English translation of "cameriere segreto di cappa e spada" - "private attendant of the Pope"

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145 months ago

Barbara Cochran (a guest user) asked this question:

Language pair:	Italian > English
Subject:	Other
Level of diffculty:	Easy / medium
Word or term in question:	cameriere segreto di cappa e spada
Context:	Chiacchierammo un po' in attesa del Santo Padre. Ad un certo punto un cameriere segreto di
Keywords:	...cappa e spada dovette intervenire, in uno dei saloni viciini, a calmare una signora inglese, che dava in escandescenze perché non voleva aspettare.

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Complete list of answers and comments

145 months ago

wrote:

a staunch defender secret helper in cape and sword

My comment:

It´s a play with words. The guy is a staunch defender of the Pope -this is the meaning of "difendere a cappa e spada"- and he is also most likely donning a cape and a sword.

145 months ago

Josephine Cassar wrote:

private attendant of the Pope

My comment:

see if this reference helps: http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cameriere_pontificio; they were nobili laici and had express funxtions while attending the Pope-there were two kinds of attendants-for public and private functions; di cappa e spada was an expression to denote their status + their function

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