ridotti

Ridotto (plural ridotti) is an Italian term used for a small, private room or suite within a larger building. Deriving from ridurre, the word historically designated intimate spaces set aside for special purposes, away from public areas. In domestic and architectural contexts, a ridotto refers to a private reception room, cabinet, or annexe used for confidential conversations, study, or entertaining a select circle.

In noble and royal residences, ridotti functioned as intimate private apartments where rulers and their closest counselors could hold private audiences or manage personal affairs without the formality of the state rooms. These spaces were often connected to the main residence by secluded corridors and furnished to reflect exclusivity.

In theater and social life, ridotto also described a private box or gallery—an exclusive seating area behind the principal stalls—used by courtiers, diplomats, or wealthy patrons. The term also appears in descriptions of private gambling rooms or salons in some historical contexts, where small groups could meet away from the public gaze.

Today the term survives in historical writings and, less commonly, as a general label for private or intimate rooms in Italian buildings. The plural ridotti refers to multiple such spaces.