I Love Italian Everything

I teach a fun little class (I guess “fun” is a relative term – I have fun, anyway) called “Andiamo in Italia” – let’s go to Italy. It’s Italian for tourists and people take it before their Italian vacation so that they can speak a little. We learn how to order “un caffè” and how to ask directions – stuff like that. I always tell them to watch Italian movies so that they can hear the language, but also so that they can see the places that they are about to visit. Going for Spring Break? Here are some great movies to pack your bags by and to get you in the mood for your vacation.


Going to Venice? Required viewing: Pane e Tulipani. Rosalba runs away to Venezia and so can you.

Vacanza Siciliana? Going to Sicily? Marco Bellocchio’s Il Regista di Matrimoni (the wedding director) has some beautiful scenery.

If you are going to Tuscany, you have a lot to choose from. Haven’t seen the James Ivory film “Room With a View“?  Now’s the time to do it.

But let’s watch something Italian too – how about La Meglio Gioventù (the best of youth). Here’s the scene in which the main character learns about the big flood in Florence.

More tomorrow!