Home

scarlatto

Scarlatto is the Italian term for scarlet, a bright red color with warm undertones. In Italian, scarlatto describes hues used in fashion, art, and design to convey intensity, energy, and visibility. It is one of several red tones commonly used in daily language and styling, typically perceived as highly saturated and leaning toward orange rather than purple.

The word derives from the Latin scarlatus, via Medieval Latin scarlata and Old French escarlate, in a

In contemporary usage, scarlatto appears in Italian texts to name specific shades in palettes and to describe

lineage
shared
with
other
Romance-language
terms
for
scarlet.
Historically,
the
color
name
is
linked
to
the
scarlet
dye
produced
from
scale
insects
such
as
kermes,
which
gave
scarlet
high
value
in
European
markets
and
fostered
associations
with
wealth,
power,
and
religious
ceremony,
including
the
robes
of
high-ranking
clergy.
objects,
fabrics,
cosmetics,
and
artworks.
As
a
color
label,
it
can
vary
with
lighting,
material,
and
context,
and
there
is
no
single
universal
shade
that
all
uses
of
scarlatto
must
match;
designers
may
approximate
it
with
different
red
hues
depending
on
the
medium
and
purpose.