Breakdown of Questo è il lascito che ha preparato per noi il defunto.
essere
to be
questo
this (masculine)
noi
we
avere
to have
Questions & Answers about Questo è il lascito che ha preparato per noi il defunto.
Why is il defunto placed at the very end of the sentence instead of right after che?
This is a classic example of subject-verb inversion in a relative clause. While you could use standard order and say che il defunto ha preparato per noi, moving the subject to the end places a natural focus on who did the action. It highlights that it was the deceased, rather than anyone else, who prepared the legacy.
Could we put per noi at the very end of the sentence, after il defunto?
It is technically possible, but it disrupts the sentence's flow. When you invert the subject to the end of a relative clause for emphasis, that subject usually claims the absolute final position. Tacking per noi on after il defunto would weaken the emphasis on the subject.
Since che acts as the relative pronoun here, how do we know il defunto is the subject and not the object?
Is il defunto an adjective or a noun here?
It is an adjective functioning as a noun. Defunto means 'deceased', and by adding the definite article il, it turns into 'the deceased person'. Using adjectives as nouns is very common in Italian to refer to people with specific characteristics.