Mistakes are a natural and necessary part of learning. You gain experience and knowledge through your errors, not despite them.
This proverb is one of the most optimistic in the Italian canon, reflecting a pragmatic acceptance of human fallibility that stands in interesting contrast to the shame culture that historically surrounded mistakes in Italian public life. The saying acknowledges that error is inevitable and frames it as a productive phenomenon rather than a moral failing. Its origin is debated: some scholars trace it to Latin educational philosophy, others to the Renaissance tradition of artisan apprenticeship in which young craftsmen were expected to ruin several pieces of work before mastering their trade. The Florentine workshops that trained painters, sculptors, and goldsmiths operated on exactly this principle. The proverb appears in printed form by the seventeenth century and has maintained consistent popular use to the present day. It is used by teachers, parents, coaches, and employers to encourage those who are discouraged by failure. In recent decades it has been widely adopted in Italian business culture as part of the broader movement toward valuing experimentation and iteration. The English equivalent 'You live and you learn' or 'We learn from our mistakes' is less rhythmically compelling than the original.
Rooted in Renaissance artisan apprenticeship culture; reflects the practical pedagogy of Florentine craft workshops.
A failed experiment at school
L'esperimento non ha funzionato? Nessun problema — sbagliando si impara.
The experiment didn't work? No problem — we learn by making mistakes.
A first attempt at cooking
La prima volta che ho fatto la pasta era scotta. Sbagliando si impara — ora la faccio benissimo.
The first time I made pasta it was overcooked. We learn by making mistakes — now I make it perfectly.
A sports coach
Non preoccuparti dell'errore — sbagliando si impara. La prossima volta farai meglio.
Don't worry about the mistake — we learn by making mistakes. Next time you'll do better.
A business failure
La prima startup non ha avuto successo, ma sbagliando si impara. Il secondo progetto è andato benissimo.
The first startup wasn't successful, but we learn by making mistakes. The second project went very well.