PIANO NOBILE


Meaning of PIANO NOBILE in English

(Italian: "noble floor") In a Renaissance building, the first floor above ground level.

In the typical palace erected by an Italian prince, the large, high-ceilinged reception rooms were in this upper, main story. Often a grand exterior staircase or pair of staircases led from ground level up to the piano nobile.

Britannica Concise Encyclopedia.      Краткая энциклопедия Британика.