alb, from which the c. derived. It appears in the 11th century in England, northern France, and Spain, toward the end of the 12th century in Italy, and, as constituting an innovation in itself, only later in Rome. It was also called soprappellcicia (superpellicium), because it was worn over garments made of animal skins (Durandus), which were required by the intense cold of the northern countries: the alb, with its narrow sleeves and the necessity of girding it at the waist, was poorly suited to this purpose; its sleeves were therefore widened and its length somewhat shortened, resulting in the c. Even where furs were not used, practicality likewise suggested shortening the tunic of the singing boys, and thus there arose the camicium (c. with narrow sleeves), attested in Milan in the 12th century.
At the beginning, the characteristics of the c. were: very wide sleeves, a circular opening through which to insert the head, and a long, ample form without any ornament, reaching almost to the feet.
After the 13th century it was shortened to the shin; in the 15th–16th centuries, to above the knees. This was influenced by the custom, which developed in the 16th century, of pleating it: since the width of the sleeves had been reduced in proportion to the length of the c., it was desired to give a less awkward appearance to the tunic, now preserved in name only, thus creating the ricce c., used today chiefly in cathedrals and collegiate churches. Only in the 17th century did the general practice arise of decorating the c. with lace. The c. must be made of white linen or cotton; the opening on the chest is not universally customary.
Its symbolism is varied. To one who officially dons it for the first time upon receiving the tonsure, the Roman Pontifical says: «The Lord clothes you with the new man, who by God’s will was created just and truly holy.» Its whiteness indeed recalls the state of Grace.