belvedere
noun
bel·ve·dere
ˈbel-və-ˌdir 
: a structure (such as a cupola or a summerhouse) designed to command a view
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The Beautiful Origin of Belvedere
It is said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder—and someone with a belvedere will likely have a great deal of beauty to behold. Given the origins of the word, belvedere is the ideal term for a building (or part of a building) with a view; it derives from two Italian words, bel, which means "beautiful," and vedere, which means "view." The term has been used in English since the 1570s.
Examples of belvedere in a Sentence
a Greek revival belvedere stands majestically on a grassy knoll overlooking the river
Recent Examples on the Web
The architects were given free rein when renovating this little belvedere, a satellite of a triplex that the studio had designed nearby.
—
Nicolas Milon, Architectural Digest, 19 Nov. 2024
The architects were given free rein when renovating this little belvedere, a satellite of a triplex that the studio had designed nearby.
—Nicolas Milon, Architectural Digest, 19 Nov. 2024
But the museum’s greatest contemporary draw is architectural: its Glass Pavilion, a low-slung belvedere designed by the Japanese architects Sanaa, which since 2006 has housed one of the world’s largest collections of glass (as well as a glassmaking facility).
—New York Times, 2 Sep. 2021
The platform at the top of the tower, below the red mosaic ceiling held up by a concrete belvedere, offers a view of the rooftops of the area’s aristocratic 18th- and 19th-century homes; the Martels once held cocktail parties on the roof terrace, attended by many of their fellow artists.
—New York Times, 11 Oct. 2021
Louboutin added an additional floor and a rooftop belvedere with views of the surrounding desert.
—ELLE Decor, 6 Jan. 2023
Despite its sprawling size and hefty mass, the library and events center features a vaulted framework that elegantly inserts itself into its location, on a belvedere overlooking a lake.
—Spencer Bailey, Town & Country, 21 Jan. 2022
The Belvedere in Vienna, which is a giant palace, is considered a belvedere (hence its name).
—Sienna Fantozzi, House Beautiful, 19 Nov. 2018
Pavilions—also known as summerhouses, gazebos or belvederes—are architects’ more free-spirited counterpoints to a house.
—Karen Bruno, WSJ, 1 Aug. 2018
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Nicolas Milon, Architectural Digest, 19 Nov. 2024
The architects were given free rein when renovating this little belvedere, a satellite of a triplex that the studio had designed nearby.
—Nicolas Milon, Architectural Digest, 19 Nov. 2024
But the museum’s greatest contemporary draw is architectural: its Glass Pavilion, a low-slung belvedere designed by the Japanese architects Sanaa, which since 2006 has housed one of the world’s largest collections of glass (as well as a glassmaking facility).
—New York Times, 2 Sep. 2021
The platform at the top of the tower, below the red mosaic ceiling held up by a concrete belvedere, offers a view of the rooftops of the area’s aristocratic 18th- and 19th-century homes; the Martels once held cocktail parties on the roof terrace, attended by many of their fellow artists.
—New York Times, 11 Oct. 2021
Louboutin added an additional floor and a rooftop belvedere with views of the surrounding desert.
—ELLE Decor, 6 Jan. 2023
Despite its sprawling size and hefty mass, the library and events center features a vaulted framework that elegantly inserts itself into its location, on a belvedere overlooking a lake.
—Spencer Bailey, Town & Country, 21 Jan. 2022
The Belvedere in Vienna, which is a giant palace, is considered a belvedere (hence its name).
—Sienna Fantozzi, House Beautiful, 19 Nov. 2018
Pavilions—also known as summerhouses, gazebos or belvederes—are architects’ more free-spirited counterpoints to a house.
—Karen Bruno, WSJ, 1 Aug. 2018
Cite this Entry
“Belvedere.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/belvedere. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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