Ecclesiastiche

Ecclesiastiche is the feminine plural form of the Italian adjective ecclesiastico, meaning ecclesiastical or church-related. The term is used to describe things pertaining to the Christian church, its liturgy, administration, or religious institutions. The origin is Latin: ecclesiasticus, derived from ecclesia, “church.”

In Italian usage, ecclesiastiche appears across a range of fields. In architecture, it designates buildings and complexes tied to the church, such as architettura ecclesiastica (church architecture) and monasteri ecclesiastici (ecclesiastical monasteries). In art and music, it refers to objects, genres, or repertoires created for liturgical use, as in arte ecclesiastica (sacred art) and musica ecclesiastica (sacred music). In law and administration, it can denote matters governed by church authority or canon law, for example fonti ecclesiastiche (ecclesiastical sources) or diritti ecclesiastici (ecclesiastical rights).

The term is often used in historical contexts, especially when describing the patronage, production, or organization of religious life in Italy and other parts of Europe from the Middle Ages through the early modern period. While ecclesiastiche broadly covers church-related topics, it is typically contrasted with secular or profane domains, highlighting the domain’s religious and institutional character.

See also: ecclesiastico, ecclesiastical, canon law, liturgy, sacred art, church architecture, religious institutions.