Language and travel advice from our Italian experts!

While Italy is largely a developed country, especially in the big cities and the northern regions of the peninsula, there are also areas that are quite impoverished.  Needless to say, you should always be careful traveling, no matter where.  But if you’re traveling with children, it’s necessary to take extra precautions and stay safe and aware of your surroundings at all times.  Here are a few thoughts to take into account specifically if you’re touring Italy with your family in tow.

Beware of the traffic.  This goes mainly for Rome, but is applicable in the rest of the country too.  Italians love speed and glamor, and this can translate to everyone driving like a maniac in the city where “life in the fast-lane” is literal.  Always be sure to look both ways before crossing, and keep children at your side at all times—and if you value your life, never jaywalk.

Medical emergencies.  The number to call in Italy – only in the case of an injury, not for general emergencies – is 118, (centodiciotto).  Private hospitals in Italy are very good, but they can be expensive for the uninsured, so make sure your medical insurance covers you while abroad.  Alternatively, you can be treated for free in public hospitals.

Stock up on medicines beforehand.  What we’re used to as everyday, over-the-counter drugs can be hard to come by in Italian pharmacies.  Even aspirin and cold medicine you will need to ask a pharmacist for, and all antibiotics need a prescription.  Just to be safe, see that you bring the necessary amount of any painkillers or antibiotics that you or your family may need while traveling, because you may have trouble obtaining them while on the road.  Furthermore, if you or your children have any allergies, such as penicillin, be sure to state that to the pharmacist or doctor before they prescribe you any medicines.

Beware pickpockets.  While Italy is in general a safe country, as a tourist you will be the spotlight for thieves and other small-time criminals.  (A family traveling with children is especially sure to draw attention.)  To minimize risk in this aspect, always make sure your important documents are kept in a safe box back at the hotel, and that your credit cards and money are firmly tucked away in a money belt or inner pocket.  Try not to flash expensive cameras or phones around while on the street, and be wary of distractions, which may be fabricated so someone can snatch your bag.

Avoid small, badly-lit roads.  This is common sense for wherever you are, and it goes double for those traveling with children.  If a road looks dark, secluded, and far off from the main stretch, don’t go down it – it’s better to be safe than sorry!

Overall, remember not to be intimidated by traveling in Italy and have a great time!  It is far safer and easier to travel in Italy than in other places in Europe and the United States, and you’ll find locals to be friendly and helpful.  That being said, you can best ensure that your trip goes smoothly by learning Italian before you go.  Check out our different Italian courses, or send us an enquiry so we can get you started right away!

There are as many ways to learn a language as there are people seeking to learn it, and for those who prefer an audiovisual learning method, conventional textbook learning can fall short.  Thanks to the internet, we have access to more language learning resources than ever, and for many people music can be a fun, interactive way of building their language skills.  And Italy, of course, has a rich heritage of music dating back hundreds of years, giving you limitless options on ways to practice your listening.

1. Go To the Opera.  While opera isn’t for everyone, for those fans of classical music and dramatic storylines, going to an opera can be a fun excuse to get out of the house, dress fancy, and get a healthy dose of high culture.  Even for the beginner, Italian opera is an excellent method of practicing; many opera houses offer a libretto of lyrics and their translations, and even if they don’t, the singers are generally so emotive that you’ll understand what’s going on anyway.  Try a romantic comedy like The Marriage of Figaro, or a time-honored favorite like La Bohème.
2. Watch Music Videos on YouTube.  For those who don’t want to leave the house, YouTube has a wealth of Italian media that you can spend hours poring through.  Many Italian songs have lyrics and English translations in subtitles on the video, making studying and learning new vocabulary as easy as possible.  Check out popular Italian artists of the past century, or look for more familiar songs from English pop culture translated into Italian.
3. Download Songs and Listen Throughout the Day.  This is a good option for those who can’t spend long periods of time on YouTube, or who have long commutes, or who simply want a low-profile way to practice Italian at work.  Simply download onto your mp3 player and you can listen all day—great for multi-taskers!
4. Karaoke.  For those who want a more active role in their language learning, why not  get up and sing yourself!  Karaoke can make for a great night out or a great night in—plenty of small Italian restaurants will have karaoke in the evenings, especially if they are part of an Italian community in your city.  Otherwise, you can always buy your own karaoke set and download the tracks for yourself.
5. Write Your Own Song.  If none of these other options appeals to you, take matters into your own hands.  Gather a list of words you want to learn, sit down with a guitar or a keyboard, and cobble together your own musical number.  Then write some more.  Compose yourself an entire rock opera, and practice singing it often!

Of course, whatever methods you choose to expand your knowledge of Italian, you will first need a strong base of vocabulary and grammar.  Achieve this by looking into one of our Italian language courses, or by sending us an enquiry so we can determine which level of Italian is best to get you on your way.

If you’re married to an Italian, whether the two of you live in Italy or elsewhere, chances are you will soon be starting a family, if you haven’t already.  In a culture where family is paramount, child-raising can seem a daunting task, especially if you don’t have any set ideas of your own.  While any cross-cultural family will have its own unique ways of handling things, here are five secrets to the Italian attitude towards children and family that will ensure smooth sailing with your spouse into your golden years.

1. Treat Children Like a Crucial Part of the Family.  A unique aspect of Italian child-raising which you don’t see in other cultures is the lack of a wall between generations.  Children are not treated with the “should be seen and not heard” mindset, nor are they firmly disciplined as in many other cultures.  Rather, they are indulged, celebrated, engaged with, and invited out to family gatherings along with parents, older siblings, and grandparents.  This leads to children growing up easy and comfortable with themselves and each other.
2. Prioritize Children.  For better or for worse—some view this as spoiling, while others view it as giving your kids every advantage possible—Italian parenting advocates sacrificing your own wants for your children’s wants.  This can include material things, such as gifts, vacations, and special activities, as well as spending time with your children over spending time with your adult friends.  There is a fine line here, of course, between showering your children with affection and raising them to be self-entitled, so make sure you know where that line is!
3. Dinnertime is Golden.  As you probably already know, family dinners in an Italian family are where the magic happens.  Good food and good conversation are key to family life, so you can expect at least an hour to be set aside every evening for a sit-down family meal.  Traditionally, the matriarch is expected to do the bulk of the cooking, but any Italian man worth his salt should know a few good pasta dishes, making dinnertimes a dual enterprise.
4. Conversation Is Key.  Plenty of people grow up in more taciturn cultures, where silence and alone time are considered perfectly viable aspects of a healthy family.  This is unthinkable to an Italian, as Italian families love to talk and argue and get all up in each other’s business.  So if you’re the sort of person who enjoys introspection and quietly reveling in your own private sphere, be assured that your spouse will have a thing or two or ten to say about that.
5. Children Should Be Raised Bilingual.  No matter what country you’re raising your children in, there is absolutely no excuse for denying them the advantage of an early start at bilingualism, especially since a working knowledge of Italian will help them communicate with extended family.  While there are many strategies for raising bilingual children, it would be best for you to learn Italian as well to ease the process along.  Send us an enquiry, or take a look at our different levels of Italian courses to see which one can best get you started.

Italy is one of the world’s most intellectual countries, and as such they are fiercely proud of their heritage in literature, poetry, and philosophy.  For scholars and bibliophiles the world over, this heritage is preserved in some of the world’s finest and most renowned libraries.  Many of these are open to the public, or serve as museums on certain days of the week, so if you happen to be traveling through Rome or other areas of the peninsula you should definitely stop by and have a look.

1. Vatican Library: The most obvious library the literary explorer has to check out while in Rome is the Vatican Library.  Dating back to 1475, it’s one of the oldest libraries in the world, housing over a million printed books as well as 75,000 archaic codices and manuscripts from the Library of Constantinople.  If you are interested in viewing illuminated manuscripts or are curious about the surrounding mosaics and frescoes in the building, make this your first stop.
2. Biblioteca Angelica: Your second stop should be at Rome’s other high-profile book collection, the Biblioteca Angelica.  Founded in 1604 as an annex of an Augustinian monastery, it opened to the public five years later.  Today it remains a key archive of 180,000 manuscripts, many of them containing first-hand information on the Reformation and Counter-Reformation, including the historic Codex Angelicus.
3. Biblioteca Casanatense:  Another Roman library originally founded by a religious order, the Biblioteca Casanatense was once part of the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas.  Once a thriving hub of intellectual activity in the city, the library retains its sense of Renaissance grandeur despite being currently overseen by the Italian Ministry of Culture.  Today the collection holds over 400,000 works of literature, including some biblical manuscripts that date back to the Middle Ages.
4. Biblioteca di Bella Arti:  If you swing through Milan, be sure to stop by the library at the Academy of Fine Arts of Brera, a public institution founded in 1776 as a school for teaching the creative arts.  UNESCO has named it one of the world’s leading universities, and as such the library is unmatched in terms of literature as well as art and architecture.  Soaring buttresses and century-old chandeliers in the main hall make this a true palace of learning.
5. Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana:  No trip to Italy is complete without a visit to Florence, and no trip to Florence is complete without stopping by the renowned Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana, known as the Laurentian Library in English.  It dates back to the Renaissance, when it was built to stand as a testament to the intellectual and artistic prowess of the Medici family.  The building was designed by Michelangelo, and the building is filled with staircases, pillars, and reading halls in the Mannerist style.  As well as a museum, it remains an active scholarly library, free to enter and read books from.

Whether your interests lie in books, architecture, or history, every one of these libraries is sure to enrich your travels through Italy in countless ways.  To fully appreciate them, it will be necessary to have at least a working knowledge of the Italian language, so take a look at our different levels of Italian courses.  Or if you prefer, send us an enquiry and we will get you started as soon as possible!

If your job leads you to a business trip to Italy, it’s without a doubt a thrilling opportunity that you’ll want to make the most of.  Even if it’s only a weekend visit, a properly organized itinerary will ensure that you enjoy your time outside of the office, giving you an experience to remember.  However, it’s crucial to manage your packing efficiently to see that your time spent in transit is easy and stress-free.  Aside from the obvious laptop, toiletries, and camera, here are a few items you should definitely consider taking with you, no matter what your plans or where you’re going.

1. An Expensive Suit.  While you will need an expensive suit, preferably from a high-end label, for your business meeting, it will help you make a good impression for whoever you meet.  Wearing an Italian brand will be particularly appreciated—Armani, Dolce and Gabbana, Missoni, and Gucci are all a safe bet.
2. Large Suitcase.  Conversely, you could always go ahead and buy luxury brand attire straight from the source.  Cities like Rome and Milan are strongholds for high-end fashion, as well as shoes, leather products, perfumes, and ceramics.  For the shopaholic, a large suitcase will be necessary in transporting gifts and souvenirs back home!
3. Map.  Even if you don’t plan to do much sightseeing, a street map is imperative to bring along.  Plenty of Italian cities dating back hundreds or even thousands of years have labyrinthine streets and layouts that are incomprehensible to newcomers.  To avoid wandering in circles through the wrong parts of town, take a map and then stick to the advised sections.
4. Plug Adapter.  It can be easy to forget in the heat of preparing for your flight that European countries use different electrical outlets, but if you want to be able to charge your phone and laptop or dry your hair, make sure you bring one ahead of time.  Wandering a strange city looking for adapters is the last thing you want to be doing straight out of the airport.
5. Good Shoes.  As a tourist who won’t be familiar with the local public transportation, it’s safe to say you’ll be doing a lot of walking in Italy, especially since in traffic-congested cities walking is usually the best way to take in the sites and experience the town up close.  Especially if you’ll be carrying a lot of luggage with you, a pair of good shoes with proper arch support is a must-have.
6. Italian-English Dictionary.  Even if you know some Italian beforehand, traveling with a dictionary will help you in communicating with the locals, finding your way around, ordering at restaurants, and anything else you can think of.  People will also appreciate that you’re making the effort to try and learn their language, which will lead to better relations both inside and outside the office.  To get started learning Italian for your prospective business trip, send us an enquiry or take a look at our different levels of Italian courses—we’d love to hear from you!

To refer to something simply as an “Italian” accent is a bit of a generalization… despite being a small country, Italy is incredibly diverse, and accents can vary from town to town.  However, you will do yourself a huge favor if you get over certain English-speaking habits and learn to speak like a native.  Nobody wants to stand out as a tourist, and speaking Italian with a strong foreign accent can mark you as someone who can easily be swindled or taken advantage of.  So follow these quick and easy strategies to having a more organic Italian accent, and you can’t go wrong!

1. Know Your Vowels.  English pronunciation of vowels is different and more complicated than most Latin-based languages.  Italian vowels are much simpler and much more musical, with only one sound ascribed to each: A, E, I, O, U are pronounced “ah (as in father), eh (as in best), ee (as in street), o (as in home, but not as pronounced), oo (as in loose),” with few exceptions.
2. Know Your Consonants.  Fortunately, most consonants in Italian are pronounced the same as they would be in English.  However, there are one or two tricky consonants and combinations that can trip up beginners.  First of all, the letter “g” is pronounced as a hard consonant, as in “ghost” when it come before the vowels a, o, and u.  When it comes before e or i, it makes a “j” sound.  Similarly, the letter “c” makes a “k” sound before a, o, and u; when before e or I, it makes a “ch” sound.  Also, the consonant “z” makes a “ts” sound, like in “pizza.”  The consonant “h” has no sound, the same as in Spanish or French, and the “r” is always slightly rolled.
3. Know Your Dipthongs.  Even more bizarre to English speakers are the two main dipthongs that sound nothing at all like we think they should.  The two consonants “gn” make a “ny” sound—just think of the word “lasagna.”  Similarly, the consonants “gl” make a “ly” sound, so the article “degli” would be pronounced “dell-yee.”
4. Enjoy Yourself!  Italians are enormously proud of their language, and even if you’re new to it, the Italian language should be savored when spoken.  Don’t be shy when speaking; enunciate your words with verve and enjoyment and try to appreciate the innate musicality in the language.  And, of course, to truly fit in with the locals, you will have to learn to illustrate your conversation with hand gestures!

Depending on which area of Italy you intend to visit, you will learn plenty of other shortcuts and specific rules for pronunciation.  The details will come to you as you interact with people, but before you get an opportunity to do that you will have to learn the basics.  Get a head start and check out one of our Italian courses, or send us an enquiry and see what we can offer that’s right for you.

Italy’s culture is steeped in tradition and ritual dating back thousands of years.  Not surprisingly, one of the most festive days of the Italian calendar, Christmas has its fair share of exciting traditions.  If you’re lucky enough to be in Italy around the end of December, you’re sure to experience a few of them for yourself.

As Italy is still a heavily religious country, their Christmas celebrations revolve around the Catholic holy days—in fact, the actual celebrations of Christmas start eight days before the 25^th of December and last until the Feast of the Epiphany.  While families are starting to exchange gifts on the 25^th due to American influence, Babbo Natale (Italy’s version of Father Christmas,) traditionally brings children gifts on the final night of the Christmas season, January 6^th.  Masses and special church services are ubiquitous during this time—seasonal prayers such as the Novena are prayed.  Drawing from the mummery traditions of the Middle Ages, children dress up as shepherds and other key figures from the Nativity story and go caroling door to door in exchange for gifts of money.

As with all other aspects of Italian life, food plays a key role in Christmas celebrations.  While fasting is observed for the 24 hours leading up to Christmas, after that comes the Cenone, the traditional Christmas feast.  This feast is strictly vegetarian (fish count as a vegetable here,) but it is presented with the customary verve and creativity expressed in all meals: spaghetti and anchovies plus other types of fish, as well as broccoli, salads, fruits, and a vast number of pastries.  After the Cenone, it is customary to then go to Christmas mass with the family.

Other age-old seasonal customs include the Ceppo, a structure of shelves depicting a manger scene surrounded by small gifts, fruit, and candy.  It is often decorated with candles and colored lights—essentially, it is the Italian version of our Christmas tree.  (Originally, the Ceppo was the Yule log which was burned to determine how long the Christmas celebrations would last.)  The Urn of Fate is another custom, a large bowl from which the paterfamilias removes wrapped gifts for his children on the night of the present exchange.  La Befana is a Christmas witch, Babbo Natale’s female counterpart, who according to legend ran after the three wise men on the night of Christ’s birth with an armful of presents belonging to her dead child.  However, she could not find the stable, so to this day she wanders the world on Christmas, delivering gifts to good children and coal to bad ones.

With so many fascinating customs surrounding Christmas and other festivals, Italy offers enough holiday cheer and surprises to warm the hearts of any number of Grinches and Scrooges.  To get a first-hand experience of the language that inspired these and many other customs, look into one of our different levels of Italian courses.  Or, if you prefer, send us an enquiry.  Happy holidays!

Every parent wants their kid to eat a healthy and balanced diet and, hopefully, to branch out into a variety of dishes.  Similarly, every parent knows how picky children can be, and that getting them the nutrients they need is an uphill battle.  Luckily, anyone who’s familiar with cooking Italian food can easily whip up a few quick and easy recipes that will satisfy both kids and adults.

1. Pizza—Clearly, this is a dish that chances are your kids will love.  Depending on how much time you want to put into it, i.e. whether you want to make your own dough or simply pick up a pre-baked pizza crust from the supermarket, it can be a fun kitchen activity for you and your kids.  Give your kids a chance to be creative by picking their own toppings: offer bowls of sliced bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, sweet corn, pineapple, ham, and pepperoni—see how colorful they can make it!
2. Spaghetti and meatballs—Another Italian classic that tastes great and is easily customized, spaghetti is the perfect after-school meal.  Get your kids involved with preparing the meatballs—mix a pound of ground beef or turkey with one egg and one minced onion, plus salt and pepper to taste and have your kid roll them into bite-sized balls to bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Alternatively, you can make a quick meat sauce by sautéing ground beef with chopped vegetables and garlic, then adding a jar of tomato sauce plus some tomato paste.
3. Lasagna—While this may be a little bit more alien to some kids’ tastes, remind them that it’s Garfield’s favorite food and they’ll probably be willing to give it a try.  Baking a lasagna from scratch can be time intensive, but there are plenty of short-cut recipes involving ground beef, spaghetti sauce, cottage cheese, and whatever other fillings you’d like to throw in that are easy to prepare.  You could also go for a store-bought lasagna, but be careful when choosing these—they often have a very high salt content. 
4. Baked Stuffed Shells—This one may take a little persuasion if your kids have never seen a stuffed shell before.  But they’re easy to cook and tasty, and they can be a good way to sneak greens like spinach into your kids’ diets.  Most recipes include ricotta and mozzarella cheese with chopped up basil and spinach as the stuffing for the shell-shaped pasta, which you then bake in a casserole dish of marinara sauce.
5. Minestrone Soup—If you have a lot of leftover side dishes that you don’t know what to do with, combine them into a soup!  A good, hearty minestrone is the perfect opportunity for something like this, and the beauty of it is you can use virtually anything you want.  To a base of beef or chicken broth, add any leftover beans or veggies or meat that you have in the fridge and be sure to flavor it up with plenty of garlic, oregano, basil, and parsley—your kids won’t even know what they’re eating, but it’ll taste so good they won’t care!

To taste some traditional Italian dishes that your entire family will love, why not go to Italy?  Send us an enquiry if you’re interested in learning some Italian, or check out our different levels of Italian courses.

If your Italian has progressed to the point at which you’re comfortable enough for a real-life conversation, you’re in luck because Italians love talking.  And Italian culture has such a variety of interesting topics—sports, art, opera, film, wine, cars, and so on—that you’re spoiled for choices as to what to start chatting about.  In Italy, the conversation is viewed as an art-form, organic and free-flowing, so don’t be afraid to just jump in and offer your views and opinions; if you wait patiently for your turn to speak, you’ll be waiting for a very long time!  But what are the best ways to start a conversation in Italian?  If you’re tongue-tied, here are a few icebreakers you might want to consider.

1. Compliment the food.  There are two common ways to do this.  If you’re dining at someone’s house and wish to speak about a specific dish, say, Questo cibo e molto buono.  This translates to, “This food is very good.”  Alternatively, if you want to compliment the food in general, say at a certain restaurant, say, Il cibo e molto buono.  And, of course, there is the indispensable, Buon appetito!
2. Talk about football.  It’s a pretty safe bet that whoever you’re talking to is an avid supporter of their local team, and are just dying to talk your head off about it.  To ask them what is their favorite soccer team, say, Qual è la tua squadra di calcio preferita?  It’s sure to lead to a long and impassioned talk about the recent match.
3. Talk about art and films.  This covers a broad range of subject matter, and is generally safe grounds for a conversation.  Ask about someone’s opinion on the works of Dante, Cosa ne pensi di opere di Dante? and you are sure to learn more about the great poet than you ever wished to know.  If you have no interest in antiquated literature, you can always ask, Quale preferisci, La Dolce Vita o 8 ½? or express your wish to see some of the great works of Italian art: Hai visto il David di Michaelangelo?  Spero di vederlo un giorno.  (Have you seen Michaelangelo’s David?  I hope to see it someday.)
4. Flirt with them.  Depending on the social situation, (not appropriate for business meetings, but the nightclub scene is okay,) flirting can be a good way to meet Italians.  Gain their attention by telling them they’re enchanting, Sei affascinante if speaking to a man and Sei incantevole if speaking to a woman, or very simply, Sei bellissimo/a to say that they’re beautiful.
5. Compliment their English.  Just as you would feel gratified to have a native compliment your Italian, it can be a lead-in to a friendly conversation about language-learning.  (They will most likely protest that their English is bad, and then you can ask them where they learned it.)  A good way to begin this exchange is to tell them, Parli (or Parla, if you want to be formal,) benissimo l’inglese.  To learn more great conversation starters as well as the skills to follow up on them, sign up for one of our Italian courses, or send us an enquiry—we’d love to hear from you!

For a relatively small country, Italy is immensely diverse, with more culture and local traditions that you could hope to experience in a year of traveling.  However, if you are going to Italy and have limited time to see as much as you can, hit up these ten crucial places to ensure that you get as much out of your trip as you can.

1. Milan: Famous for its high-end fashion and business, Milan is filled with historic castles and cathedrals.  At the same time, it is Italy’s quintessentially modern city, and its entertainment factor—nightlife, art galleries, shopping, football, and opera—can’t be beat!
2. Venice: One of the most beautiful and romantic cities in the world, Venice is renowned for its Carnival and canals.  The sanctuary in past centuries for hundreds of European artists and expats, Venice is slowly sinking and won’t be around for long.  So visit soon before it’s gone forever!
3. Genoa: A port city known for its spectacular seafood, Genoa is filled with trendy boutiques, historic churches, and one of Europe’s largest aquariums.  Plus, it’s the birthplace of Christopher Columbus.
4. Bologna: A dynamic university city filled with culture and energy, Bologna is less popular among foreign tourists, making it the perfect place to practice your Italian.  It boasts a thriving theatre and nightlife scene, as well as the oldest university in the western world.
5. Florence: An absolute must-see on a trip to Italy, Florence is the city of Dante, Petrarch, and Boccaccio, as well as artists Botticelli, Michelangelo, and Leonardo da Vinci.  It is the cultural and artistic heart of Italy, with a great deal of historic museums, luxury fashion boutiques, and buildings to visit.
6. Pisa: A city in Tuscany most commonly known for its Leaning Tower, Pisa also boasts a university with plenty of parties, cultural events, and lesser known architectural wonders that are well worth your attention.
7. Rome: Known as the “Eternal City,” Rome is a UNESCO Heritage Site and offers something to impress and indulge everyone.  It is steeped in thousands of years of history dating back to ancient times and is filled with ruins, monuments, and basilicas dating back to the Renaissance.  Add to that unbeatable shopping, museums, markets, plazas, and fountains, you could live here for years and still not experience it all.
8. Naples: The culinary capital of Italy and the birthplace of pizza, Naples is a vibrant city with historic architecture.  But don’t kid yourself—go there for the food.  You’ll be glad you did.
9. Campania: For the history lover, Campania is where you’ll find the ruins of Pompeii, the ancient city that was wiped out by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius.  It offers plenty of insights on the life and culture of the ancient Roman empire.
10. Palermo: The capital city of Sicily, Palermo offers a completely different lifestyle from the peninsula.  Go there to experience a more rural aspect of Italian life, as well as for their great wine and unbeatable seafood dishes.

Wherever you’re planning to travel to in Italy—especially more rural areas—it will help you immensely to speak a moderate amount of Italian.  Send us an enquiry, or look into our various Italian courses and get started learning right away!