Italian Word of the Day: Scalpello

Meaning: Chisel

Part of Speech: noun

Translation: Michelangelo used the chisel to free figures from marble.

Context: Michelangelo usava lo scalpello per liberare le figure dal marmo.

Cultural nugget: The scalpello is perhaps the most iconic tool in Italian sculpture, famously used by masters like Michelangelo who claimed he simply freed figures that were already trapped within the marble. Many of these Renaissance-era tools are still preserved in museums throughout Italy.