- you are here: Home
- Hidden Treasures
- Where does the expression ‘uscio e bottega’ come from?

Where does the expression ‘uscio e bottega’ come from?
We Tuscans love to emphasize that our region, but above all Florence, is the cradle of the Italian language. Moreover, we also have proof of our conviction... very convincing proof! The very first vocabulary of the Italian language was created in Florence thanks to the Accademia della Crusca! The words it contained came from the works of three Tuscans: Dante, Boccaccio and Petrarca. Florence was also the breeding ground of many popular expressions that are still used today. One of these is ‘uscio e bottega’, which means something is ‘close’ both in a physical sense and in an emotional way, denoting a close friendship and a special kind of complicity.
This expression comes from the structure of ancient Florentine shops. The ground floor of the buildings was dedicated to commercial shops that all had a vault above the counter. The counter looked out onto the street where negotiations with customers took place. The door from which you entered the shop was usually to the left of the counter, or alternatively it was in the center and therefore two counters were located either side of the entrance. Only those who were particularly wealthy or those who had to do large-scale business entered the shop and went beyond the counter.
But the door of the shop was also the entrance to the home which was at the back, so the two parts were almost just one thing. While the counter overlooked the main street, the windows of the house usually overlooked the side streets. Therefore, it is precisely the closeness, even overlapping between home and shop that gave rise to the expression ‘uscio e bottega’. Do you fancy visiting some of these old shops? One with the typical structure with the arch overlooking the street is in Borgo San Jacopo. Alternatively, you can take part in our 'Perfume workshop in Florence' which takes place in one of the oldest shops in Florence.
- Google+
- tumblr
Search posts
Latest posts
Siena: Ricciarelli: Siena’s sweets hailing from the far East.

Local Traditions
Alongside panforte, they are among Siena’s sweets that best represent the city. Just thinking about their orange and vanilla scent, s...
ViewFlorence: Who invented the bistecca alla fiorentina?

Local Traditions
The Florentine beefsteak is the undisputed queen of Tuscany’s gastronomy. Including the bone, and strictly cooked in ‘blood’ (i.e...
ViewTuscany: Ferdinando Innocenti: the inventor of the Lambretta.

Big Names
There is no doubt that Tuscany is a land of inventors. Just think of Leonardo da Vinci! Ferdinando Innocenti is also one of them. Do yo...
ViewFlorence: Negroni was born in Florence!

Did you know that...
Now that Mojito and Moscow Mule are all the rage as aperitifs, there are classic cocktails that have stood the test of time and moods. ...
ViewTop posts
Arezzo: Guido d'Arezzo and the invention of the music

Big Names
In Talla and surroundings people have no doubt: the inventor of the musical stave, the inventor of the music notes and also of the mode...
ViewPistoia: The Kiss of the Christs in Gavinana

Local Traditions
It is a very ancient but still popular rite. Two large processions that meet up with a Christ on the cross in front of each one: the he...
ViewSiena: Piero Carbonetti and his tin drum

Local Traditions
Subversive, persecuted, anarchist, homeless, dreamer: it is really difficult to define Piero Carbonetti, Tuscan bred and born and Garib...
ViewPisa: Kinzika, the young woman who saved Pisa from the Saracens

Local Traditions
It was really her, a young woman with an Arabian name, Kinzica, of the noble Sismondi family, to save Pisa from being sacked by Saracen...
View