He who leaves the old road for the new one knows what he is leaving but not what he will find — abandoning the familiar for the unknown carries risks because the familiar, however imperfect, is known, while the new is uncertain.
This proverb is one of the longest and most grammatically complete in the Italian popular tradition, which makes it unusual — most proverbs achieve their effect through brevity and compression, but this one unfolds almost like a complete logical argument. Its length gives it a deliberate, weighty quality suited to the seriousness of the advice it contains. The proverb reflects the deep conservatism embedded in agricultural and village culture, where changes to farming methods, alliances, or land arrangements were risky precisely because the systems in place, however inefficient, were understood, and failure of the new system could be catastrophic. It circulated widely from at least the 16th century and was used to counsel caution in business, marriage, political allegiance, and personal choices. The proverb does not flatly oppose change — it acknowledges that the new road might be better — but insists on the asymmetry of knowledge: you know your current situation in detail, while your vision of the alternative is inevitably incomplete. In modern Italy it is often cited in business contexts when someone is considering leaving a stable job for a risky venture, or in personal contexts when someone considers ending a long relationship for an uncertain new one.
One of the most complete-sentence proverbs in Italian — its unusual length gives it a weighty, argumentative quality suited to counselling caution.
Cautioning someone leaving a stable job
Lasci un contratto a tempo indeterminato per una startup? Chi lascia la via vecchia per la nuova sa quel che lascia ma non sa quel che trova.
You are leaving a permanent contract for a startup? He who leaves the old road for the new knows what he leaves but not what he finds.
Advice before a major life decision
Pensaci bene prima di trasferirti all'estero. Chi lascia la via vecchia per la nuova sa quel che lascia ma non sa quel che trova.
Think carefully before moving abroad. He who leaves the old road for the new knows what he leaves but not what he finds.
Pushing back gently against the proverb's conservatism
Lo so: chi lascia la via vecchia per la nuova sa quel che lascia ma non sa quel che trova. Ma a volte la via vecchia è una trappola e vale la pena rischiare.
I know: he who leaves the old road for the new knows what he leaves but not what he finds. But sometimes the old road is a trap and it is worth the risk.
Regretting a change that turned out badly
Avevo un lavoro buono, l'ho lasciato per quello nuovo. Chi lascia la via vecchia per la nuova... — avrei dovuto ascoltare mio padre.
I had a good job, I left it for the new one. He who leaves the old road for the new... — I should have listened to my father.