Difficulty: Newbie
Italy
Marika shows us what materials she uses in her small home office. Whether you work or go to school, these terms will come in handy.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Italy
Exploring the gardens further, we come upon a grotto, as well as what looks like an ancient Roman site, replete with original statues. It was all part of Vanvitelli's plan.
Difficulty: Beginner
Italy
Daniela introduces the relative pronoun "which." It's handy to know because it doesn't change according to gender or number.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Italy
If we thought the interior of the Royal Palace of Caserta was amazing, we should get ready for even more amazement as we go outside and see the spectacular park — a true capolavoro (masterpiece) — which Luigi Vanvitelli, architect and engineer, designed, giving water the starring role.
Difficulty: Beginner
Italy
Today the lesson is about Lombardy. Anna is well-prepared, but her maestra seems to be affected by la nebbia (the fog). Is it the Milanese climate? Or could it be something else?
Difficulty: Beginner
Italy
Daniela shows us how to use the relative pronoun che. In English this can be translated as either "that," "which," or "who," depending on various English grammatical factors.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Italy
The narrator makes us aware of the vast number of people necessary to run the Palace. We visit the most intimate place in the Palace: the queen's dressing room and bathroom. It is fascinating to learn all the ways in which it was outfitted to both pamper and protect the queen.
Difficulty: Beginner
Italy
Relative pronouns — such as "who," "that," and "which" — connect a main clause to a subordinate clause, which in this case, is a relative clause. Here, relative pronouns function as pronouns and conjunctions at the same time. In Italian, some relative pronouns vary according to gender and number, and others don't. Daniela guides us through.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Italy
Alberto Angela takes us from the public throne room to the private chambers of the Royal Palace. In order to obtain the desired wall coverings, a whole complex was built for manufacturing silk. It's still operating today. Incredibile!
Difficulty: Beginner
Italy
With the relative superlative, we compare one element with an entire group, as for example, "She is the most beautiful of all." In English we distinguish between "more" and "most," but in Italian, the presence of the article before the noun or before the comparative word is what makes the difference.
Difficulty: Beginner
Italy
Here we go with the actual preparation of this very simple, but very delicious dish. Tomatoes, olive oil, and bread are rarely missing from a Tuscan household and pappa al pomodoro is just one way these ingredients go together. Anna gives us some interesting nutritional information about tomatoes and there's also a little musical performance by our chefs. Message from Marika: If you use a bouillon cube in the recipe, watch the salt!
Difficulty: Intermediate
Italy
We visit the magnificent, immense Throne Room, with its small but elegant throne, and vaulted, frescoed ceiling.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Italy
Daniela discusses how journalists and the mass media often tack on -issimo to nouns and adverbial expressions, something which is not strictly correct but is prevalent nonetheless.
Difficulty: Beginner
Italy
Tuscans love their bread — crusty and thick, and totally unsalted. It goes well with salty cheese, and salt-cured meats. When it gets stale, it doesn't get wasted; it gets used in cooking. Tuscans also love tomatoes, so this dish is quite the Tuscan comfort food, suitable for all age groups, and very cheap to make.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Italy
It's hard to fathom the scale of this royal palace. We learn how many workers it took and how long it took to build. The grand staircase is of amazing dimensions, and, when seen from the top, our host seems like a small dot at the bottom of it.
Are you sure you want to delete this comment? You will not be able to recover it.