A whimsical letter-by-journey through the Italian ABCs with Dianne Hales
(Original English version follows)
In questo periodo strano in cui non è possibile viaggiare in Italia, Dianne Hales ha fatto quello che fanno gli scrittori: ha scritto un nuovo libro, un piccolo omaggio all’Italia e agli italiani. Ce ne parla oggi ospite del mio blog:
Decenni fa mi sono innamorata follemente, felicemente, vertiginosamente dell’italiano. Desiderosa di comunicare con i suoi interlocutori, ho deciso di imparare la loro lingua immergendomi nei suoi suoni.
Una delle mie prime lezioni formali si è concentrata sull’alfabeto italiano. Anche se le sue 21 lettere sembrano identiche alle loro controparti inglesi (escluse j, k, w, x e y), non suonano allo stesso modo.
Le differenze vanno oltre la pronuncia. A me ogni lettera fa venire in mente una parola che rappresenta un aspetto diverso della vita e della cultura italiana. Ho messo insieme le mie riflessioni alfabetiche in un libro digitale che puoi scaricare come PDF gratuito qui.
“A” Is for Amore accompagna i lettori in uno stravagante viaggio letterale attraverso l’ABC italiano. Viaggerai a Firenze e Roma; assaporirai i piatti preferiti dagli italiani; ti addentrerai nel mondo della moda e del vino; incontrerai Dante, Leonardo e l’irresistibile italiano; e acquisirai un nuovo apprezzamento delle lettere “H” (acca) e “Z” (zeta) in italiano.
Se ami l’Italia, imparerai di più sul paese e sulla sua gente. Se vieni da una famiglia italiana, scoprirai di più sulla tua eredità. Se sei uno studente o un insegnante d’italiano, troverai una prospettiva allegra che integra le lezioni di vocabolario e grammatica. Se sei un avventuriero in poltrona, non hai bisogno di conoscere nessun italiano per goderti il viaggio.
“A” Is for Amore è la mia lettera d’amore all’Italia, alla sua gente e a tutti i miei lettori, con grande apprezzamento per il loro sostegno. Spero che questo piccolo regalo ti diverta e ti sollevi.
In this strange period in which it is not possible to travel to Italy, Dianne Hales did what writers do: she wrote a new book, a small tribute to Italy and the Italians. She talks to us about today in this guest post:
Decades ago I fell madly, gladly, giddily in love with Italian. Yearning to communicate with its speakers, I set out to learn their language by immersing myself in its sounds.
One of my earliest formal lessons focused on the Italian alphabet. Although its 21 letters look identical to their English counterparts (minus j, k, w, x, and y), they don’t sound the same. The differences go beyond pronunciation. To me, each letter brings to mind a word that represents a different aspect of Italian life and culture. I’ve put together my alphabetical musings in a digital book you can download as a free PDF here.
“A” Is for Amore takes readers on a whimsical letter-by-journey through the Italian ABCs. You’ll travel to Florence and Rome; savor Italians’ favorite dishes; delve into the worlds of fashion and wine; meet Dante, Leonardo, and the irresistible Italian man; and gain a new appreciation of the Italian “H” (acca) and “Z” (zeta). If you love Italy, you’ll learn more about the country and its people. If you come from an Italian family, you’ll discover more about your heritage. If you’re an Italian student or teacher, you’ll find a light-hearted perspective that complements vocabulary and grammar lessons. If you are an armchair adventurer, you don’t need to know any Italian to enjoy the ride.
“A” Is for Amore is my love letter to Italy, its people, and all my readers, with great appreciation for your support. I hope this small gift will entertain and uplift you.
Mi è giunta la notizia di tre racconti vagabondi quest’estate…per la precisione sono racconti scritti da tre autori italiani superlativi che hanno segnato la storia della letteratura italiana del XX secolo.
A questo punto ti starai chiedendo: “Ma chi saranno questi tre?” E va be’, te lo rivelo! Sono Natalia Ginzburg, Gianni Rodari e Italo Svevo. Tre autori diversi tra di loro sia per genere letterario che per stile di scrittura.
Scopri alcune chicche su di loro facendo questo quiz:
Quanto conosci questi 3 autori italiani?
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Entra nel Circolo Letterario Italiano dell’Estate.
Quale di questi autori italiani è di origini ebraiche?
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Natalia Ginzburg è nata a…
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Quali di questi libri non è stato scritto da Italo Svevo?
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Gianni Rodari diceva che con un po’ di esercizio è possibile prendere lezioni di ottimismo anche da
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Era anti-fascista e nel 1983 viene eletto/a nelle liste del Partito Comunista Italiano al Parlamento
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«Andrà lontano? Farà fortuna? Raddrizzerà tutte le cose storte di questo mondo? Noi non lo sappiamo, perché egli sta ancora marciando con il coraggio e la decisione del primo giorno. Possiamo solo augurargli, di tutto cuore: – Buon viaggio!»
(Gianni Rodari, Il giovane gambero, da “Favole al telefono”)
Alla salute e alla lettura!
Mirella
“La bella al davanzale” 1971 | “Chi mi guarda?” 1972 Gianni Rodari
The news of three wandering short stories has come to my attention… to be exact they are stories written by three outstanding Italian authors that have marked the history of Italian literature of the twentieth century.
At this point you must be wondering: “Who are these three?” OK, I’ll reveal them! They are Natalia Ginzburg, Gianni Rodari and Italo Svevo. Three authors that differ both for literary genre and for writing style.
Check out some goodies about them by doing this quiz:
How much do you know these three authors?
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Which of these Italian authors is of Jewish origins?
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Natalia Ginzburg was born in …
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Gianni Rodari was one of the greatest writers of
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Who was the English teacher of Italo Svevo?
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Which of these books was not written by Italo Svevo?
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Gianni Rodari said that with a bit of exercise you can take lessons in optimism from
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He or she was anti-Fascist and in 1983 was elected in the lists of the Italian Communist Party to Parliament
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“Will he go far? Will he be lucky? Straighten all the wrongs of this world? We do not know, because he is still marching with the courage and the determination of the first day. We can only wish him, with all our heart: – Have a good trip! ” (Gianni Rodari, The young shrimp, from “Fables on the phone”)
In this guest post Dianne Hales, author of “La Bella Lingua”, tells us how her new book about La Bella Mona Lisa came to life. At the end of the post you can challenge your knowledge of Mona Lisa with a little quiz that Dianne and I have created for you.
“Earlier Version” and the Louvre Mona Lisa – courtesy of the Mona Lisa Foundation
Her name seduced me. The first time that I heard “Mona (Madame) Lisa Gherardini del Giocondo”— many years after I first beheld Leonardo’s portrait in the Louvre — I repeated the syllables out loud to listen to their Italian sounds. Immediately I felt a surge of curiosity about the woman everyone recognizes but hardly anyone knows.
After falling—happily, gladly, giddily—in love with Italian many years ago, I became just as enamored with the life and times of a true Fiorentina, a daughter of the Renaissance, a merchant’s wife, a loving mother, an artist’s muse and, in her husband’s words, “a noble spirit.” Somehow it seemed only natural to go from a passion for la bella lingua to a quest for una bella donna.
On the trail of Lisa’s story, I followed facts wherever I could find them. I sought the help of authoritative experts in an array of fields, from art to history to sociology to women’s studies. I delved into archives and read through a veritable library of scholarly articles and texts. And I relied on a reporter’s most timeless and trustworthy tool: shoe leather. In the course of extended visits over several years, I walked the streets and neighborhoods of Mona Lisa’s Florence, explored its museums and monuments and came to know—and love—its skies and seasons.
Mona Lisa, I discovered, was a quintessential woman of her times, caught in a whirl of political upheavals, family dramas, and public scandals. Descended from ancient nobles, she was born and baptized in Florence in 1479. Wed to a truculent businessman twice her age, she gave birth to six children and died at age sixty-three in 1542.
Mona Lisa’s life spanned the most tumultuous chapters in the history of Florence, decades of war, rebellion, invasion, siege — and of the greatest artistic outpouring the world has ever seen. Her story creates an extraordinary tapestry of daily life in a vibrant city bursting into fullest bloom.
Five centuries after Mona Lisa Gherardini’s death, the world remains eager to learn more about her. Amazon.com chose my book, Mona Lisa: A Life Discovered, published by Simon & Schuster, as one of the “best books of the month” for history and for biography and memoirs. BBC read episodes on the radio for its “Book of the Week” program. CNN and USA Today selected it as one of their “hottest reads” of the summer. Reviewers have praised it as “entertaining,” “enthralling,” “vivid and accessible” and “lyrical.” BRIDES magazine included it on its list of “10 most-read books for your honeymoon.” “Anyone who loves Italy and art—and who doesn’t?—will adore this book,” predicts Frances Mayes, author of Under the Tuscan Sun.
I hope that all of you who love Italian will enjoy this new journey of discovery!
Dianne Hales
Dianne Hales is a prize-winning, widely published journalist and the author of MONA LISA: A Life Discovered. In recognition of her previous book, La Bella Lingua: My Love Affair with Italian, the World’s Most Enchanting Language, as “an invaluable tool for promoting the Italian language,” the President of Italy conferred on Dianne the highest honor its government can bestow on a foreigner, the title of Cavaliere dell’ Ordine della Stella della Solidarietà Italiana (Knight of the Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity.) You can follow her prize-winning blog on Italy’s language and culture at www.becomingitalianwordbyword.typepad.com and new blog on discovering Mona Lisa at www.monalisabook.com
QUIZ:
10 Facts You May Not Have Known about Mona Lisa
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La misteriosa Mona Lisa is less mysterious now!
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“Mona”—spelled “monna” in modern Italian—means “Madame,” a respectful title for married ladies.
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“Mona”—spelled “monna” in modern Italian—means “Madame,” a respectful title for married ladies.
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Where was the Mona Lisa first hung?
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The Mona Lisa was first hung in a French king’s bathing salon. King Francis I, Leonardo’s last patron, bought the portrait for the equivalent of $10 million and hung it in the royal bathing suite at the Palace of Fontainbleau, where the high humidity damaged and dulled its colors.
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The Mona Lisa was first hung in a French king’s bathing salon. King Francis I, Leonardo’s last patron, bought the portrait for the equivalent of $10 million and hung it in the royal bathing suite at the Palace of Fontainbleau, where the high humidity damaged and dulled its colors.
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How old was Mona Lisa when she was wed?
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Mona Lisa was a teenage bride who was wed at age 15 in an arranged marriage to Francesco del Giocondo, a prosperous merchant almost twice her age.
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Mona Lisa was a teenage bride who was wed at age 15 in an arranged marriage to Francesco del Giocondo, a prosperous merchant almost twice her age.
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What was Mona Lisa’s last name?
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Her last name was Lisa Gherardini. She was a real women who descended from a proud, ancient clan who once were rich and powerful Tuscan knights and barons.
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Her last name was Lisa Gherardini. She was a real women who descended from a proud, ancient clan who once were rich and powerful Tuscan knights and barons.
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Leonardo
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Art historians believe that he kept refining and embellishing the painting long after he began the work in 1503. Leonardo kept Lisa’s portrait with him until his death in 1519.
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Art historians believe that he kept refining and embellishing the painting long after he began the work in 1503. Leonardo kept Lisa’s portrait with him until his death in 1519.
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What does “Gioconda” mean?
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Gioconda” means the happy one—a nickname given to the great grandfather of Lisa’s husband, a barrelmaker so merry that all his descendants inherited his nickname. Italians call the Mona Lisa “La Gioconda” as a play on her husband ‘s name and the descriptive for a smiling or jovial woman.
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Gioconda” means the happy one—a nickname given to the great grandfather of Lisa’s husband, a barrelmaker so merry that all his descendants inherited his nickname. Italians call the Mona Lisa “La Gioconda” as a play on her husband ‘s name and the descriptive for a smiling or jovial woman.
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How many daughters did Mona Lisa have?
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She had three daughters—one died at age two and two entered nunneries.
Mona Lisa gave birth to six children—three boys and three girls—and acquired a stepson from her husband’s first marriage.
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She had three daughters—one died at age two and two entered nunneries.
Mona Lisa gave birth to six children—three boys and three girls—and acquired a stepson from her husband’s first marriage.
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Which art historian wrote a biography of Leonardo and his Mona Lisa?
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Giorgio Vasari’s account of the Mona Lisa comes from his biography of Leonardo published in 1550, 31 years after the artist’s death, and which has long been the best known source of information on the provenance of the work and identity of Leonardo.
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Giorgio Vasari’s account of the Mona Lisa comes from his biography of Leonardo published in 1550, 31 years after the artist’s death, and which has long been the best known source of information on the provenance of the work and identity of Leonardo.
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Who commissioned the painting of The Mona Lisa?
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Leonardo undertook to paint, for Francesco del Giocondo, the portrait of Mona Lisa, his wife.
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Leonardo undertook to paint, for Francesco del Giocondo, the portrait of Mona Lisa, his wife.
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Who inherited The Mona Lisa when Leonardo died?
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On his death the painting was inherited, among other works, by his pupil and assistant, Salaì.
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On his death the painting was inherited, among other works, by his pupil and assistant, Salaì.
Join the ITALIANO ALLA MANO club for weekly study plans, learning materials and tips:
How to communicate if you don’t speak or read a language? Draw it! (disegnalo)Michelangelo, of course, knew that well. It was actually a common practice in the old days to hand-draw (disegnare a mano) items for the illiterate, such as Michelangelo’s servant in this case.
I was still living in Florence when I embarked in an adventure to retrace Michelangelo’s steps while I was reading “The Agony and the Ecstasy” by Irving Stone. I learned much about il Grande Genio; that he was a humble and poor man (un uomo umile e povero), who only obtained wealth in his later years and that paper was a necessity but also a luxury (una necessità ma anche un lusso) for him; therefore, it would never go wasted. He would save and recycle scraps of paper to draw and write on. He would also destroy his sketches (i suoi schizzi) as he only wanted his polished works to be seen. I don’t think he would be happy to know that his grocery list has now gone viral on the internet! He had un caratteraccio, a temper, that’s for sure! But that is what made him great.
Casa Buonarroti in Florence, an important museum, often overlooked by tourists, is where this document is archived. It was my final emotional stop. It’s the house he built and died in after revolutionizing the world for 88 years!
Here are the 15 grocery items written in 16th century Florentine:pani dua (two loaves of bread) un bochal di vino (a bottle of wine) una aringa (a herring;a line like that over a letter or word stands in for an unwritten “n” or “m”) tortegli (tortelli)
una salama (a salame) quattro pani (four loaves of bread) un bochal di tondo (a bottle of tondo, or full ‘rotund’ wine) e un quartuccio di bruscho (a quarter of rough wine) un piattello di spinaci (a plate of spinach) quattro alice (four anchovies) tortelli (tortelli)
sei pani (six loaves of bread) due minestre di finocchio (two fennel soups) una aringa (a herring) un bochal di tondo (a bottle of tondo).
I find illustrations or drawing the vocabulary myself very useful to be able to memorize it better.
