We are lucky to have good neighbours.
vi-CHI-ni — three syllables; 'c' before 'i' is soft ('ch'); stress the second.
Use this warm expression when you want to express appreciation for your neighbours — to them directly or to a friend. In Italian culture, good neighbours (buoni vicini) are genuinely valued and recognised as an important part of a quality life.
Buoni vicini (good neighbours) are a significant element of Italian quality of life (qualità della vita). Italian culture has deep roots in the vita di quartiere (neighbourhood life) — the social fabric of streets and buildings that provides support, friendship, and practical help. Expressing appreciation for good neighbours is a culturally meaningful act.
I vicini ci hanno aiutato molto quando eravamo malati.
The neighbours helped us a lot when we were ill.
Concrete expression of neighbourly solidarity; one of the key functions of close community.
Abbiamo un bel rapporto con tutti i vicini.
We have a good relationship with all the neighbours.
General positive statement; useful for describing a harmonious building.
Un buon vicinato vale più di mille amici lontani.
Good neighbours are worth more than a thousand distant friends.
Italian proverb-style expression; reflects the cultural value placed on proximity.
The Italian concept of vicinato (neighbourhood / neighbourliness) is one of the country's most important social concepts, predating the modern nation-state. In medieval Italian cities, the vicinato was a legally recognised unit of social organisation with mutual obligations. This ancient tradition of mutual support between neighbours lives on in contemporary Italy — most visibly in rural areas and small towns, but also in the persistent culture of Italian apartment building community life.