Italian language in Venezuela

The Italian language in Venezuela has been present since colonial times in the areas around Caracas, Maracay, Valencia, Maracaibo and the Andes mountains.

In the second half of the 20th century, more than 300,000 Italians moved to Venezuela — many in particular emigrating following World War II — leaving their linguistic imprint on the local vocabulary: "Ciao" is now a usual friendly salute in Caracas, for example.

There are even expressions among local young people that mix Italian and Spanish words: "Muérete que chao" is an example.

The modisms of the upper class in Caracas (called "Sifrinos") are full of Italian words and expressions.

In the metropolitan area of Caracas, the best school is the "Agustin Codazzi" (with courses from elementary to high school),[3] while there are others in the interior of Venezuela (like in Puerto La Cruz the "Colegio Angelo De Marta" and in Barquisimeto the "Colegio Agazzi"[4]).

Areas (in yellow) where the Italian language is spoken in Venezuela by the Italian community
Communities ( parroquias ) of Venezuela where the Italians are concentrated (darker green shade indicates higher concentration)