What is "festina lente"

Festina lente or (speûde bradéōs) is a classical adage and oxymoron meaning "make haste slowly" (sometimes rendered in English as "more haste, less speed"). It has been adopted as a motto numerous times, particularly by the emperors Augustus and Titus, the Medicis and the Onslows.

The original form of the saying, , is Classical Greek, of which festina lente is the Latin translation. The words and festina are second-person-singular imperatives, meaning "make haste", while and lente are adverbs, meaning "slowly".

Festina lente (Latin for "make haste slowly") is a pedestrian bridge over the Miljacka River in Sarajevo. The bridge is 38 meters long and features an unusual looping in the middle, suggesting slowing down and enjoying the view. Conceptual design for the bridge was created by three students of the Academy of Fine Arts in Sarajevo: Adnan Alagic, Amila Hrustić and Bojana Kanlic. The bridge connects the Mak Dizdar embankment (close to the Academy) with Radic street. It was officially opened on 22 August 2012.

Festina lente (More haste, Less speed) is a 1988 composition by Estonian composer Arvo Pärt. It is scored for string orchestra and harp. It uses layering to explore the musical ideas, by allowing the violas to take the melody, the violins to take it at double the speed and the basses to take the melody at half time.