Francesco Petrarch's headscarf

[yong321]

Francesco Petrarch (1304-1374) is almost always depicted wearing a headscarf:
https://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1280&bih=930&ei=PSpbW5XMFYqsjwSblarQAQ&q=Francesco+Petrarch

Why? What does his headscarf represent?

 

[David Vagamundo]

A crown of laurel leaves to signify his status as a great poet.

 

[yong321]

A crown of laurel leaves to signify his status as a great poet.

Thanks David. Sounds like a reasonable interpretation. I wonder if this practice was widespread. Other literary luminaries at the time did not seem to do this.

 

[Condottiero]

He was crowned poet in Rome by the king of Naples Ropert of Anjou in 1341