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Why is it called a Pergola?

The Posh Pedigree of Pergolas: Why They Are Called Nature's Catwalks


Pergolas - they are the elegant, breezy garden structures giving air-kissing lessons to patios everywhere. But have you ever wondered why they're called "pergolas"? That refined name just rolls off the tongue with a Continental flair.

Well, grab yourself a citrusy beverage and get comfy as we spill the tea on the posh pedigree behind these alfresco runways.


The Name Game

You can thank the 17th century Italian language for bestowing such a highbrow moniker on these classy outdoor amenities. The term "pergola" derives from the Italian word "pergula", which basically translates to "projection" or "extension".

Makes total sense when you think about it - a pergola does kind of look like an extension reaching out from a building, creating a transitional walkway between interior and exterior spaces. Nicely played, Italic ancestors!


But the etymology story gets even better...


An Ancient Greek Inspiration

That "pergula" term didn't just poof into existence willy-nilly. Thanks to some etymological sleuthing, we know the Romans adapted it from the Ancient Greek word "pergola".


And just like today, the Greeks used their "pergolas" as shady, vine-covered pathways, trellises, and plush lounging spots. Apparently, they were already pros at the art of outdoor living way back then!


So in a sense, today's swanky pergola setups are just fancified iterations of those original Grecian garden structures where the great thinkers and poets would wander and wax philosophical. How is that for an impressive architectural ancestry?


A Regal Pedigree

As if their linguistic origins were not already dripping in sophistication, pergolas have graced some pretty impressive real estate over the centuries.

Grand Italian Renaissance gardens were almost always accented by elaborate pergola passages where the elite could promenade while shielded from the punishing sun. The famed terraced gardens at the Vatican even had their own elaborately adorned pergolas!


Then during the 17th and 18th centuries, pergolas were must-have garden accessories across the European continent, frequently popping up at royal palaces, stately country manor estates, and sprawling chateaux gardens.

Thanks to their long-standing association with the lifestyles of the rich and leisured, pergolas have been synonymous with continental elegance for centuries. No wonder that highfalutin' name stuck!


So, there you have it - the "pergola" is aptly named in honor of its ancient inspirations and regal pedigree. While you're lounging in beautiful indoor/outdoor luxury beneath your Distinctive Outdoor Structures pergola, you can thank the Ancient Greeks, Renaissance elite, and linguistic historians for bestowing such a classy title!





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