Buondì.
Things have calmed down here at OIC HQ, as we’re now down to just the one stray, Roomie, who’s been with us for over five months now. Doesn’t time fly, when there are diapers to change and songs to sing?
That said, stuff has rather piled up, so I’ll keep this short and to the point.
Episode 5 in our summer series on The Renaissance is ready for you. This is quite a short one, so it shouldn’t be a problem for you to find a few minutes to read/listen to. Bet you have more time than we do!
Il Rinascimento, Episodio 6. Il David, simbolo del Rinascimento (1501-1504)
Episodes 1-5 of this year’s Summer Series, along with those from 2020 (The Romans) and 2021 (The Middle ages), can be found on our History page.
Not interested in history? But you are, I assume, interested in improving your Italian reading and listening skills? To which end, you need to practice, and it’s not that there are unlimited free audio recordings (with transcripts) out there, with which you can do that.
Practice material is precious. Don’t turn your nose up at stuff just because the topic doesn’t immediately grab you. Beginners’ mistake.
A lunedì, allora.
P.S. Final Reminder about our WW1 ‘trenches’ easy reader ebook
More history, sorry. But history is long, so there are lots of good stories to tell!
The 25% discount on this week’s new ‘easy reader’ ebook, Vita in trincea, ends on Sunday night.
If you’re into rats and decaying corpses, and/or like to save a bob or two, consider yourself reminded!
So, a conscript army is defending Italy from the Austro-Hungarians. New recruits Rino and Felice have been marching, footsore, towards the trenches, which are carved high up in the rocks of the Alps. They’re almost there, and excited, but what’s that terrible smell?
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Tra il 1915 e il 1917, durante la Prima Guerra Mondiale, l’esercito italiano e quello austriaco si scontrano nella zona montana delle Alpi Carniche, vicino al fiume Isonzo. I militari italiani, reclutati in tutta Italia, vengono mandati al fronte.
“La terra delle montagne, qui, ha un odore strano, una puzza terribile a dire la verità. Non è come a casa” dice Rino a suo fratello Felice a bassa voce, mentre il rumore di molti stivali come i loro marca il ritmo della marcia. “Ancora pochi minuti e arriviamo alla trincea, accelerate il passo!” comanda un ufficiale che cammina poco avanti a loro.
Gli stivali sono scomodi, con il fondo di cartone e i chiodi sulla suola sottile. I piedi dei soldati sanguinano dopo le lunghe ore di cammino al freddo sulle Alpi. L’odore, intanto, è sempre più forte. “Questa puzza viene sicuramente dalla trincea” pensa Rino di nuovo. Felice gli stringe un braccio e dice: “Non ce la faccio più, lo giuro. Devo fermarmi un poco” mentre va avanti a fatica. Rino lo incoraggia: “E dai, che stiamo arrivando, resisti!”
- .pdf e-book (+ audio available free online)
- .mobi (Kindle-compatible) and .epub (other ebook readers) available on request at no extra charge – just add a note to the order form or email us
- 8 chapters to read and listen to
- Comprehension questions to check your understanding
- Italian/English glossary of ‘difficult’ terms for the level
- Suitable for students at intermediate level or above
- Download your Free Sample Chapter (.pdf)
Buy Vita in trincea | Free Sample Chapter (.pdf) | History-themed ebooks | Catalog
Not B1/2 level (yet)? There are plenty of other ebook options from beginner to advanced in our online Catalog, all with downloadable free sample chapters and FREE online audio!
How do I access my ebook?
When your order is ‘completed’ (normally immediately after your payment), a download link will be automatically emailed to you. It’s valid for 7 days and 3 download attempts so please save a copy of the .pdf ebook in a safe place. Other versions of the ebook, where available, cannot be downloaded but will be emailed to people who request them. There’s a space to do that on the order form – where it says Additional information, Order notes (optional). If you forget, or if you have problems downloading the .pdf, don’t worry! Email us at the address on the website and we’ll help. Also, why not check out our FAQ?
P.P.S.
Thursday’s FREE bulletin of ‘easy’ Italian news was published yesterday…
Subscribers will have been sent it automatically, then. But anyone can read/listen to it, at any time, for FREE, by visiting EasyItalianNews.com.
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OnlineItalianClub.com | EasyItalianNews.com | EasyReaders.org (ebooks) | NativeSpeakerTeachers.com (1-1 lessons)
Lynne F says
What more could I ask for, this resource is brilliant Daniel. The insight into Italian history, links for people like me with time on my hands, or should I say who make time to explore, and the opportunity to improve my Italian. The link to Dante proved this. When you first published it I struggled and quickly gave up but after reading the link I could see how my understanding of Italian had improved. I have promised myself I will return to it after this series has ended.
During these history series, there have been some quite bloody episodes, this episode had me chuckling as I pictured the two artists, paintbrushes ready to commence battle. 🙂
Daniel says
Many thanks for taking the trouble to comment, Lynne. I’m happy you like the material, and that your Italian is improving, of course.
Anita says
Very interesting chapters about the backgrounds of Michelangelo and Leonardo. I am learning a lot about Italian Renaissance and, of course, improving my Italian listening and reading.
Many thanks for the useful links!
Daniel says
Thanks for taking time to leave feedback, Anita. We appreciate it!