trecenti

Trecenti is the Italian term for the number three hundred. As a noun it can refer to a group of about three hundred people, while as an adjective it describes a quantity of three hundred when used with a plural noun (for example, trecenti libri). The form derives from Latin trecentus and is used in modern Italian in both numerical and classificatory senses.

In historiography, Trecento denotes the 14th century in Italy (roughly 1300–1399). The Trecento is a conventional name for a period marked by the rise of Italian vernacular literature and distinctive artistic styles, especially in Tuscany. Notable writers of the Trecento include Dante in the early to mid-1300s, and Petrarch and Boccaccio in the later part of the century. The term is used to distinguish this era from the surrounding centuries and to emphasize the cultural developments that occurred during those decades.

Historically, in some Italian city-states the term Trecenti referred to a council of around 300 magistrates or citizens who shared governance or advised the ruling body. The exact composition and powers varied by city and period, and the term is encountered primarily in documentary sources rather than as a standing modern institution. In contemporary Italian, trecenti remains the standard plural form for referring to three hundred items or people when used as a numeral descriptor.