affresco
fresco
noun ahf-FREH-skoh Rare
Origin: From the Italian phrase dipingere a fresco — 'to paint on fresh (plaster)'.
Usage Note
Affresco is the technique of painting on fresh wet plaster so that pigments bond as it dries. Italy possesses some of the world's most celebrated affreschi, from Giotto to Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel. The plural gli affreschi follows the -co/-chi rule (hard 'k' sound preserved).
Examples
"L'affresco della cappella è del Quattrocento."
Natural Translation
The chapel's fresco is from the 15th century.

Free starter pack
Building your Italian vocabulary?
Get the 100 most common Italian words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.
Related Words
Explore Italian by topic
ItalianNow
5 min read