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Art of Loving Italy

Art of Loving Italy

Art & Beauty are all around us.

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?


No worries! I’ve got you covered!

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

All books available on Amazon, in print, epub, and audio.


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

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

Studentessa Matta Italian Blog

Subscribe to the Art of Loving Italy Blog

Follow along on Instagram @studentessamatta

Pizza night! Facciamo una pizza… o due… o tre! Pizza night! Facciamo una pizza… o due… o tre! Che bella festa!
Matta Parole della settimana Sfogarsi = let of st Matta Parole della settimana

Sfogarsi = let of steam

Tesoro, sfogarsi è una parte importante del matrimonio.
Honey, venting is a very important part of marriage.

Sarete in grado di sfogarsi, e non nascondere la rabbia.
You will be able to let off steam and not hide anger.

Credo che avesse solo bisogno di... sfogarsi un po'.
I suppose he just needed to spout off for a while.

LEARN ITALIAN. Learn Better. Learn more. 

• At HOME Conversation Practice, Lessons, Group/Private Bookclubs

• In ITALY small Group Lang Programs

• In ITALY HOMESTAY Programs

#ItalianVocabulary #StudentessaMatta #ImproveItalian #LearnItalian #PracticeItalian
Today I'm featured on Women Writer's Women's Books Today I'm featured on Women Writer's Women's Books online journal in a guest post I wrote: Thoughts on Writing and the Creative Process: How I am inspired by Italy and its Inspiring Women.

In this post — I explain my passion for Italy and why I write about Italy and famous Italian women like Sofonisba Anguissola, Artemisia Gentileschi, Isabella de’ Medici, and Sophia Loren. I also explain what I’ve been up to lately — teaching Italian, my Italian immersion programs, why I started an Italian book club, and the opportunity to interview Silvia Zucca (her book has been adapted into the hit Italian Netflix show). I talk little bit about why I write and my creative writing philosophy. I also talk about where the ideas for my past books came from and that I’m in search of my next Italian heroine for my next book.

You can find links to my author page and my author facebook page and links to the post in my Bio

#MelissaMuldoon #MelissaMuldoonAuthor #IndieAuthor #WomenWriters #WomenBooks #AuthorsInstagram #CreativeProcess #bookstagram #bookitaly #novelitaly #novelsetitaly #italyfiction #womenwritingfiction
New Blog Post on the Studentessa Matta Site: Revie New Blog Post on the Studentessa Matta Site: Review of 4 Metà (Four to Dinner): Netflix Italian Film, 2022

In a new romantic Netflix comedy, “4 Metà,” (Four to Dinner) director Alessio Maria Federici tackles the complex and burning question “do soul mates exist?” Follow four singles as they are paired up in two parallel existences, see their lives play out and decide for yourself if there really is just one person out there for each of us. Watch in original Italian, or in English

Practice vocab in the post on the Matta Quizlet site. Link in the post

Find the link toread the post on the StudentessaMatta.com site in Bio

#PracticeItalian #LearnItalian #StudentessaMatta #ItalianLanguage #ItalianFilm #AlessioMariaFederici #fourtodinner #4metà
Matta Parole della settimana Camerini = dressing Matta Parole della settimana

Camerini = dressing rooms

Dove sono i camerini per provare gli abiti da ballo. / Where are the dressing rooms to try on the ball gowns.

Il primo attore è nel suo camerino. / The lead actor is in his dressing room.

Ho sempre voluto sapere come sono i camerini di Broadway. / I’ve always wanted to know what it's like in a Broadway dressing room.

LEARN ITALIAN. Learn Better. Learn more. 

Tips, advice, and practice on the StudentessaMatta.com website. Links in Bio. 

• At HOME Conversation Practice, Lessons, Group/Private Bookclubs

• In ITALY small Group Lang Programs

• In ITALY HOMESTAY Programs

#ItalianVocabulary #StudentessaMatta #ImproveItalian #LearnItalian #PracticeItalian
Cin cin! Cin cin!
Andiamo ad Ascoli questo settembre. Learn Italian Andiamo ad Ascoli questo settembre.

Learn Italian small group programs in Italy. Arezzo in June, Lucca in sept, Ascoli in Sept. StudentessaMatta.com 

Links in bio

#studentessamatta #learnitalian

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