2 Passi 4 Chiacchiere
By University of Warwick
Hosted by Simona Di Martino, the podcast is composed of brief, friendly chats with many different guests about aspects of Italian Culture, including food, history, arts, pop culture, and many more.
The podcast is useful to practice listening in Italian, for both beginners and advanced-level speakers, while discovering more about the Bel Paese. Every episode is marked with a number of stars to indicate its difficulty, ranging from * (beginners) to **** (advanced).
2 Passi 4 ChiacchiereJan 27, 2023
Il Festival di Sanremo **
Elementary/Intermediate level.
In this episode my friend Anna Maria and I have a chat about the famous Italian Sanremo Festival, usually happening in February. Ever heard of it? The Sanremo Music Festival, also called 'Il Festival della canzone italiana' (the Italian Song Festival) is the most popular Italian song contest and awards ceremony, held annually in the city of Sanremo, Liguria, which is also famous for producing spectacular flowers. Not many people know this is the Festival that inspired the annual Eurovision Song Contest. It is the longest-running annual TV music competition in the world on a national level (since 1951). During the competition, Italian popular singers and bands perform a new song for the very first time in from of the public while being accompanied by the orchestra. The winner of the competition goes straight to the Eurovision Song Contest.
The Festival is a very traditional family event in Italy and has the power to reunite the entire nation on the sofa for several nights in a row. The Sanremo Festival, after all, is the 'Italian Super Bowl'.
I fumetti italiani ***
Upper intermediate/Advanced level
In this episode my friend Silvia and I dive into the world of Italian comics. Although you are most likely to know about French comics (like Asterix and Obelix) or maybe American strips (how to forget the Peanuts?) Italian comics are out there too, and they are pretty amazing! We talk about the fortune of the genre and go back in time by reminiscing about W.I.T.C.H., Diabolik, Lupo Alberto, but also the contemporary and popular Zerocalcare (also to be found on Netflix, if you really don't want to read!). We really hope you'll become comic books addicts as we are. Have fun!
La pallacanestro italiana*
Beginner level.
In this episode, Michela and I talk about sport, and particularly retrace the story of the Italian basketball, called 'pallacanestro'. Michela explains why she loves it, when her passion originated, discusses why Italian basketball is less popular than football, and introduces us to Italian champions such as Marco Bellinelli, the first Italian basketball player to win the NBA championship, and Cecilia Zandalasini.
Il commissario Montalbano ***
Upper intermediate level.
Have you ever heard of inspector Salvo Montalbano? He is the Italian 'Sherlock Holmes': solving mysteries and punishing criminals are Montalbano's bread and butter. In this episode, I discuss with Alessandra the detective novels written by Andrea Camilleri and the Italian TV series broadcasted by RAI (the Italian national TV) that stems from them. The episodes are located in the imaginary town of Vigata, Sicily, which is based on Camilleri's native Porto Empedocle. The TV series involves the use of Sicilian dialect (very funny) and includes a lot of culinary specialities.
Il conservatorio in Italia **
Elementary/Intermediate level.
In this episode of '2 Passi 4 Chiacchiere' my friend Debora and I talk about Music Conservatories in Italy. Debora, who has been studying piano for more than ten years and still attends courses at the Music Conservatory of her hometown - Pesaro, in the Marche region - explains how 'Conservatori di musica' insert themselves into the Italian school system and why studying music and composition is so pivotal in the Italian culture. We also dive into Italian brilliant and acclaimed opera festivals and homage the great composer Gioacchino Rossini, born in Pesaro.
Do you know the world-famous aria 'Largo al factotum?' (Make way for the factotum) It is from The Barber of Seville by Rossini, sung at the first entrance of the title character, Figaro!
La pasta alla carbonara **
Elementary level.
Have you ever heard of 'pasta alla carbonara'? If not, this is the episode to discover what it is about, and if yes, challenge your knowledge with this episode on the origin of this world-famous pasta seasoning! Marco and I talk about it, discuss variations of our favourite recipe, and complain if we hear that someone uses sour cream!
Let be inspired by this tasty Italian pasta dish from Rome made with eggs, hard cheese (Pecorino romano, Parmesan or a mix), cured pork (guanciale or pancetta), and black pepper. And if you are a vegetarian... fear not! Marco even heard about a vegan version of it!
Fontane di Roma ***
Intermediate level. In this new episode of '2 Passi 4 Chiacchiere' I chat with my friend Bea, who is from Rome. Of course there is so much to say about Rome, but we are particularly passionate about fountains ⛲️ and decided to present some of the most peculiar ones you can find in the Italian capital city. Big, small, hidden, ruined, historical, modern, talking and gushing, sure Rome has the one for you! Bea and I talk about the monumental Trevi Fountain as well as the lesser-known 'nasoni', endless sources of free water in the Eternal City, and we also drag our listeners to the cascading fountains and the gardens of Tivoli, just a few steps away from the hustle and bustle of Rome.
Borghi più belli d'Italia e FAI *
Beginner level.
This is the first episode of the podcast 2 Passi 4 Chiacchiere. Here, we talk about the Associations 'Borghi più belli d'Italia' and 'Fondo Ambiente Italiano' also known as FAI, whose aim is protecting and enhancing Italy's historical, artistic and landscape heritage.
The episode has been conceived to dip your toe into the wide and amazing water of Italian culture and heritage.
If you want to know more, you can visit the websites: Borghi più belli d'Italia and FAI.