Lexicon Culinary Lexicon | Art and Architecture
Glossary of Art and Architecture in Florence and Italy
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A
Abbazia: Abbey
Affresco: Fresco
Alberese: Liais, a Tuscan white stone
Amorino: Little love, putto
Androne: Porch
Annunciation: Appearance of the angel Gabriel to Mary announcing that she will give birth to the son of God
Antefıssa: Antefix. An ornament in terracotta or other material, with a repeated motif, intended to decorate the lower line of the slope of roofs and to mask the voids in the hollow tiles.
Archetti: Arcades
Arte: Corporation, l'arte degli orefici, the goldsmiths' guild
Avello: Grave, tomb
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B
Badia: Abbey
Baldacchino: Canopy
Basilica: Basilica. Originally, in Roman times, a hall for receiving the public in an administration.
Bifora: Twin window
Borgo: FSuburb (or village), but after the successive extensions of Florence, the Borghi (plural) are in the city itself.
Bottega: An artist's studio
Bozzetto: Sketch, draft or model
Bugnato: Embossing
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C
Calimala: The clothmakers' guild
Camino: Chimney
Canton: The township, but also the corner where two streets meet
Cantoria: Cantors' gallery
Cappella: Chapel
Cassone: Safe
Castello: Castle
Cava: Quarry
Cenacolo: The Last Supper or the Cenacle
Centro storico: Historic centre
Certosa: Carthusian monastery of the Carthusian order
Chiasso: Alley
Chiesa: Church
Chiostro: Cloister, convent
Cima: Peak, ridge, summit
Cimasa: Picture rail, cornice
Cinquecento: The 16th century
Città: City
Commesso fiorentino: Florentine mosaic of hard and semi-precious stones
Contrada: Street or district of a town
Contrapposto: A pose in which the body is twisted. Typical of Michelangelo's sculptures
Corso: Avenue
Cupola: Cupola (inside) or dome (outside)
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D
Duomo: Cathedral or dome
F
Fiume: River
Formella: Panels. “Le formelle delle porte del battistero”, the panels of the baptistery doors
Foro: Forum, “il foro romano”, the Roman forum. Also means court.
G
Giardino: Garden
Gonfalone: Banner
Gonfaloniere: The Chief Magistrate in the Medieval Italian Republics.
I
Intarsio: Marquetry
Intonaco: Coating
Isola: Island
L
Lago: Lake
Largo: Square
Lido: Beach
Lungarno: The quays or banks along the Arno river in Florence
Lungomare: Walk along the seafront
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M
Macigno: Block of stone
Masseria: Farm
Merlatura: Crenelation
Monofora: Single-opening window
N
Navicella: Ship, “la navicella di Pietro”, the Church. Symbolic representation of the Christian church as a boat in the midst of the elements, but which does not sink.
Niello: Niello
O
Oculus or Occhio: Round window
Oltrarno: Florence's south bank
Opera: Artwork
Ospedale: Hospital
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P
Pala: Altarpiece
Palazzo: Palace but also building or house
Palio: Racing, competition, the Palio of Siena, the famous horse race
Peduccio: Cul-de-lampe
Piano nobile: Noble floor
Piazzale: Square, esplanade, terrace
Pietà: Sculpture or painting representing Christ in the arms of the Virgin Mary. Michelangelo's Pietà
Pietra serena: Dark, fine-grained grey stone, easy to carve, used for the interior decoration of Florentine palaces during the Renaissance.
Pilastro: Pillar
Poggio: Hillside, knoll
Portone: Main entrance to a palace or house
Prato: Meadow
Presepio: The creche
Pyx: Pisside, which contains the bread for communion
Q
Quadratura: Trompe-l'œil
Quattrocento: The 15th century
R
Rocca: Fortress
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S
Scarsella: The rectangular frame of the baptistery gallery in Florence
Serliana: Serlio window. Typical of the Renaissance, named after the architect Sebastiano Serlio. It is a large window flanked by one or two smaller windows.
Sestiere: City district
Spiaggia: Beach
Sporto: Strut
Stemma: Coat of arms, crest
Stucco: Stucco
T
Tabernacolo: Tabernacle in the middle of the altar
Tempera: In tempera, to paint in tempera. The pigments are bound with a mixture of egg yolk and water.
Tempio: Temple
Tessera: Mosaic tesserae
Tondo: Cameo
Torre: Tower
Torrente: Torrent
V
Vela: Floor arch. Bell Tower a vela, Arch bell tower
Via: Street, road, path or lane
Viale: Avenue, boulevard or driveway for a park
Vicolo: Narrow street
Viuzzo: Very narrow alley
Lexicon Culinary Lexicon | Art and Architecture
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