Breakdown of Questo antico rito si viene custodendo nel bosco.
questo
this (masculine)
venire
to come
nel
in the (in + il) / while / upon (doing something)
si
one (impersonal)
Questions & Answers about Questo antico rito si viene custodendo nel bosco.
Why does the sentence use viene custodendo instead of just è custodito?
The combination of venire and a present gerund (custodendo) is a special structure used to show historical continuity. It implies that the guarding of the rite started in the past and has been gradually and continuously maintained up to the present. If the sentence just used è custodito, it would state a simple passive fact without that sense of ongoing historical progression.
What role is the word si playing before the verb?
It is the passive si (si passivante). Because the rite cannot guard itself, si viene custodendo gives the sentence a passive meaning: it translates to "has been guarded" or "is being guarded". This passive construction is frequently combined with the venire + gerund structure to describe traditions or customs preserved over time.
Could I use stare instead of venire to show the action is ongoing (si sta custodendo)?
Why is antico placed before the noun rito?