Fregi

Fregi is the plural of fregio, a term used in Italian art and architectural history to denote decorative borders or ornamental bands applied to architecture, sculpture, furniture, ceramics, and textiles. They function as frames or divisions on a surface and are typically characterized by repeating motifs, geometric patterns, or figurative reliefs.

In architecture, fregio corresponds to the frieze, the horizontal element of the entablature between the architrave and the cornice. Classical examples may be plain or richly sculpted with metopes and triglyphs in Doric orders, or with continuous reliefs in Ionic and Corinthian contexts. Fregi can also appear as decorative bands on walls, arches, and cornices, framing panels or narrative scenes.

In other arts, fregi are used on pottery, metalwork, furniture, and textiles to mark edges, enclose decorative fields, or separate registers of pattern. Motifs range from geometric borders to vegetal or stylized figures, and the specific design varies with period, region, and medium.

Historically, fregi have been a common design element from antiquity through the Renaissance and later periods, adapting to local styles while maintaining their function as ornament and boundary. The term is most often employed in Italian art and architectural history to describe both the architectural frieze and similar border decorations.

Related terms include frieze and border ornament in general; in English-language texts, fregio is sometimes rendered as frieze when referring specifically to architectural contexts.