'baldachini' originates from Italian, specifically the word 'baldacchino', where 'Baldacco' referred to 'Baghdad' and implied a luxurious type of fabric.

'baldachini' (plural) developed from Italian 'baldacchino' and from Medieval Latin 'baldachinus'; the term originally described a rich cloth and later came to denote a ceremonial canopy used over altars or thrones in European churches and courts.

Initially, it meant 'a luxurious fabric from Baghdad'; over time it evolved into the meaning 'an ornamental canopy (especially over an altar or throne)'.