Masquerade (31 page)

Altana
– rooftop terrace of the palazzo.

Andron
– an entrance hall on the ground floor of a palazzo that runs from the water entrance to the courtyard.

Aqua alta
– the sharp equinoctial rise in water level.

Basilica
– church, referring to the Basilica di San Marco.

Bauta
– a mask that covers the entire face, featuring a prominent nose, projecting chin with no mouth.

Bene
– good.

Buonanotte
– goodnight.

Buonasera
– good evening.

Buongiorno
– good day.

Burcheilli
– a type of river boat.

Calle
– street or path (pl.
calli
).

Campanile
– bell tower.

Campo
– square, a place surrounded by buildings (pl.
campi
).

Cara
– dear, a term of affection (
Mi
cara – my dear).

Casa
– house (Ca’ when used in the title of a
palazzo
).

Casini –
a small, discrete set of rooms within a house that are let out in similar sets, comparable to a petite maison in Paris.

Chemise
– an undergarment worn next to the skin beneath all other layers of clothing.

Chignon
– hairstyle in which the hair is pinned at the nape of the neck.

Ciao
– a less formal greeting, meaning hello or goodbye.

Columbina
– a half-mask that covers the eyes, the nose and upper cheeks.

Doge
– the elected head of government of Venice who lives in the Palazzo Ducale.

Felze
– the cabin on a gondola.

Ferro
– an ornamental iron piece that sits on the gondola’s prow.

Fondamenta
– a street running alongside a canal.

Golden Book
– a formal directory listing the names of families that belonged to the Venetian aristocracy.

Grazie
– thank you.

Grazie mille
– a thousand thanks.

Loggia
– a gallery or arcade open to the air on at least one side.

Magazzino
– a drinking and eating establishment in each parish enjoyed by the lower-classes.

Mascherari
– a mask maker.

Palazzo
– palace (pl.
palazzi
).

Patrician
– a person of noble or high rank.

Piano nobile
– the main floor of a casa or palazzo.

Popolani
– population, lower class.

Portego
– long rectangular room, like an entrance hall.

Prego
– you’re welcome.

Puttana
– bitch or whore.

Ridotto
– a government-owned gambling house.

Robe à la française
– a type of gown popular in the eighteenth century, characterised by box pleats that flowed from the shoulders to the floor.

San
– Saint, used in the title of churches.

Scusi
– excuse me.

Serenissima
– Most Serene Republic – a name for the Republic of Venice, a city-state that existed from 697 to 1797.

Sestiere
– neighbourhood (pl.
sestieri
).

Si
– yes.

Signor
– courtesy title for a man.

Signora
– courtesy title for a married woman.

Signorina
– courtesy title for an unmarried woman.

Sotoportego
– passageway through a building.

Stays
– a close-fitting bodice or undergarment stiffened with bone to mould the figure into a fashionable shape. (The term
corset
was not used until the nineteenth century.)

Stomacher
– a decorative triangular panel that fills in the front opening of a woman’s gown or bodice.

Stucco
– fine plaster used for coating wall surfaces or moulding into architectural decorations.

Teatro
– theatre.

Traghetto
– a large gondola that serves as a ferry.

My first thanks always goes to my mum and dad. Thank you both for your love and support in everything I do. This book was only possible because you both taught me to love reading as a child and kept me sane – and fed – throughout the writing and editing process.

Grazie, Alison, for your friendship and for our incredible adventure to Italy together. I will never forget the fun we had and the koalas we left behind. To my man, Stephen, thank you for being my biggest fan and making everyday with you an adventure. Ti amo.

Many thanks to the amazing team at Penguin Australia: my lovely editor, Heather Curdie, for believing in
Masquerade
and working tirelessly to get it to publication, Marina Messiha for this gorgeous cover and design work, Felicity Vallence for getting the world excited about this book, and everyone else who worked on
Masquerade
.

And also special thanks to everyone in my writers’ groups for encouraging and supporting me every step of the way, in particular Catherine Pelosi and Shae Blizzard who read, critiqued and edited my early drafts. You are all amazing writers and people.

Librarians across New South Wales who shipped books across the state for my research – thank you!

Of course, grazie mille to all you readers.

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First published by Penguin Group (Australia), 2014

Text copyright © Kylie Fornasier 2014

The moral right of the author has been asserted.

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Cover illustrations by Matt Edwards

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ISBN: 978-0-85797-620-8