La Strada (The Road) is a 1954 film directed by Federico Fellini, with Anthony Quinn and Giulietta Masina. The film was partly shot at the famous Saltanò Circus, with actors and extras taken from that circus. Fellini changed the name of Anthony Quinn’s character from Saltanò into Zampanò, maybe for copyright reasons. The picture won an Oscar for best foreign film in 1957. It was the year the foreign prize was instituted and it allowed Fellini to break out from national boundaries.

The story of four young women, aged seventeen, who were born into upper middle class families in a provincial Italian city. Their perfect lives, their high profile families, their shopping, their sports activities, their boyfriends, and their exclusive parties are all a huge bore for them. Elena, the group’s leader, finds herself in a strange situation when their newly arrived teacher, Mario Landi, enters unknowingly into their adolescent games.

Lecce, in the 1990s. Ignazio is an esteemed judge who has recently returned to the city after working for many years in the north. He meets Lucia again, the woman he has secretly loved since childhood. The woman works as a perfumes representative, but this is just a front. In reality, Lucia has become the right hand woman of the boss Carmine Za, one of the heads of Sacra Corona Unita (United Sacred Heart), the new criminal organization that in 90s reached its apex of power and ferocity.

Macchiatonda is Capalbio's secret beach: a stretch of pristine coastline, surrounded by Mediterranean scrubland and overlooking a sea with Caribbean colors. Reachable by shuttle from the station, it offers tranquility and seabeds perfect for snorkeling. A corner of authentic nature, ideal for those seeking peace and wild beauty.

Marika went with a friend of hers to Capalbio and tells us what she saw. A village suspended between sea and hills, where time seems to slow down. The medieval walls embrace stone streets, and the Maremma wind carries the echo of the sea and the past.

And here are some guessing games to enrich your vocabulary. Test yourself to see if you know family relationships or animals, but above all, have fun learning!

In this last part, Marika summarizes the uses of buono, bello, and bene by comparing the different uses and meanings of each word. Remember that buono and bello are adjectives, describing people, things, and places, while bene is an adverb of manner answering the question "how."

After dinner, the two couples meet a colleague of Renzo's who also happens to be the boyfriend of the victim's sister, Meg.
The next day, Gaetano and Torre speak again with the suspect, and Camilla is present as well, with her student.

In this second part dedicated to the word bene (fine, well, good), Marika explains other meanings of this multifaceted adverb. Let's see how it is used for emphasis and as encouragement.

Since the adverb bene (fine, well) has many uses and can be confusing, Marika has decided to explain it in two parts so as to understand how to use it in all its meanings.

In this part, Marika talks about the adjective buono (good) which is often associated with food. However, there are other contexts in which it is used, so let's see what they are, with examples.

Marika explains what the adjective bello means, how it is used, and what concepts it can express. And what do you find bello?

The adverb sempre (always) indicates an uninterrupted duration or constant continuity. We use it to describe something that happens endlessly or is valid at any time, without changing. Marika explains all the meanings to us with examples. For more about sempre, see this lesson in English, with video examples.

In this video Marika explains the multiple uses of the word niente (nothing). Let's look at examples where it is used as a pronoun or as an adverb and learn plenty of new expressions.

In this second part, Marika explains the use of "Lei". We'll see in which contexts it is used and which verbal form should be employed.