Italian or Spanish term for decadence; a state of cultural, moral, or artistic decline, often used in art criticism.
From Latin 'decadentia' via Italian and Spanish. This is a Romance language form of the Latin root meaning 'falling away,' preserved in Italian and Spanish to describe cultural decline, especially in art and music.
In opera and art history, 'decadenza' is still the preferred Italian term for describing the decline of classical forms, which is fitting since Italy's art tradition dominated European aesthetics—even their word for decline sounds artistic.
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