melissamuldoon

Sofonisba’s life is as fascinating as her character and clearly Muldoon has done her homework in terms of research. A genuine 16th century ambiance permeates the pages as Muldoon takes us on a virtual tour through the settings of King Phillip’s court in Spain, Sofonisba’s hometown of Cremona, Italy, and the island of Sicily. Also, as is representative of Muldoon’s pervious works, she infuses her own passion for art, history and Italy into this story and it’s evident though the outstanding delivery of such an intricate and engrossing tale.

Recently I published a novel about Italy called “Dreaming Sophia.” In this podcast I share with the Tutti Matti Italian listeners an interview I conducted with Sheri Hoyt for “Inside Book Scoop Live”. In this book chat you will find out more about the book, my background, and the reasons for writing the novel. Buon ascolto!

For more information about the book visit:

www.DreamingSophiaBook.com

Available for iBook 

Available on Amazon: Print & Kindle

Arezzo Antique Fair Fiera Antiquaria takes place Piazza Grande every first weekend of month. It is one of the oldest largest fairs in Italy over 400 vendors. To view transcripts of podcast in Italian and English go to http://www.studentessamatta.com/arezzo-antique-fair-fiera-antiquaria-arezzo

Hi guys! I’m Melissa la studentessa Matta! Welcome back to my channel! Are you ready to take a little stroll into history with me…and Dante and Beatrice?

Visit Matta Website for Translations: English & Italian http://www.studentessamatta.com 

For translations for this Video click this link: http://wp.me/p22bKE-3t0

To learn more about Matta Italian Language Workshops in Italy http://www.studentessamatta.com/italian-trips/

Visit the Matta Facebook page for learning tips and language fun: http://www.studentessamatta.com/learning-tips/

Find me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/studentessamatta

In this podcast I will be speaking with my friend Daniela Mancini!  Daniela is an Italian teacher at Scud’It in Rome. I had the immense pleasure of studying with Daniela last July during my language and painting program. Daniela is a lively and entertaining teacher. She has also written a book about the Subjunctive tense: Congiuntivo. Here she is to talk more about herself, her home town of Frascati, her hopes and dreams and what it is like to teach at Scud’It in Rome. See program notes in Italian and English on the Studentessa Matta Blog. www.studentessamatta.com

Today I’m back with a new podcast in which I will be talking about a wonderful Italian city - Siena! Today my guest will be Sarah Mastroianni, a young woman who was raised in Toronto in Canada - the daughter of an Italian father and a Canadian mother. Several years ago, after traveling in Italy, she fell in love with Italy and in particular, the city of Siena. Now she considers Siena her adopted town. In this podcast you will learn more about Siena and Sarah will also talk about her work, about her experiences with the language, her love for Italy and especially her passion for Siena and her reasons for moving there!

In today’s “Tutti per l’italiano” podcast we will be talking about Homestay Italian Language Vacations that are offered through the Matta Blog. Homestay Language vacations are a wonderful opportunity for you to travel in Italy and stay with an Italian teacher and their family. Nothing is more effective for learning a foreign language than to live in close contact with a tutor who is specialized in teaching their native language in the country where this language is spoken! You will become an integral part of the family, enjoying meals and domestic life, living like a true Italian. Spending an entire day in a family context, combining a few hours of “traditional” teaching to the many stimuli that daily life offers, is the most natural and less stressful way to make progress in learning a language.

In this episode we are going to be talking about an on-line learning site called italki. It is an educational site that helps foreign language learners connect with on-line teachers and chat buddies. In today’s podcast I will talk a little about my personal experiences with the italki site and you will also hear from three Italian teachers all of whom I have met through the site. They are Francesca Mazza from Lucca, Maria Fusco from Napoli and Olivia Cini originally from Tuscany, but who is currently living in Malta.

Welcome to the second part of the 2-part podcast “C’è chi viene e c’è chi va”. Last week I began to speak about the differences between living in Milan and living in San Francisco. In the first part of the podcast we heard from Gloria an Italian from the Milan area who now lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. In this second part of the podcast, we will continue to discuss the differences between San Francisco and Milan. In this episode we will hear from Christina an American from the Bay Area that has lived and worked in Italy. Both women, an American and an Italian, were transplanted into new culture in new and different countries than that which they were raised. They share similar qualities, of being independent and adventuresome, but obviously they have different and unique perspectives. They represent the flip side of the coin of living abroad as a foreigner.

In this podcast we will be discussing the differences between Milan and San Francisco in a podcast that I’m calling C’è chi viene e c’è chi va - “Those who come and those who go" - the differences between Milan and San Francisco. We will hear form two women who are similar but different. Gloria is an Italian from Milan who now lives in San Francisco. Christina is an American from San Jose, a city very close to San Francisco, who used to live in Milan. Through their experiences and insights, we will explore the flip side of Italian and American life.

In today’s episode we are talking about traveling to a foreign country for the first time and what it is like to live there for an extended period of time. We will be hearing from two young Italian girls - Antonella from Napoli in Campania and Marta from Lecce in Puglia. This past year both young Italian adventurers have travelled to the U.S and have lived in the states for several months. They will talk about their experiences, the things they discovered, the myths they dispelled, the things they liked and the things they missed about Italy.They also tell us about their future plans, and what they now want to do with their lives after having lived abroad in the United States.

In today’s podcast I will be talking about La Fortezza delle Verrucole - a castle that was built in the middle ages, in the high Garfagnana Valley, near to Lucca in Tuscany. This territory was divided and contested by two feudal lordships, the counts of Bacciano and the more powerful Gherardinghi who owned il castello delle Verrucole. The castle is currently being rennovated by a group of dedicated historians. I will talk about our visit and give you a little background about the fortress. Later in the podcast you will get the chance to listen to a short recording I made of native Italian speaker, Giulia Paltrinieri, a docent at the castel, who explains in more detail medieval customs and aspects of the castle and some of the attributes its medieval artifacts. She speaks both in Italian and provides an English translation of what she says. Buon Ascolto! 

Ciao a tutti gli ascoltatori! Now that I have ventured into the realm of podcasting, I had this really cool idea: Wouldn’t it be great to have my own “Matta” theme song or "una colonna sonora" for the “Tutti Matti per l’Italiano” podcast! In this podcast I speak in Italian and describe the process of how I found a musician and created a song that would musically refect the objectives and the upbeat nature of the Studentessa Matta blog. I aslo premier my new theme song "Vivi, Sorridi, Divertiti!"

In this podcast I present my small friend Davide. Davide has just turned eleven & this fall will begin middle school in Bardolino, on the banks of Lago di Garda. He is just a little guy, but has a lot of creativity and a big imagination! Recently I enjoyed a day trip with Davide and his parents to Gardone, to visit Villa Vittoriale, the home of the famous Italian poet Gabriele D’Annunzio. In this episode I will be talking about the outing and I will tell you a little bit about Gabriele D’Annunzio and explain why he and his villa are so important. You will also have the chance to hear for yourselves how creative my little friend Davide is, because when he returned home from our outing he was inspired to build something really impressive with his Legos. In a message he recorded he will explain to us more about his creation.

I have just returned from a fantastic trip in Italy and just can’t seem to stop talking or writing about it. In this episode of Tutti Matti per l’Italiano I will be giving a brief overview of where I went in Italy and then I will be introducing you to three great friends that I had the good fortune of meeting during my long weekend in Rome. They are Keith Preble of Parola del Giorno and author of a new book “Il vero Italiano; your guide to speaking real Italian, Lucrezia Oddone of “Learn Italian with Lucrezia You Tube videos, and Claire who writes the blog: Runaway Day Dreamer. In this podcast I’m going to be speaking entirely in Italiano! So buckle your seat belts and get ready for a full immersion podcast!

Friend, kindred spirit and fellow Italian language lover, Dianne Hales...has done it again! She has written a wonderful new book called “Mona Lisa: A Life Discovered”. In this podcast I review Dianne’s new book and Dianne Hales herself makes a guest appearance and gives us more insight into her new project. Listen to the podcast and then read the book to learn more about “la vera donna” Lisa Gherardini, the real Florentine woman, who posed for one of the most charismatic and innovative minds of the Renaissance - Leonardo da Vinci.

In today’s podcast we are talking about "la leggenda del ponte del diavolo" (the legend of The Devil’s Bridge)…or how to trick the devil and make him madder than Hell! My special guest in this episode is Daniela Bonaccorsi, one of the head teachers at Lucca Italian School. Recently I recorded Daniela as she told the story about the famous “Devil’s bridge” that crosses the River Serchio just north of the city of Lucca. This is a wonderful opportunity to listen to Daniela’s Tuscan accent and hear her version of this famous story.

In this podcast I will be talking about AFS Cultural Exchange Program. Here in America we are at the end of the American school term and summer vacation has begun. Normally this is a thing to celebrate...but for some it is a sad moment too as this year’s 2014/2015 AFS class returns to their home countries. In the podcast you will hear from two Italian girls who participated on the AFS program in the U.S Both girls will make a presentation and you will have the opportunity to hear their different voices and accents - one from the south of Italy and one from the north. You will also learn more about the AFS program and how you too can host an exchange student!

This Podcast features the leggenda di Lucida Mansi / The legend of Lucida Mansi. As the story goes...one day Lucida, a nobel woman who lived in Lucca Italy in the 1600’s, woke up to find a small wrinkle on her face and became quite desperate at the thought of aging and losing her beauty. At that moment the devil appeared who promised her that she could remain youthful and beautiful for 30 years in exchange for her soul. Listen to hear the rest of the story....and more about the wonderful walls of Lucca. Featured guest Italian speaker, Susanna of Lucca Italian School

In this podcast we are exploring the subjects of love, romanticism and lovers and how the Italians celebrate the holiday. Naturally we will talk about Italian vocabulary that has to do with Valentine’s day. We will share some some romantic films that we like and some songs. Featuring 2 Italian guest speakers.