bargello
|bar-gel-lo|
🇺🇸
/bɑrˈdʒɛloʊ/
🇬🇧
/bɑːˈdʒɛləʊ/
Florentine official; flame-stitch embroidery
Etymology
'bargello' originates from Italian, specifically the word 'bargello', where the term originally referred to an official or warden associated with law enforcement.
'bargello' changed from medieval Latin words such as 'bargillus' or similar forms into Italian 'bargello' and was adopted into English from Italian, with the meaning extending from the official to the building and to the needlework style associated with examples in that building.
Initially it referred to an armed official or warden, but over time it came to mean the chief of police in some contexts and also the name of the Florentine palace (and its museum) and, by association, a style of embroidery (flame stitch).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a historical Florentine official or magistrate, often a chief of police or enforcer in medieval Italian city-states.
In medieval Florence the bargello enforced the city's laws and maintained order.
Synonyms
Noun 2
the palace or building associated with that official, especially the Palazzo del Bargello in Florence which later became a museum.
They toured the bargello to see its collection of Renaissance sculpture.
Synonyms
Noun 3
a style of needlework (also called flame stitch) producing geometric, zigzag or flame-like patterns.
She practiced bargello to create a colorful cushion cover.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/16 02:16