vertu

/vəˈtuː/

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian virtù, †vertù (“moral worth, virtue (13th century); determination, perseverance, military valour (14th century); study of the liberal or fine arts; appreciation of, taste for, or expertise in the fine arts; objets d'art collectively (16th century)”); or from French vertu (“virtue”), ultimately from Latin virtūt-, virtus (“virtue”). Doublet of virtue; compare also virtuoso.

vertu means the fine arts as a subject of study or expertise; understanding of arts and antiquities. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 83 out of 100.

vertu is pronounced /vəˈtuː/.

Why “vertu” is a great word

VERTU — [Noun] A cultivated appreciation for and expertise in the fine arts and antiquities, or the objects of art themselves; also, in a Machiavellian context, the strength, vitality, and political cunning necessary for success. From Italian virtù, †vertù (originally 'moral worth, virtue', later 'military valor, expertise in the arts'), from Latin virtūt-, virtus ('virtue, manliness, excellence'). A doublet of 'virtue'. Unlike 'virtue', which denotes moral goodness, or 'virtuoso', which signifies technical mastery in performance, vertu is the domain of the connoisseur's cold eye or the prince's amoral potency. It is the chill, smooth weight of a classical cameo between thumb and forefinger, the precise knowledge of a porcelain glaze's provenance, and the unsentimental calculus of statecraft—the same root splitting into both a love for beautiful order and the ruthless power to impose it.

noun

The fine arts as a subject of study or expertise; understanding of arts and antiquities.“To give them their Due, they ſoar a Step higher than their Predeceſſors, and may be called Men of Wiſdom and Vertù (take heed you do not read Virtue).”
Objets d'art collectively.“A Catalogue of a Truly Valuable Assemblage of Articles of Virtu of William Chinnery, Esq. Brought from Gillwell, Essex[…].”
Especially with reference to the writings of Machiavelli (1469–1527): the requisite qualities for political or military success; vitality, determination; power.“All these connotations, even the positive and moral ones, are within the range of significations Machiavelli wants us to hear in “virtù.” For him the word suggests a kind of flexibility that can initiate effective, efficient, and energetic action based on a courageous assertion of the will and an ability to execute the products of one's own calculations. Such calculations are a significant adjunct”
Moral worth; virtue, virtuousness.