I parenti en comme e scarpe.
“Relatives are like shoes: the tighter they are, the more they hurt.”
Family ties held too rigidly and too close can become a source of pain rather than comfort.
— Traditional Monégasque and Ligurian Wisdom, Monaco
Source: Traditional Ligurian/Genoese proverb, shared regional heritage with Monégasque, public-domain oral tradition
More Proverbs from Monaco
Beauty does not make the pot boil.
Good looks alone provide no real sustenance — substance and hard work matter more than appearance.
Traditional Monégasque and Ligurian Wisdom
Read more →
A full purse serves as a passport.
Money smooths the way and opens doors wherever you travel.
Traditional Monégasque and Ligurian Wisdom
Read more →
The cursed horse comes out with a shining coat.
Ill will wished on someone else often ends up benefiting them instead.
Traditional Monégasque and Ligurian Wisdom
Read more →
The devil's flour all turns to bran.
Wealth or gain obtained dishonestly never truly profits the one who took it.
Traditional Monégasque and Ligurian Wisdom
Read more →
The best medicine is the wine from the cellar.
A good glass of wine, shared with company, can ease many of life's small troubles.
Traditional Monégasque and Ligurian Wisdom
Read more →
A good reputation is worth more than a fortune.
A person's honest name and character outweigh any amount of money.
Traditional Monégasque and Ligurian Wisdom
Read more →