bel paese

Alternative forms

• belpaese

Etymology

Literally, “beautiful country”.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbɛl paˈe.ze/
• Hyphenation: bèl‧pa‧é‧se

Proper noun

bel paese m

1. (chiefly literary, sometimes capitalized) Italy
   • 1300s–1310s, Dante Alighieri, “Canto XXXIII”, in Inferno [Hell]‎, lines 79–80; republished as Giorgio Petrocchi, editor, La Commedia secondo l'antica vulgata [The Commedia according to the ancient vulgate]‎, 2^nd 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.

   • 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.

Further reading

• 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