In this segment, Daniela talks about the gerund. As you will see, in Italian, the gerund is often used by itself, whereas in English we need an extra word before it — a conjunction or preposition. We are on more familiar ground when Daniela talks about using a gerund with the verb stare (to be) to form what we call the present continuous or present progressive.

Alberto Angela recounts some interesting facts and legends surrounding the roof of the Bapistery and the Camposanto [cemetery].

In Italian, there's not only a past participle, as in English, there is also a present participle. Many nouns and adjectives we use every day come from this tense, as well as from the past participle.

Marika and Anna cook their pasta, but this recipe is actually designed for leftover pasta. They explain more about this, and show us, step by step, how to make this very special frittata. Buon appetito!

We learn a great deal about the third structure at the Piazza dei Miracoli in Pisa: the Baptistery. We learn about wonders we can see and wonders we can't see.

Daniela explains what are called "indefinite modes." They are indefinite because they don't refer directly to a person or object. They commonly occur in a subordinate clause, and we need the context of the main clause to give us that information. There are three forms: the infinitive, the past participle, and the gerund.

Anna and Marika describe the ingredients we need to make this spaghetti frittata. They go on to show us the necessary pots, pans, and cooking utensils.

We go inside the Pisa Cathedral and see how marvelous it is, from the granite columns to the majestic pulpit designed by Giovanni Pisano, which, miraculously, survived the fire of 1595.

Today, Anna is playing with fire because she has to describe the very region her teacher is from. Anna knows her subject pretty well, but so does her teacher. Who will triumph?

The concept of liking and loving is nuanced in a particular way in Italian. Really grasping it takes time, practice, and experience, but this lesson should help to avoid embarrassing mistakes and misunderstandings when talking about relationships in Italian.

Why does the Leaning Tower of Pisa lean? Alberto answers this question and others about one of the most famous monuments in the world.

Easter Monday is, traditionally, "picnic day" all over Italy. It's affectionately called Pasquetta (little Easter). This video is from RAI 1, one of the principal TV stations in Italy. At this particular picnic, "primordial" cooking is the protagonist.

There are two ways to use an indirect object pronoun with the verb piacere (to please, to be pleasing, to like). Daniela shows us how they work.

In Italy, Easter is the time for special, traditional desserts, which, apart from being delicious, were conceived to represent symbols of life and rebirth.

Sometimes the subject of a sentence can be a verb in the infinitive or an entire clause. Let's see how the verb piacere works in these cases, in both simple and perfect tenses.