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Art/Literary - Architecture / architecture | | Italian term or phrase: merletti | Good morning, folks.
I need help to settle a doubt over the following phrase in a text describing castles:
"Diversi tra loro, i castelli della Valle d’Aosta - coronati da pesanti merlature medievali, o ingentiliti da **merletti** gotici, o impreziositi da grazie rinascimentali e capricci barocchi - raccontano secoli di architettura."
I'm unsure whether "merletti" here refers to merlons (IT "merli") or tracery. I'm inclined to think that it's the second, as merlature is obviously battlements and so merlons would seem a repretition (although I must admit that it is quite possible, seeing as the text is talking about different buildings). However, I've always seen tracery as "trafori" in Italian, and although "merletti" would seem nicely descriptive, I'm not sure whether it could actually in this sense.
What do you think?
TIA
Sarah |
| Sarah PontingKudoZ activityQuestions: 292 (none open) ( 2 closed without grading) Answers: 2513
Italy
| | Local time: 11:26
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| | English translation:Hi Sarah | Explanation:
I think the author is playing with the root word "merlo".
It's possible to do it in Italian but rather clumsy in English.
It appears that the Medieval style is more robust and definitely of military architecture, therefore crenellations or even battlements.
While the Gothic style comes across as more delicate - not just decorative and therefore not really tracery, but less imposing.
I might go for using "merlons" twice and call them "sturdy Medieval merlons" and "refined Gothic merlons" or some such.
Cheers
Angela
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Note added at 1 hr 18 mins (2004-01-17 11:39:39 GMT)
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BTW - if you have the names of the castles it\'s worth looking them up as a picture might clear your mind and check this link - it\'s quite interesting.
http://www.marconinet.it/laguna/venezia/
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| Selected response from:
  Angela Arnone
Local time: 11:26
| Grading comment Thanks.
In the end I used "merlons" to be on the safe side, but I'm not actually sure what the author means so I've added a note to my translation.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer |
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| Discussion entries: 0 |
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Automatic update in 00:
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1 hr confidence:   | merletti (in questo contesto) yes, you are right
Explanation:
Gothic (marble) tracery is a decoration with no functionality. I have translated it with lace-like, marble decoration in other jobs.
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| Changes made by editors |
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| Nov 18, 2010 - Changes made by Emanuela Galdelli: | | Term asked | merletti (in questo contesto) => merletti |
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