What is the Italian tempo marking for 'very fast'?

The Italian tempo marking for “very fast” is Presto.

Presto is one of the traditional Italian words used to indicate a piece’s approximate speed. In modern reference tables, it is commonly associated with roughly 168–200 beats per minute, although the exact tempo depends on the composer, period, musical style, and performance context. The word literally means “quickly” or “promptly” in Italian.

Presto is faster than Allegro, which generally means fast or lively, and slower than Prestissimo, meaning extremely fast. These markings are not rigid metronome instructions: a Presto movement in a delicate Baroque composition may feel different from one in a Romantic virtuoso work.

The Italian system became widespread because many influential European composers and publishers used Italian musical vocabulary from the Renaissance and Baroque periods onward. Other markings describe character as well as speed; Allegro, for example, can suggest a bright or cheerful manner, while Largo indicates a broad, slow pace.

A common mistake is to treat Presto as the fastest possible marking. Prestissimo occupies the more extreme end of the conventional tempo vocabulary.