Skip to content

Art & Beauty are all around us

Home
About
- In the News
Art Blog
Learn Italian with Melissa
- Learn Italian in Italy!
- Studentessa Matta Italian Language Site
Melissa’s Books
- Melissa Muldoon Author Site
- Amazon Author Site
Book & Gift Shop
Subscribe & Connect
- Art Loving Italy FaceBook
- Pinterest

VanGogh Imemrsive Experience

Van Gogh Immersive Experience — Walking rapidly through Art (would Vincent have approved?)

Follow along on Instagram @studentessamatta

Buon Santo Sgeveno! Festeggiamo il Thanksgiving co

Buon Santo Sgeveno! Festeggiamo il Thanksgiving con un tocco comico all’italiana

Buon Santo Sgeveno! Celebrating Thanksgiving with a comic Italian Flair

Domande su Thanksgiving: in Italia esiste?Thanksgiving Questions: Does it Exist in Italy?

Questa sarà la prima festa del ringraziamento per Francesca, la nostra figlia italiana di Puglia che sta passando l'anno scolastico con noi in america.
#BuonSantoSgeveno #HappySaintSgivin #IlgiornodiRingraziamento

Successo del Matta Book Club d’Autunno 2025!  We j

Successo del Matta Book Club d’Autunno 2025!
 We just wrapped up our 5-week deep dive into Maurizio de Giovanni’s Il Senso del Dolore — the very first novel in the Commissario Ricciardi series.

What a journey it was following Ricciardi, Enrica, Modo, Livia and Maione… and of course, all those ghosts! 
I loved every minute spent reading and chatting with you all!

And great news… The group loved the book so much that starting January 2026, I’ll be opening a new Matta Book Club to read and discuss the second novel in the series:
 👉 La Condanna del Sangue

If you’re ready for more mystery, Naples atmosphere, and Ricciardi’s haunted heart — stay tuned!

🇮🇹❤️ Grazie a tutti per aver letto con me!
 #MattaBookClub #CommissarioRicciardi #MaurizioDeGiovanni #ItalianBookClub #LearnItalian #IlSensoDelDolore #LaCondannaDelSangue #StudentessaMatta #LeggereInItaliano #BookClubItaliano

Ciao cari amici, È con il cuore pesante che vi s

Ciao cari amici,

È con il cuore pesante che vi scrivo queste righe. La nostra piccola e adorabile cagnolina Moka se n’è andata. Avrebbe compiuto quattordici anni a dicembre. È stata parte della nostra famiglia così a lungo che la sua assenza ora si sente profondamente. C’è un vuoto nel tessuto delle nostre vite… e insieme a lei, sembra che abbiamo perso un pezzetto di noi stessi.  It is with a heavy heart that I write these words. Our sweet little dog Moka has passed away. She would have turned fourteen in December. She was part of our family for so long that her absence is felt deeply. There is a hole in the fabric of our lives… and with her passing, it feels as though we have lost a small part of ourselves.

🇮🇹 Un consiglio dalla Matta 🇮🇹 Matta Italian Lan

🇮🇹 Un consiglio dalla Matta 🇮🇹

Matta Italian Language Tip!

In questo periodo dell’anno i canili e i rifugi si riempiono di animali in cerca di una casa. Forse la storia di Moka potrà ispirarti ad aprire il cuore e adottare un amico peloso.

At this time of year, animal shelters begin to fill up with animals looking for a home. Perhaps Moka’s story will inspire you to open your heart and adopt a furry friend.

Increase your Italian Vocabulary with “Dog” Friendly words:

cucciolo/cucciola = puppy

cagnolino/cagnolina = little dog

meticcio/metticcia = mixed-breed dog

randagio/randagia = stray dog

muso = snout (used affectionately: “che bel musino!”)

musetto = little snout

zampe = paws

tenerone / tenerona = softie, affectionate pup

giocherellone / giocherellona = playful dog

trovatello / trovatella = rescue dog / found stray

fido = classic old-fashioned name for dogs

Learn Italian with la Studentessa Matta, visit StudentessaMatta.com for more language learning tips!

Un cucciolo adorabile e una storia d’amore a quatt

Un cucciolo adorabile e una storia d’amore a quattro zampe

An adorable puppy and a four-legged love story

Ciao cari amiciHello friends

È con il cuore pesante che vi scrivo queste righe. La nostra piccola e adorabile cagnolina Moka se n’è andata. Avrebbe compiuto quattordici anni a dicembre. È stata parte della nostra famiglia così a lungo che la sua assenza ora si sente profondamente.
#Cagnolino #Cucciolo #ItalianVocabulary #ItalianWords #Moka #studentessamatta #VitaItaliana

https://www.studentessamatta.com/moka-il-cagnolino-storia-studentessa-matta/

From September 12–21, 2026, I will once again coll

From September 12–21, 2026, I will once again collaborate with Paola Testi, the director of Cultura Italiana Arezzo, to offer an extraordinary full-immersion Italian experience in a beautiful villa with a pool in Rigutino, just outside Arezzo.

I am absolutely thrilled to be creating a wonderful new opportunity for all Italian students: September 2026 will bring an extraordinary experience — a language-learning retreat in a Tuscan villa nestled in the countryside, enriched with special cultural activities, including open-air morning art sessions and relaxed afternoon Italian lessons all in the same inspiring setting!

10 days / 9 nights in a private Tuscan villa with a pool.

15 hours of Italian classes with teachers from Cultura Italiana Arezzo

Classes for all levels taught right in the villa in the afternoons

8 meals included

Watercolor workshop with Laura Ghezzi

Yoga and pilates by the pool

Wine tastings, cooking lessons, and creative activities

Excursions to Arezzo, Cortona, Montepulciano, Pienza, and Bagno Vignoni

It’s the power of experience: when your hands are busy, your mind opens, and Italian comes out more spontaneously.

Find more Tips for Learning Italian on the StudentesaMatta.com website.

#StudentessaMatta #ItalianLanguageProgram #learnitalian #studentessamatta.com #italianlanguageimmersion

🇮🇹 Un consiglio dalla Matta 🇮🇹  Matta Italian Lang

🇮🇹 Un consiglio dalla Matta 🇮🇹  Matta Italian Language Tip!

Imparare con le Mani e con il Cuore… e l’Arte!

LEARNING WITH YOUR HANDS AND YOUR HEART…AND ART!

Join us in a VILLA in Tuscany next September 12–21, 2026 for language learning and cultural activities!

10 days / 9 nights in a private Tuscan villa with a pool.

15 hours of Italian classes with teachers from Cultura Italiana Arezzo

Classes for all levels taught right in the villa in the afternoons

8 meals included

Watercolor workshop with Laura

Yoga and pilates by the pool

Wine tastings, cooking lessons, and creative activities

Excursions to Arezzo, Cortona, Montepulciano, Pienza, and Bagno Vignoni

When you paint with watercolor alongside Laura, you’re not just creating art — you’re learning Italian in a natural, relaxed way. In Italian we say “imparare facendo” (learning by doing), and it’s one of the most effective methods: while you choose colors, listen to instructions, and describe your brushes or your feelings, the language flows into you effortlessly.  It’s the power of experience: when your hands are busy, your mind opens, and Italian comes out more spontaneously.

Find more Tips for Learning Italian on the StudentesaMatta.com website.

#StudentessaMatta #ItalianLanguageProgram #LearnItalian

© 2025 Art of Loving Italy • Site Design & Development by Bellano Web Studio

About
Art / Artists
Blog
Books by Melissa set in Italy Celebrating Art
In the News
Learn Italian in Italy!
Learn Italian with Melissa
Melissa Muldoon Guest Posts for other publications
Melissa Muldoon’s Italian Language Learning Sites
New Home
Pinterest
Store / Affiliates
Subscribe and Connect via Email & Social Media

Search for: