Fine-tune your command of the Italian language by knowing when to capitalize a person's title. If you have to write a formal letter or e-mail to VIPs, such as the principal of your child's school, show that you're familiar with the rules of Italian "bureaucratic" etiquette.
Names that represent a particular title — by birth, merit, or qualification — should be capitalized. You write:
il Presidente (President)
l'Onorevole (Honorable)
il Rettore (Dean)
il Preside (Principal)
il Professore (Professor)
However, when these titles are accompanied by a proper name, using lowercase is preferable:
il presidente Rossi
l'onorevole Verdi
il rettore Bianchi
il conte Cavour
il re Vittorio Emanuele II
In the plural, these titles aren't capitalized (such as ministers or senators). For example, i senatori hanno approvato una nuova legge sul lavoro (The senators have approved a new labor law).
