Bacino
/bəˈtʃiːnoʊ/noun
A decorative ceramic or glass bowl, often embedded in the exterior walls of medieval Italian churches.
Did you know?Medieval Italian bacini were sometimes reused Islamic or Byzantine ceramics set into church façades, turning imported objects into visible symbols of wealth, prestige, and religious triumph.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bak-
“Possibly a rounded container or vessel; the deeper root is uncertain.”
Classical Latin
Latin
baccinum
“A basin or bowl, probably connected with bacca, “berry,” referring to a rounded object.”
Medieval Latin
Latin
bac(c)inum
“A basin, bowl, or vessel.”
Medieval Italian
Italian
bacino
“A small basin or bowl; the diminutive ending -ino means “little.””
Middle Ages
Italian
bacino
“A ceramic or glass bowl used decoratively, including bowls embedded in church façades.”
Modern English
English
bacino
“A decorative bowl or dish set into the architecture of a building, especially a medieval church.”