bel paese
Italian
editAlternative forms
editEtymology
editLiterally, “beautiful country”.
Pronunciation
editProper noun
edit- (chiefly literary, sometimes capitalized) Italy
- 1300s–1310s, Dante Alighieri, “Canto XXXIII”, in Inferno [Hell][1], lines 79–80; republished as Giorgio Petrocchi, editor, La Commedia secondo l'antica vulgata [The Commedia according to the ancient vulgate][2], 2nd revised edition, Florence: publ. Le Lettere, 1994:
- Ahi Pisa, vituperio de le genti
del bel paese là dove ’l sì suona […].- Ah! Pisa, thou opprobium of the people
of the fair land there where the sì doth sound.
- Ah! Pisa, thou opprobium of the people
- 1336–1374, Francesco Petrarca, “CXLVI — O d’ardente vertute ornata et calda”, in Il Canzoniere, lines 13–14; republished as Daniele Ponchiroli, editor, Turin: publ. Giulio Einaudi, 1964:
- […] il bel paese
ch’Appennin parte, e ’l mar circonda e l’Alpe- […] that fair country
the Apennines divide, and Alps and sea surround.
- […] that fair country
Derived terms
editFurther reading
edit- Bel paese (phrase) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
- bel-paese in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana
- “bel paese” in lingua italiana, treccani.it