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Instantly Italy

Italian speaking practice and grammar tutoring

[Hidden Italy] Santuario di Vicoforte: Seeing a Church from a Different Point of View

12/03/2025

Visiting the Santuario di Vicoforte in Piedmont is a truly unique experience
If you want to read this article in Italian, you can find a downloadable bilingual PDF file in
Your Italian Toolbox, the page where I upload all language-learning materials, under the section Miscellaneous (You can access the page by subscribing to my newsletter.)

Piedmont offers a truly unique experience that I have been meaning to try for a very long time.

I live in Liguria, but my town is quite close to Cuneo and its province, so I know the area quite well. It’s a common destination for day trips because there is a lot to see there (and great restaurants to try!). There’s a place in particular that is quite popular: Vicoforte.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Visiting Italy Leave a Comment

[Italian Grammar] Modal Verbs: How To Use Potere, Volere, and Dovere in Italian

11/26/2025

How To Use Dovere, Potere and Volere in Italian
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Do you know how to use the Italian verbs potere, volere, and dovere?

Those three verbs are modal verbs, and in this post, you’ll find a detailed explanation of how to use them.

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Why Keeping a Reading Journal is Beneficial for Your Italian Reading Practice

10/08/2025

Keeping a reading journal can help your Italian reading practice and here's why
Subscribe to the Vespa rides and get full access to Your Italian Toolbox, a library of language learning materials that you can use to practice Italian.

I’ve been dreaming of reading in English ever since I started studying the language.

I was only 12 when I started studying English in school (my English should be better, I know!), and I was already a very avid reader. When I began attending English classes and fell in love with the language, I immediately understood that it could be a tool I could use to be freer.

[Read more…]

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What To Do in Ivrea, an Unsung Gem in the North of Italy

10/02/2025

A post about Ivrea and what to do there
Subscribe to the Vespa rides and get full access to Your Italian Toolbox, a library of language learning materials that you can use to practice Italian.

“Can you recommend an off-the-beaten-path location in Italy?” is a question I get quite frequently.

TheHidden Italy section in this blog was born precisely as a way to answer that question and shine a light on lesser-known places that, in my opinion, deserve wider recognition. And this is absolutely the case with Ivrea, a quaint little town in northern Piedmont, which I recently visited.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Visiting Italy 4 Comments

[Hidden Italy] A Castle Inhabited by the Same Family for 900 Years

09/25/2025

There is an historic castle in Piedmont that is really worth a visit. It's the Masino Castle near Ivrea.
Subscribe to the Vespa rides and get full access to Your Italian Toolbox, a library of language learning materials that you can use to practice Italian.

One of my favorite hobbies is visiting the precious historic buildings that make Italy so unique and special.

I love history and art, so every visit to one of these places is a chance to learn more about Italy’s past and life in the country. This is why I am a proud member of FAI, the Fondo Ambiente Italiano, a non-profit organization whose role is to protect and enhance Italy’s historical and artistic heritage.

[Read more…]

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Ciao!

My name is Cinzia and Italy is the place I call home.

Books feed my soul, music fills my days and travelling makes my life richer. I am a day dreamer, tireless walker and believer in the power of little things.

I’ve created Instantly Italy to take you to Italy with me and explore together this crazy but “oh so lovely” country. Read More…

Latest from the blog

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San Pellegrino Terme is known because it's the place where the world-famous sparkling water is produced. But there's more than that.

[Hidden Italy] San Pellegrino Terme, the City of Water and Much More

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