tramontana

wind

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Last updated

July 14, 2026

Quick Summary

The word "tramontana" refers to the north wind. It is particularly known as a dry, cold, and strong northerly wind found on the west coast of Italy.1

The term originates from Italian, derived from Latin roots meaning "across" or "beyond" a mountain. Initially, "tramontano" described people or things from the other side of a mountain range, specifically the Alps. Over time, it evolved in English to specifically denote the north wind.21

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The lodestone and the compass card
…and the letter T for tramontana, the name given to the north wind. About 1490 a combination of these evolved into the fleur-de-lis, still almost universally used. The east point, pointing toward the Holy Land, was marked with a cross; the ornament into which this cross developed continued on British…
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…and the letter T for tramontana, the name given to the north wind. About 1490 a combination of these evolved into the fleur-de-lis, still almost universally used. The east point, pointing toward the Holy Land, was marked with a cross; the ornament into which this cross developed continued on British…
Read More