#Trump100Days The next time you hear about "bankruptcy", think of a shattered wooden bench in the square of medieval Venice.

It’s not a metaphor. In Venice, during the Middle Ages, when a banker could no longer pay his debts, the authorities carried out a punishment that was both practical and symbolic: his workbench was publicly broken in two.

Imagine the scene: in the crowded areas of Rialto or Piazza San Marco, where money changers and bankers conducted their business, the bench of an insolvent banker was literally broken in front of everyone. A clear message for anyone: this man is bankrupt, do not do business with him.

From this theatrical practice comes the expression "bankruptcy", from the Latin "banca rupta" (broken bench). A term we still use today, centuries later, without thinking of its so concrete and dramatic origin.

The tradition has disappeared, but the word remains, reminding us that our everyday expressions often hide fascinating stories we have forgotten.