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Art of Loving Italy

Art of Loving Italy

Art & Beauty are all around us.

An Art Blog is Born!

February 26, 2016 by Melissa Muldoon 3 Comments

The Art of Loving Italy is a website about art,
but it is also a mentality. It is a way of
seeing the world and all the beauty in it.

Are you curious about art?

Did you study Art in school — loved it — 
but now can’t remember the difference between
Renaissance and Baroque? Do you want to know more about so many arty things?

Hi! I’m Melissa… an artist, Italian language blogger, author, and an art historian. In fact, I love art history so much, I studied it in college and went on to grad school to earn a Master’s degree in the subject. This site came into being after I published my first book Dreaming Sophia published in 2016, a novel set in Italy, focusing on Italy’s colorful pageant of artists, musicians, and actors. It seems I love to learn and discover more about art, and have gone on to write three more novels set in Italy. Waking Isabella published in 2017, takes place in Arezzo and tells the story of Isabella de’ Medici and a portrait of her painted by Bronzino that goes missing during the Second World War. My third book, Eternally Artemisia was published in 2018, tells Artemisia Gentileschi’s story in a creative way weaving a contemporary storyline with hers. My fourth novel, published in December 2020, is called The Secret Life of Sofonisba Anguissola—the most famous woman you’ve never heard of and follows the adventures of a woman who Michelangelo instructed and Vasari praised, from Cremona to Rome, to Spain, and to Sicilia!

Did you know art will actually
TALK to you if you are open and stop to listen?

My posts on the Art of Loving Italy site are meant to be informative, but also fun and entertaining. I like discovering oddities and absurdities, in the art world. It is my belief that art doesn’t have to be boring or stuffy and the more I learn the more I realize that each artist or painting has an incredible story to tell. Being an art historian is a bit like being a detective. All you need to do is scratch the surface of a painting, and you will be surprised by what you will learn! his is why I delight in writing novels that focus on artists whose exploits and accomplishments deserve to be highlighted.

As Picasso once said:
“Art is the lie, that makes us realize the truth.”

I also firmly believe if you take the time to really look around you, you will discover there is beauty everywhere, from the light filtering through the trees to the tattoo of the person sitting next to you on the bus. If you open your eyes and ears you will find that paintings will actually talk to you and you will learn fascinating truths.

Follow me and I’ll take you on an “art-fantastical” journey to dive deeper into the art world!
(and Italian culture).

Let’s open our eyes (and ears) and see
what art has to say to us.
It will be a fascinating conversation!

For more information about my novels
visit my author website

Books available on Amazon


Dreaming Sophia: Because Dreaming is an art

Waking isabella: Because beauty can’t sleep forever

eternally artemisia: some loves like some women are timeless

The Secret Life of Sofonisba Anguissola

Studentessa Matta Italian Blog

You will also find me blogging in Italian on the
Studentessa Matta Dual language website

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Filed Under: Melissa Book News Tagged With: Dreaming Sophia, Melissa Muldoon

Reader Interactions

Commenti - Comments

  1. carol sansone says

    March 12, 2016 at 10:53 pm

    In bocca al lupo Melissa…..

    Reply
    • Melissa Muldoon says

      March 13, 2016 at 6:13 am

      Crepi! 😉

      Reply

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Matta per l’Italia! That’s me! La Studentessa Matta per l’Italia! That’s me! La Studentessa Matta! I’m Crazy for Italy!

Are you crazy in love with Italy and the language too? Are you learning Italian but have no one to practice with? Do you need a language coach or want to practice Italian conversation skills? Want to join an Italian Book club and read a novel in Italian?

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Join me, and let’s love Italy and Italian together! Improve your fluency and understanding of this beautiful language with me — la Matta!

For information about online language lessons with Melissa, the Studentessa Matta or to learn more and to sign up for one of the Matta 2023 Italian Language Immersion programs visit the www.StudentessaMatta.com website. Links in bio.

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Love Italy!?!? Love the language? Do I have an ide Love Italy!?!? Love the language? Do I have an idea for you! 

How about packing your bags and heading to Montepulciano, Italy to learn Italian with Melissa the Studentessa Matta? Che bello! 

2023 Matta and Il Sasso Montepulciano Language Program: September, 10 - 22

Not only will you improve your language skills, but you’ll also get to indulge in the scrumptious Italian cuisine and wine, and explore the beautiful surroundings of Tuscany. 

It’s the perfect blend of learning and adventure, and who knows, you might even make some new Italian friends along the way. 

Montepulciano is a beautiful town located in the Tuscany region of Italy. It is known for its picturesque landscapes, historic architecture, and delicious food and wine. The town has a rich cultural heritage and is home to numerous cultural events and festivals throughout the year.

Melissa the Studentessa Matta is an experienced Italian language teacher who has a passion for teaching the language and sharing her knowledge and love of Italy with others. Her language courses are designed to be immersive and engaging, and she uses a variety of teaching methods to help her students learn and practice Italian in a fun and effective way.

Learning Italian with Melissa in Montepulciano would allow you to not only improve your language skills but also experience Italian culture firsthand. You would have the opportunity to interact with locals, try authentic Italian cuisine, and visit historic landmarks and museums. By learning Italian in Montepulciano with Melissa, you would be able to take advantage of the beautiful surroundings and cultural events to enhance your learning experience.

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For more information and to sign up for the September Matta Montepulciano program find links in bio.

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The best way to keep up with your Italian is by li The best way to keep up with your Italian is by listening to audiobooks in Italian. There are lots of good books on Amazon Audible! 

Here are my latest listening stats: In the last four months, you pressed play on 23 titles, listened for 9,138 mins, averaged 76 min/day, and devoured 327 min on Feb 12. 

Il modo migliore per stare a passo con il tuo italiano e ascoltare gli audiobook. Ci sono tanti libri su amazon Audible! 

Buon ascolto! Buona lettura.

Happy listening! Happy reading!

Find Italian novels and audiobooks on the Matta Amazon Italian Page - Books, gifts & more!

Link in bio to my Amazon store page

#audiobooksItalian #Audible #AmazonAudible #AmazonItalia #StudentessaMatta #learnItalian #ReadBooks #listenbookshelfgetoutofmyway
The Italian Subjunctive — il Congiuntivo — how The Italian Subjunctive — il Congiuntivo — how to conquer this great big beautiful ugly beast!

New post on the Studentessa Matta Website!

Ah, the dreaded congiuntivo - the Italian subjunctive mood! It terrorizes many people and gives them the chills as if it were a terrifying ogre that eats innocent students for breakfast. 

Are you too afraid of this intimidating beast!? 

The Italian Subjunctive mood is not all that scary, and it's time to demystify and make friends with it! 

In a new post on the Studentessa Matta blog you will understand the congiuntivo better, what it is, what triggers it, how to conjugate it, and how to use it with many practical examples. Puoi farcela! You can do it! You can conquer and tame the subjunctive and use it like a real Italian!

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New film review of Rapiniamo il Duce (Robbing Muss New film review of Rapiniamo il Duce (Robbing Mussolini) on the Studentessa Matta blog site.

Rapiniamo il Duce (Robbing Mussolini) is a new Netflix fiction action film partially based on actual events. 

It was well-known that Mussolini had a secret stash of treasures hidden away and heavily guarded. It contained all the gold, jewels, money, paintings, and precious objects he had stolen from the Italian people in the name of Fascism. In the final days of the war, to save himself, Mussolini fled north. 

We all know what fate befell the Duce and where he ended up, but what happened to his treasure and where it is now is still a mystery. In this new movie, a band of misfit thieves set out to steal the stash in the confusion of the last days of the war. 

Read my review, listen to music from the film, and feast your eyes on some of the fantastic costumes. 

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On today's date, in 2019, "Eternally Artemisia” On today's date, in 2019, "Eternally Artemisia” was published! Publication day is always a special date to remember and celebrate as it represents a huge milestone in the life of an author! I loved writing this story and I miss the days of living in Artemisia's world! 

The novel celebrates Artemisia Gentisleschi, the 17th-Century painter; her art and spirit are shown through various lifetimes. 

The story also explores the idea that when there is a profound attachment between two souls, who experience life so intensely and passionately, they are cosmically bound together. They endure through all seasons, never fading away, and are fated to meet repeatedly.

Find your copy of "Eternally Artemisia" on Amazon in print, epub for Kindle, and as an Audiobook. Links in Bio.

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Literal translations are like a slippery banana pe Literal translations are like a slippery banana peel on a language learner’s path to fluency! 

Think of it like this: translating word for word from your native language is like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. It just doesn’t work! 

You need to learn the unique shape and style of the language you’re learning, just like you need to find the right shape and size of the puzzle piece to complete the picture.

I’ve compiled a list of expressions using FARE, PRENDERE, and AVERE to guide you. Look it over, familiarize yourself with the particular usages, and check out some idiomatic expressions using these verbs. 

Start reading and listening more in Italian; soon, your ear will recognize these expressions, which will start sounding more natural. 

And hey, if you slip on a grammatical “banana peel,” remember language learning is a journey, so just pick yourself up and keep going!

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