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Studentessa Matta

Cultural Anecdotes & Current Affairs

  • amici italiani
  • Amici, Friends
  • Curiosities & Current Affairs
  • Guest Posts & Interviews
  • Italian Culture
  • Matta Life
  • Learning Italian in Arezzo: Peace, Festivals, Antique Markets & Everyday Adventures

    Learning Italian in Arezzo: Peace, Festivals, Antique Markets & Everyday Adventures

  • Sanremo 2026: Laura Pausini “Back Home,” Festival History, Iconic Moments, and Winners

    Sanremo 2026: Laura Pausini “Back Home,” Festival History, Iconic Moments, and Winners

  • Matta Reading Passport: 10-Blog Post Italian Reading Challenge (Earn a 30-Min. Lesson)

    Matta Reading Passport: 10-Blog Post Italian Reading Challenge (Earn a 30-Min. Lesson)

  • Italian New Year’s Traditions: Lentils, Red Underwear & Lucky Superstitions

    Italian New Year’s Traditions: Lentils, Red Underwear & Lucky Superstitions

  • Between Christmas and New Year: When Time Slips Off the Wall Like a Dalí Clock

    Between Christmas and New Year: When Time Slips Off the Wall Like a Dalí Clock

  • The Matta Method: Best ways to learn Italian at home

    The Matta Method: Best ways to learn Italian at home

  • How to Stop Forgetting Italian Vocabulary (and Finally Make It Stick)

    How to Stop Forgetting Italian Vocabulary (and Finally Make It Stick)

  • Schianto: Italian Word That Packs a Punch!

    Schianto: Italian Word That Packs a Punch!

  • Moka: The Little Dog Who Taught Us Love, Language… and Sweetness

    Moka: The Little Dog Who Taught Us Love, Language… and Sweetness

  • Why are you learning Italian? Share Your Story on the Matta Blog!

    Why are you learning Italian? Share Your Story on the Matta Blog!

  • Farewell to the Pope, words of hope, and a pinch of papal history!

    Farewell to the Pope, words of hope, and a pinch of papal history!

  • Rimettiamoci in sesto! Let’s get back on our feet!

    Rimettiamoci in sesto! Let’s get back on our feet!

  • Ladri col cuore? Thieves with a heart? Only in Italy and only at Easter

    Ladri col cuore? Thieves with a heart? Only in Italy and only at Easter

  • Colazione all’italiana! Ordering breakfast at the bar like a local

    Colazione all’italiana! Ordering breakfast at the bar like a local

  • “Da Mario”: How One Preposition Turns a Restaurant into a Home

    “Da Mario”: How One Preposition Turns a Restaurant into a Home

  • White Nights & Red Peppers: Colorful Italian Idioms You Can’t Translate

    White Nights & Red Peppers: Colorful Italian Idioms You Can’t Translate

  • Gaga e Matta: Condividiamo lo Stesso Compleanno!

    Gaga e Matta: Condividiamo lo Stesso Compleanno!

  • Beavers Chomp Through Bureaucracy. Build Better Dam than Human Engineers

    Beavers Chomp Through Bureaucracy. Build Better Dam than Human Engineers

  • Renaissance Rascals and Medici Hunting Gadgets that Wreaked Havoc in Florence

    Renaissance Rascals and Medici Hunting Gadgets that Wreaked Havoc in Florence

  • San Biagio’s Day: The Milanese Tradition of Blessing Leftover Panettone

    San Biagio’s Day: The Milanese Tradition of Blessing Leftover Panettone

  • Benvenuto ad Arezzo! Paola Testi, direttrice di Cultura Italiana, ed io siamo felici di accoglierti!

    Benvenuto ad Arezzo! Paola Testi, direttrice di Cultura Italiana, ed io siamo felici di accoglierti!

  • Viva la Befana! The magic Christmas witch!

    Viva la Befana! The magic Christmas witch!

  • Il cane ha mangiato il Panettone!

    Il cane ha mangiato il Panettone!

  • facciamo-yoga-parole-italiane-per-descrivere-yoga-posizioni

    Facciamo Yoga in Italiano! Respira, Allunga, Rilassati — Ritrova la serenità

  • Gobble Up the Good Times: Let the Thanksgiving Festivities Begin!

    Gobble Up the Good Times: Let the Thanksgiving Festivities Begin!

  • Tacchino Arrotolato: Rolling Up Thanksgiving with Italian Flair

    Tacchino Arrotolato: Rolling Up Thanksgiving with Italian Flair

  • The Fontana Sisters: How Three Women Transformed Italian Fashion

    The Fontana Sisters: How Three Women Transformed Italian Fashion

  • Sophia Loren Grauman Theater

    Step into Sophia Loren’s shoes / Fare un passo nei panni di Sophia Loren

  • Mastering Italian Pronunciation: The Double Trouble with Mispronouncing Italian Words

    Mastering Italian Pronunciation: The Double Trouble with Mispronouncing Italian Words

  • 2025 Matta Arezzo Language Program in Italy! Join me in Piazza Grande!

    2025 Matta Arezzo Language Program in Italy! Join me in Piazza Grande!

  • 2024 Italian Olympics: Cheesy Tales, Lost Rings, Historic Wins & Unexpected Fails!

    2024 Italian Olympics: Cheesy Tales, Lost Rings, Historic Wins & Unexpected Fails!

  • Cinema sotto il sole: Italian Films for Your Perfect Summer Escape!

    Cinema sotto il sole: Italian Films for Your Perfect Summer Escape!

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Dal profumo di caffè al panico al bancone: sopravv Dal profumo di caffè al panico al bancone: sopravvivere alla colazione italiana!

From scent of coffee to panic at the counter: how to survive ordering Italian breakfast like a pro!

Colazione all’italiana! Ordering breakfast at the bar like a local
How to Order Breakfast Like an Italian: Coffee & Pastries at the Bar

Sei in Italia. È presto.
#CoffeeAndCornetto #FareColazione #ItalianBarEtiquette #ItalianBreakfastVibes #LearnItalianWithMatta #studentessamatta
🇮🇹 Un consiglio dalla Matta 🇮🇹 Matta Italian Langu 🇮🇹 Un consiglio dalla Matta 🇮🇹
Matta Italian Language Tip!

☕ Fare una bella figura al bar

Making a Good Impression at an Italian Coffee Bar

Want to order your espresso like a local? 🇮🇹

In my newest post on StudentessaMatta.com (for A1 to B1 Italian learners), you’ll learn the Italian you need to confidently order coffee al bar.

Here’s a little cultural tip to help you fare una bella figura (make a good impression):

💧 If your espresso comes with a small glass of still or sparkling water, many Italians take a sip before drinking their coffee. The water cleanses the palate so you can better appreciate the aroma and flavor of the espresso.

You may have heard that drinking the water after your espresso insults the barista. It’s a fun story... but mostly café folklore. Many Italians drink the water afterward simply because they’re thirsty or want to refresh their palate before heading back to work. Most baristas won’t think twice about it.

The real secret to fare una bella figura isn’t memorizing every unwritten rule. It’s appreciating the culture, being courteous, and speaking even a little Italian with confidence. 

One espresso.
One new word.
 One small conversation.

That’s how fluency grows.

👉 Read the full article on StudentessaMatta.com and join me in Italy for an immersive Italian language adventure where you’ll practice your Italian one espresso at a time!
Sono a Vancouver, in Canada, per festeggiare il 4° Sono a Vancouver, in Canada, per festeggiare il 4° compleanno di Ty e il 2° compleanno di Lu! 🎉🎂 Tanti auguri a questi due adorabili cuccioli, che riempiono ogni giornata di sorrisi, energia e tanta gioia! ❤️🎈
A Quick Shot of Italian for Your Daily Routine Un A Quick Shot of Italian for Your Daily Routine

Una rapida dose di italiano per la tua routine quotidiana — for A1-B1 Learners

Un caffè al bar
A Coffee at the Café

Uno dei modi più piacevoli per praticare l'italiano è entrare in un bar. Non serve una conversazione lunga. Bastano poche parole: un saluto, un ordine e un sorriso.
#CoffeeinItalian #EverydayItalian #Italiangrammar #italianlanguage #Italianvocabulary #LearnItalian #MattaEspresso #SpeakItalian #StudentessaMatta
One of the greatest joys of writing novels set in One of the greatest joys of writing novels set in Italy is hearing from readers who experience the places I’ve written about firsthand. 

This is Lauretta, whom I had the pleasure of meeting in Arezzo this June. Originally from San Francisco, she’s spending the summer in beautiful Arezzo studying Italian at Cultura Italiana Arezzo, my wonderful partner language school.

Lauretta speaks Italian beautifully and recently sent me this message:

“Ciao Melissa, sono Lauretta d’Arezzo. Sto leggendo il tuo libro, Il risveglio di Isabella, e mi piace moltissimo! Mi aiuta ad ampliare il mio vocabolario. Penso che i romanzi che parlino dei fatti veri della storia siano molto interessanti. Grazie per aver scritto Il Risveglio di Isabella.”

Grazie, Lauretta! ❤️ Sono davvero felice che il romanzo ti stia piacendo.

Il risveglio di Isabella is set against the backdrop of Arezzo, Tuscany, and follows an American art historian who uncovers a centuries old mystery linking a missing Renaissance masterpiece, the tragic life of Isabella de’ Medici, and a young woman living in wartime Italy. Blending art, history, romance, and suspense, the novel is a journey through Tuscany’s rich past that inspires one woman to rediscover her own creativity and purpose.

Available now on Amazon in paperback, Kindle ebook, and Audible audiobook.
Happy reading... or as we say in Italy, buona lettura! 🇮🇹❤️

#StudentessaMatta #IlRisvegliodiIsabella #WakingIsabella #ItalianLanguage #Arezzo
🇮🇹 Un consiglio dalla Matta 🇮🇹 Matta Italian Langu 🇮🇹 Un consiglio dalla Matta 🇮🇹
Matta Italian Language Tip!

When it comes to comparing things in Italian! 

(Read the latest blog post on the http://StudentessaMatta.com )

Comparing things is something we do every day. We compare prices, restaurants, cities, wines, calories… and even grammar rules! In Italian, you’ll hear three different verbs for making comparisons: confrontare, paragonare, and comparare. They may all translate as to compare, but each has its own nuance. And watch out for one particularly sneaky false friend: confrontare.

Confrontare = to compare two or more things side by side to identify their similarities and differences. This is the verb Italians use most often in everyday conversation when comparing prices, cities, restaurants, books, wines, or just about anything else.

Paragonare = to compare by drawing a likeness or placing one thing on the same level as another. It often has a more figurative, descriptive, or literary feel.

Comparare = also means to compare, but it’s much less common in spoken Italian. You’ll mainly encounter it in formal, legal, bureaucratic, or technical language.

And most importantly... Confrontare ≠ to confront

In Italian, confrontare has nothing to do with 
challenging or confronting someone.

You confrontare two wines.
You don’t confront the waiter!

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  • Blog
    • Italian Language Learning, Tips, Motivation
    • Art & Artists
    • Cultural Anecdotes & Current Affairs
    • Food & Wine
    • History, Holidays, Festivals
    • Literature, Music, Film
    • Traveling, Cities, Excursions
    • Matta Posts with Quizlet Vocabulary Flashcards
    • Sofia la piccola Matta teaches beginner Italian to children
    • Blog Signup
  • About
    • Get to know Melissa
    • What people are saying…
    • Matta Guest Posts
    • Other sites by Melissa
      • Melissa Muldoon Author Site
      • Art of Loving Italy Blog
      • Pinterest Art of Loving Italy
      • Matta Youtube Channel
      • Matta Music Spotify Playlist
      • Matta Podcast
    • News, Awards
    • Studentessa Matta Theme Song
    • Why are you learning Italian? Share Your Story
  • Learn with Melissa
    • Online Lessons + Conversation
    • Learn in Italy with Melissa
    • Join the Matta Italian Book Club — Private & Group Reading Experiences
    • Matta Quizlet Interactive Flashcards
      • Book Club Vocabulary: Io Non Ho Paura
      • Book Club Vocabulary: Guida Astrologica
      • 2022 Italian Words of Week
      • 2021 Italian Words of Week
  • Learn in Italy
    • Matta Travel Programs – Study in Italy with Melissa
      • 2027 June Matta Arezzo Italian Program
      • 2026 September Matta Tuscan Villa Language Program
      • 2026 September Matta & ItalianME Florence Language Program
      • 2026 Arezzo Jousting Festival September Weekend Program
      • Matta Travel Philosophy
    • Previous Matta Language Programs Italy
    • Italian Language Homestay Vacations
    • Walk in Italy Day Experience / Italian Lesson in Italy
  • BookClub
    • About BookClub
    • Commissario Ricciardi: Il posto di ognuno
    • Commissario Ricciardi: Condanna del sangue
    • Commissario Ricciardi:Il senso del dolore
    • Il Treno dei Bambini
    • La Libreria dei Gatti Neri
    • Brodetto galeotto
    • Io non ho paura
    • Quattro metà
    • Prima regola non innamorarsi
    • Il risveglio di Isabella
    • Guida astrologica per cuori infranti
    • Book Club Resource Hub
  • Novels
    • Melissa Muldoon Author Website
    • Amazon Author Page
      • Buy Dreaming Sophia
      • Buy Waking Isabella
      • Buy Il Risveglio di Isabella
      • Buy Eternally Artemisia
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