Warehouse 13 Artifact Database Wiki
Warehouse 13 Artifact Database Wiki
Giuseppe Caspar Mezzofanti’s Zucchetto

Origin

Giuseppe Caspar Mezzofanti

Type

Zucchetto

Effects

Speak, understand and retain information from foreign languages

Downsides

Slows down mental energy for thinking

Activation

Wearing

Collected by

Warehouse 13

Section

Homobonus-MT8

Aisle

412290-1463

Shelf

611258-1514-523

Date of Collection

January 12, 1948

[Source]


Origin[]

Giuseppe Caspar Mezzofanti (17 September 1774 – 15 March 1849) was an Italian cardinal who easily learned a wide variety of languages beginning from an early age. Repeating a folio of St. John Chrysostom verbatim in the original Greek after one look was natural to the young priest. He worked at the University of Bologna as an ordained priest and professor for Arabic, Hebrew and Greek. Some of the 38+ languages he knew included French, Armenian, Persian, Chinese, Coptic, Polish, Illyrian, Dutch, Spanish and many on a fluent level.

The ruling republic of the time later removed him from position for not swearing loyalty, at which he romped around Europe as a tutor during the Napoleonic Wars. His reputation preceded him, able to procure a confession from total foreigners after listening to them speak a new tongue for one night. He was reinstated later to his position for a period of 15 years until recalled by the Pope to become cardinal and chief Vatican librarian.

Effects[]

His zucchetto needs to be placed on the person’s head to be activated. The user is able to understand, speak, respond, interpret, and retain information in many languages. Although, the effect only lasts when it is worn, so any understanding is gone when it is taken off. Repeatedly placing it back on can cause the brain to overflow with grammar meanings and cultural verbiage. Enough to slow down their thinking to an elderly level as they struggle with processing all the knowledge they have previously received.