“Language shapes the way we think about the reality that surround us, language shapes the way we talk about things” — with these words Francesca Branca, Head of Studies and Italian department coordinator at Taalhuis, welcomed visitors at the Festa della lingua italiana last Saturday 24 October. Certainly, a day where the Italian language shaped the Taalhuis building with people who love the Italian language and culture.
From lectures to workshops, live performances by a wide range of artists and organisations, and of course artisanal products and delicious food and drinks. A day full of connections and discoverings to celebrate Week of the Italian Language in the World (Settimana della Lingua Italiana nel Mondo) in Amsterdam. Our school was happy to welcome all kinds of people with a hype for Italy: language learners, Italians missing a taste of home, or simply Italian culture lovers.
Together with partners, speakers, artists and visitors we brought “una bottiglia di vino, un pugno di terra, il cielo azzurro” from Italy to Amsterdam to celebrate this Lingua Geniale.
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“Lingua geniale: ideare, progettare, creare con l’italiano”.
The theme of this year’s Week of the Italian Language is “Lingua Geniale” (Brilliant Language): Italian, a ‘brilliant’ language rooted in a long and rich history and tradition, showcases the very best of Italian excellence to the world — from technology, science and engineering to design, fashion, gastronomy, literature, art and history. In doing so, it contributes to shaping a dynamic and forward-looking image of Italy.” (Source)
Our school has been teaching Italian for many years, and we’re proud to have welcomed so many students who made this “Lingua Geniale” their own.
A program that brought Italian soil to Amsterdam
Culture, flavours and experiences all in one place. The day kicked off with the mercato, where visitors browsed books at the Alfabeto Libri pop-up, discovered artworks by Italian artists Julia Bridge and Momentiblu, and enjoyed delicious bites from Foldo Piadina and pasta, coffee and more products from Livera. Levende Talen also hosted an informative stand and Italstudio was there for those interested in studying Italian in Italy. Other organisations, including Roma Aeterna, and Dante Alighieri, were also present in our hall.
“It’s all about the connection between the Netherlands and Italy, the language connections and the cultural connections. And it has been really interesting to see how people reacted to that. I am very happy to see that so many people are interested in Italian language and culture”
Arnold Witte,
President – Dante Alighieri Amsterdam
Visitors had the opportunity to meet Carmelinda Gentile, who delighted the audience with a reading and book signing of “E alla fine diventai Betty Boop”. Our Italian teachers, Marzia and Chiara, hosted a drop-in pasta-making workshop, where participants learned how to make busiate, a traditional Sardinian pasta.
Wine lovers were treated to two tasting sessions led by sommelier Barbara Summa, who took us on a journey through Italy’s volcanic landscapes, travelling from north to south through its wines.
For those looking to unwind, featuring more than five Italian classics, our cinema room offered a spot to sit back and relax. Mini Italian lessons also took place throughout the day, showcasing one of our signature in-house activities.
Coffee, torta della nonna, cocktails, and delicious pasta dishes and bites prepared by Sardinian food experts Pasta Pradijs, as well as original piadine by Foldo Piadina were served throughout the day.
Learning more about the Lingua Geniale from the experts
The programme also included a series of four lectures, during which speakers shared their expertise on different aspects of Italian culture.
The lectures kicked off with a full house for our Italian teacher Luca Di Maio, who explored contemporary Italian music through five iconic Italian songs, sharing his knowledge and passion for the country’s musical landscape.
Koen de Groot, a historian specialising in the Papal Zouaves (the subject of his 2023 monograph), editor at Historisch Café Amsterdam and editor-in-chief of the journal Roma Aeterna, gave a lecture entitled De Nederlandse zoeaven en het Italiaans (1860–1870).
Carmen van den Bergh, Assistant Professor of Italian Literature at Leiden University, presented her current research project, Giacomo Prampolini, the Polyglot Prodigy.
Arnold de Witte, president of Dante Alighieri Amsterdam, art historian at the University of Amsterdam (UvA) and a true Italy enthusiast, explored the topic of Between ‘italsimpatia’ and cultural diplomacy.
To round off the lecture series, our Italian teacher and PhD in Italian Studies, Valentina Abbatelli, delighted the audience with her lecture, Shaping a National Identity: Italian TV from the 1950s to the 1970s.
“Settimana della lingua italiana is to celebrate italian language, italian culture. But it is more than travelling to Italy. I saw a lot of Italian here but I saw also a lot of Dutch people who wanted to learn Italian language and culture and dive deeper into some details”
Carmen van den Bergh
Assistant professor Italian Literature – Leiden University
Live performances got everyone moving!
We learnt (and laughed) the art of improvisational theatre… in Italian! The most fun-filled part of the day was brought to us by Amsterdaje, a group of Italians specialising in improvisational theatre. Not only did they put on a show that kept the audience entertained, but they also offered visitors an interactive experience combining Italian conversation with theatre techniques.
Participants learned how to use their bodies to express themselves alongside their language skills, play, and explore the many possibilities of the Lingua geniale.
“It has been really nice, we had a lot of fun. It is really important for the Italian community in Amsterdam to organise events like this”.
Alessandro Cinta,
Theatre impro teacher – Amsterdaje.
The day came to a close with the beautiful music of Acquaria Trio, a Southern Italian-Dutch folk band that got everyone dancing. And to honour the Italian words we also sang along to the Italian hit “Parole, parole”, accompanied by the Taalhuis band.
Grazie per aver trascorso un sabato italiano con noi!