La Ricreazione Posted by Serena on Aug 31, 2017
Do you know the Venetian artist Giovanni Bellini (1430-1516)? Well, today I want to tell you about my favourite Bellini painting: l’Allegoria Sacra, housed in the Uffizi Gallery in Firenze. I’ve always been intrigued by this painting’s surreal juxtaposition of interior architecture and landscape, and the positioning of the characters in small separate groups, with…
Italian Language and Culture Quiz Posted by Geoff on Aug 28, 2017
Here’s a quiz that covers various aspects of Italian language and culture. You’ll be able to find all the answers in our articles or on the internet. If you can’t manage the whole quiz then choose the sections that you find easiest. Come on, don’t be shy, leave your answers in the comments section! Names…
Quanta Frutta! Posted by Serena on Aug 25, 2017
In our giardino (garden) we have two small apple trees which despite their humble proportions have provided us with a bumper crop this year. Apples, apples every day … … apples for breakfast with our muesli, apples after lunch, apples for our afternoon merenda (snack), apples in our salad, and who knows, maybe a nice…
Pensarci Posted by Geoff on Aug 23, 2017
Pensarci can be confusing. If you look in the dictionary you’ll find the explanation that it is a combination of the verb pensare (to think) and ci (which in this case means ‘about it/of it’). But there’s another meaning to pensarci that’s not so easy to decipher … Let’s begin with the easy meaning: pensarci…
Quel Mazzolin Di Fiori Posted by Serena on Aug 21, 2017
Gathered around the old well in Ponticello, the local musician are singing Quel Mazzolin Di Fiori (That Little Bunch Of Flowers), a folk song that I loved as a child. Composed in the second half of the nineteenth century, Quel Mazzolin Di Fiori was to become one of the Alpini’s (Italian mountain troops) favourite songs…
Nella Piazza Del Paese Posted by Serena on Aug 17, 2017
Nell’antico borgo di Ponticello in Lunigiana il tempo si è fermato. Entriamo nella piazza del paese che brulica di attività intorno al vecchio pozzo. Time has stopped in the ancient hamlet of Ponticello in Lunigiana. We enter the village square which is buzzing with activity around the old well. Per prima cosa incontriamo il venditore…
Aiuto! Posted by Geoff on Aug 15, 2017
You never know what problems you may encounter when travelling in Italy, so it’s best to carry a ‘tool kit’ of essential vocabulary that’ll help you get out of tricky situations. Aiuto! (help!) is a word that you’ll definitely need to know, although hopefully you’ll never find yourself in an emergency situation. Perhaps more useful…