The Most Common Wind Names in Italian

La Tramontana

Cold, dry, and often dramatically intense, la Tramontana is the wind that blows from the north. It’s got this special talent of making the sky look incredibly clear, though bad weather may appear sometimes.

The name comes from the Latin trans montes, meaning “beyond the mountains.” But some say it’s actually named after Tramonti, a small village on the Lattari Mountains along the Amalfi Coast. This idea is linked to the fact that Amalfi navigators, who are believed to have played a major role in developing the compass, set “North” based on the direction of that village, and that’s supposedly how the wind got its name.

Fun fact: This wind has inspired a fun express, perdere la tramontana (literally, “to lose the Tramontana”). It’s said when someone is confused or disoriented, since north was traditionally the key reference point for navigation.

Il Grecale

Il Grecaleis another cold, dry member of the wind family. This one blows from the northeast and, like its northern buddy la Tramontana, it blows with some serious attitude and usually brings good weather and clear skies.

The name comes from Grecia (Greece), because if you’re standing on the island of Zakynthos, where ancient navigators centered their compass rose, and you look northeast, you’re looking directly at the Greek mountainous mainland. Once again, for ancient mariners the logic was that simple: northeast equals Greece, so this becomes the “Greek wind!”

Il Levante

Il Levante is a fresh wind that blows from the east. Unlike its dry cousins, it tends to bring fog, gray skies, and that feeling that bad weather is on its way. There’s even a saying that captures this: vento da levante, acqua diluviante (literally, “wind from the east, pouring rain”). In other words, if the Levante is blowing, you’d better have an umbrella handy.

The name Levante comes from the Italian verb levare (to rise), because the east is where the sun rises. So poetic, right? In the upper Adriatic, though, when the Levante gets aggressive and causes a stormy sea, locals give it a much more dramatic name: la levantara.

Lo Scirocco

Perhaps the most exotic character in the wind family, lo Scirocco blows from the south-east, straight from the deserts of North Africa. Its name comes from the Maghrebi Arabic shoruq, linked to the idea of “rising” (once again, a reference to the east, where the sun rises).

Unlike its cooler relatives, it’s a hot wind, the kind that can trigger real heatwaves. Born dry and scorching in the desert, it picks up moisture on its way across the Mediterranean, turning into humid air that brings cloudy skies, rough seas, and that sticky feeling on your skin. It often carries desert sand too, leaving a fine reddish dust behind.

Fun fact: this wind is also one of the causes of acqua altain Venice, the high-water phenomenon that floods the city.

Finally, lo Scirocco has a reputation for making people feel anxious, sleepless, and generally not themselves. So much so that in Italian we have the word sciroccato, a very collquial way to describe someone acting a bit strangely.

L’Ostro 

L’Ostro blows directly from the south, and you’ll often hear it called also Mezzogiorno (literally “midday,” since the sun hits its peak in the south at noon). Technically, though, the name traces back to the Latin auster, which means “southern.”  

In terms of personality, l’Ostro is a rather calm one in the family: warm, humid, and generally well-behaved, it doesn’t have the intense presence of the Tramontana or the Scirocco, but it does have a habit of bringing rain wherever it goes.

Il Libeccio

Next we have il Libeccio, which comes from the southwest. Like its African relative Scirocco, it has its roots in that continent, specifically Libya – if you picture the compass rose centered on the Ionian Sea and look southwest, you’re pointing straight at the Libyan coast. Hence the name.

On the Adriatic coast, however, this wind goes by a different name: il Garbino, from the Arabic gharbī, meaning “western.” Surely a great word to casually drop into conversation if you want to sound like a seasoned local sitting at a seaside bar in Romagna or Abruzzo! 

The Libeccio is a warm and humid wind. It doesn’t usually stick around for long, but let’s say that when it shows up, it makes sure we notice, often causing some very rough seas. As we say in Italian, breve ma intenso (brief but memorable)!

Il Ponente

Il Ponente is the westerly member of the wind family. In Italian, ponente is another word for “west,” but the name also traces back to the Latin ponere (“to set”), which is a poetic nod to the sun setting in the west.

It’s not particularly strong, and during the summer it drops by like that considerate family member who knows exactly when we need help, delivering some nice fresh breeze just as we’re about to melt from the heat.

In Rome, locals affectionately call it il Ponentino (the little Ponente) and it’s so beloved that it even stars in the ultimate Roman anthem, ““Roma nun fa’ la stupida stasera,” (Rome, don’t be silly tonight), where there’s a line that goes: “Prestame er ponentino più malandrino che c’hai” (literally,”Lend me the naughtiest ponentino you’ve got”).

Il Maestrale

Blowing from the northwest, il Maestrale carries fresh, dry air that sweeps away humidity and usually brings good weather with crystal-clear visibility. That’s why many call it il vento buono (the good wind) and it’s especially beloved by watersports enthusiasts.

The name likely comes from the Latin magister, meaning “master” or “teacher,” hinting at its role as perhaps the most dominant of the winds. But there’s another theory. If you imagine the compass rose centered in the Ionian Sea, the northwest direction points directly toward Rome, the “master city.” So, for many, il Maestrale was literally the wind blowing from the capital, hence its “master” title.

While we’ve covered the main winds, two others deserve a spot on this list.

La Bora

La Bora is the undisputed symbol of Trieste. This is a cold, dry wind blowing from the northeast, and during its most violent episodes, it can reach past 150 km/h. It can be so strong that locals must lean forward as they walk just to keep their balance. Some streets are even equipped with handrails so pedestrians can grab on to avoid being swept away. 

But hey, there’s also a “soft” summer version that’s much more manageable. Locals call it il borin (the little Bora). 

Despite the chaos, the Bora is a huge part of Trieste’s charm. It’s so iconic that the city has even a museum dedicated to it, the Museo della Bora, and a podcast called La Bora si sente (literally, “You can hear the Bora”). 

Il Favonio (Föhn) 

Il Föhn , also known as Favonio, is a dry wind that descends from the mountains and acts like a giant broom, sweeping away the clouds to leave behind blue skies. 

Its name comes from the Latin favere, meaning “to favor” or “to facilitate,” suggesting a historical association with the promotion of plant growth. And true to its name, the key characteristic of Föhn is warmth: when it blows, it generally triggers a surge in temperature.

Fun fact: In Italy, the word föhn sounds exactly like phon, the word for a hair dryer. And considering it’s a warm blast of dry air, the name couldn’t be more spot on!

Chi semina vento raccoglie tempesta

Literally: He who sows wind reaps a storm

This is a reminder that if we cause trouble or act poorly, we should be prepared for much bigger consequences later. Classic karma!

Gridare ai quattro venti 

Literally: To shout to the four winds

This is what we do when we tell everyone a secret or personal news. The “four winds” refer to the four cardinal points, so shouting toward all four basically means there’s nowhere left that hasn’t heard!

Parlare al vento

Literally: To speak to the wind 

This is what happens when we’re talking to someone who’s distracted or totally uninterested: the wind dissolves our words the second we say them.

Buttare (qualcosa) al vento

Literally: To throw (something) to the wind

In the same vein as the previous expression, this phrase describes wasting something valuable, whether it’s time, money, or an opportunity. Once we throw it to the wind, it’s gone for good.

Avere il vento in poppa

Literally: To have the wind at your stern (the back of the boat)

Originally from the world of sailing, where a ship moves quickly and easily when the wind fills its sails, this expression is now used more broadly to describe being in a fortunate situation, where everything seems to go your way.

Qual buon vento (ti porta)?

Literally: What good wind (brings you)?

This greeting is a delightful mix of surprise and joy. It’s what we say when someone shows up unexpectedly and we’re genuinely glad they did, like saying, “What a great surprise! What brings you here?” However, we also like to say this phrase with a playful, ironic tone when someone only shows up rarely, usually when they need something.

Combattere contro i mulini a vento

Literally: To fight against the windmills 

This classic expression comes straight from literature and describes someone pursuing an impossible dream or battling an imaginary enemy. Its origin lies in Cervantes’ Don Quixote, where our hero famously mistakes windmills for giants.

Venti di guerra

Literally: Winds of war

This metaphor is often used to describe rising tension and the threat of conflict. You’ll often hear or read it in news reports or political discussions.