“Ecco fatto il becco all’oca (e le corna al Podestà) [That’s it the beak of the goose ( and horns to the Podestà ]  is a typical Florentine proverb. It was coined in medieval times in Florence to indicate the position of Mayor as tax collector duped by debtors.

It is argued that the mayor had a beautiful and charming wife to which he, to protect her (and his) honor, built a chastity belt with a key that had to be forgery-proof , but an admirer of his wife was able to re-produce the key that unlocked the belt and this apparently had the appearance of a goose beak . Once completed the  work of opening of the belt and laying with the woman, the suitor exclaimed the phrase ” That’s it the goose beak and horns to the Podestà .”

The goose recalls a stone eagle affixed to the facade of the Palazzo del Bargello , or Palazzo del Popolo ( the sheriff was the highest authority at the time of the medieval towns of Italy).

The phrase is to be used to indicate that a work has been done cheerfully and with successful ending. And this is because the proverb is used to indicate a pleasantly accomplished or completed work.

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