An Italian expression for a sharp, crisp edge that has not been rounded or chamfered.
Spigolo vivo describes an edge that remains sharp and clearly defined rather than rounded or chamfered. Treccani defines it as an acute edge that is neither rounded nor beveled.
For sculptors, the phrase is particularly useful when discussing finishing technique: how a carver refines adjacent surfaces while preserving the exact meeting edge between them.
Related terms: spigolo; English arris.
Etymology
Italian phrase combining spigolo, 'edge,' with vivo, 'living, lively,' used technically here in the sense of a sharp, undulled edge.
Sculptor Notes
This term directly captures the quality noticed in refined Italian marble work: exceptionally clean edges and controlled transitions between planes. A useful interview question in Pietrasanta is: 'Come mantenete lo spigolo vivo durante la finitura?' ('How do you keep the crisp edge during finishing?')
References
https://www.treccani.it/vocabolario/spigolo/