13 Cool Italian Blogs for All Interests, From Digital Nomads to Fashionistas
Italian bloggers are an awesome resource for learning the language.
The writing is high-quality but accessible, and provides a direct line to Italian as it’s used by natives. And they’re writing about super interesting topics, from tech to fashion to travel.
“Wait, blogs?” you might be asking. “I’ll improve my Italian by reading blogs?”
Absolutely! Here’s why, plus 13 awesome blogs you can start reading today.
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
Contents
- Why Learn Italian with Blogs?
- 1. Learn Italian with Lucrezia
- 2. FluentU’s Italian Language and Culture Blog
- 3. Stefano Tiozzo
- 4. Manuela Vitulli
- 5. Luca De Biase
- 6. Mindcheats
- 7. TheChiliCool
- 8. Rock and Fiocc
- 9. The Lost Avocado
- 10. Rudy Bandiera
- 11. Becoming Italian Word by Word
- 12. Csaba dalla Zorza
- 13. Nomadi Digitali
Why Learn Italian with Blogs?
Following a language learning blog is a great way to see how others navigate the language and overcome challenges that may be hindering your own progress. Blogs offer great tips and tricks for Italian language learners.
But the best part? Blogs written exclusively in the Italian language by an actual Italian speaker offer a glimpse of colloquial Italian language not used or discussed in the classroom or textbooks. Further, these blogs offer learners a glimpse of Italian text “in the wild.”
You can read comments left by native speakers on blog posts, and even comment on a post yourself to put your writing skills to use. Bloggers will often have Twitter or other social media accounts, so you can follow and jump into the conversation there as well.
Whether you just need some pointers on learning the language or you’re ready to immerse yourself in that elusive Italian “in the wild,” here are 13 of the best blogs for Italian language learners.
1. Learn Italian with Lucrezia
Lucrezia is a blogger and Youtuber from Rome who wanted to help Italian language learners experience the magnificent culture of il bel paese (the beautiful country)—Italy!
Learn Italian with Lucrezia is appropriate for intermediate learners since it’s almost entirely written in Italian. The posts cover conversational Italian, Italian books and Italian idioms. Further, it offers informal blog posts about Italian traditions and everyday Italian life.
In addition to keeping a Spotify playlist with over 300 of her favorite songs, Lucrezia regularly uploads videos on YouTube and writes out their transcripts on the blog so learners can follow along.
2. FluentU’s Italian Language and Culture Blog
FluentU publishes blog posts for Italian learners just like you. In these posts—like the one you’re reading now—FluentU covers practical tools for learning Italian, including podcasts, YouTube channels, books, sites and apps. The blog also offers tips and advice for learning efficiently, aiming to give you the best methods for learning Italian.
FluentU actually has a language learning program that can be used alongside the blog or any other blog you choose to follow. This program focuses on authentic Italian short videos like music videos, news segments, snippets from TV shows and movies, vlogs and more.
Videos are enhanced with interactive subtitles (click to see a contextual definition or add a word as a flashcard), personalized quizzes, transcripts, vocabulary lists and other useful tools for learners.
3. Stefano Tiozzo
Stefano Tiozzo is a travel photographer by profession, but on his website, he’s a blogger and vlogger extraordinaire. If you learn best from visual or audio content, this is a great option for you.
This means that while you can read about his experiences on his written blog, you can also watch his travel vlogs on YouTube. His blog posts generally act as a travel journal: you can read about his journeys through Peru, Iceland and even Oman! As for his videos on YouTube, there are a mixture of travel videos and vlog-style videos focused on many topics.
His video series “Tales By Love” focuses on one photograph per episode and tells the story of how that photograph was taken and the significance of the experience.
4. Manuela Vitulli
Manuela Vitulli is a travel blogger who has been on the road since 2013. Her blog is called Pensieri in Viaggio (“Thoughts in Travel”), and it’s ideal for Italian learners who’ve been afflicted with an acute wanderlust—or for those who are simply looking for the next getaway!
Manuela’s blog features posts about the places she has traveled throughout Africa, Asia, America and Europe. They’re a mixture of stories of these trips as well as tips and in case you want to explore these places, too.
Manuela’s blog also has a selection of posts that talk about the various aspects of long-term travel: what to pack, what to spend and how to choose a place to stay. Italian learners can use Manuela’s blog to brush up on Italian travel vocabulary and see informal and colloquial Italian in action!
5. Luca De Biase
While a little technical for the average Italian learner, the blog of Luca De Biase specializes in economy, technology and politics à la The Economist or Scientific American. Whether you’re interested in robots, modern city planning or mathematics, this blog is perfect for the brainiac language learner.
The learning curve for some of the technical vocabulary may be a little steep, which is why I recommend it for advanced learners. However, this is a great blog for techies and learners alike who want to add an academic touch to their Italian learning, and who are ready to stretch their Italian to tackle some higher-end abstract ideas.
6. Mindcheats
Whether you want to learn how to be more productive, simplify your life or learn how to meditate, Mindcheats—a blog for advanced Italian learners—offers great tips and resources for those interested in personal, mental, physical or job growth.
Keep a word list while reading posts on Mindcheats because, like Luca De Biase’s blog, these posts can get a little scientific. If you’re feeling extra invested in personal growth, try keeping a journal to track all your improvements—in Italian, of course!
7. TheChiliCool
This blog is perfect for learners obsessed with fashion—especially Italian and European fashion. Not only that, but this blog has diversified in recent years to include enough lifestyle, travel and beauty posts to have Italian learners completely redesigning their lives!
Before reading, try looking at the pictures that accompany each post, describing them and then predicting what the post will talk about.
8. Rock and Fiocc
Giulia Torelli is an Italian blogger who created Rock and Fiocc, a blog focused on fashion and beauty. Like many blogs in this genre, Giulia’s posts often include “hauls” (which show a selection of products that she’s currently using) as well as tips related to various fashion and beauty topics, such as skincare, makeup and the newest clothing trends.
Italian learners can use this blog to pick up advanced vocabulary when talking about the self and the fashion/beauty industry. This is perfect for those who, oh, I don’t know, want to travel to Italy and perhaps work in Milan’s thriving fashion industry! With Giulia’s help, I’m sure you’ll fit right in.
9. The Lost Avocado
The Lost Avocado is run by blogger Sara Izzi. It focuses on many subjects: travel, lifestyle, food and nature, among others.
As such, this blog is perfect for learning a wide range of vocabulary. Instead of specializing in a specific topic, learners can use this blog to gain more general, practical knowledge of various subjects rather quickly without feeling bogged down by specifics.
The Lost Avocado has a number of videos to watch in Italian as well. This is a great tool to practice listening comprehension and hear native Italian accents.
10. Rudy Bandiera
For the techies out there, this last blog is for you! Rudy Bandiera writes a blog that covers topics such as technology, innovation and occasionally even politics.
These posts are perfect for learning technical Italian language. If you want to get an Italian job in a tech-related field, I definitely suggest subscribing.
However, even if you’re not considering that career move, Bandiera’s content is still approachable and interesting for the average Italian learner (although I do recommend at least an upper-intermediate Italian proficiency level). You can read about interesting topics like AI, the celebrity paradox or idealizing working at the beach.
11. Becoming Italian Word by Word
Becoming Italian Word by Word is a blog aimed at higher-level beginners who are looking to enhance their language with a little colloquial and cultural flair.
Whether you’re interested in Italian idiomatic expressions, Italian holidays or the most influential people in Italian history, this blog not only offers enough trivia to win Trivial Pursuit any day, but it gives you the Italian words and expressions to say it.
The writer behind the blog is Dianne Hales, and she also wrote two books that you might want to check out as an Italian learner: “La Bella Lingua: My Love Affair with Italian” and “La Passione: How Italy Seduced the World”.
12. Csaba dalla Zorza
From renowned writer, cook and television personality Csaba dalla Zorza comes a blog combining Italian food, lifestyle and home topics. While this blog is about as native as it gets, it offers unique and tasty recipes for learners looking to improve their Italian as well as their cooking skills.
Aside from cooking, this blog has great articles about homes and the latest trends in Italian lifestyle. Try reading a blog post on traveling to Paris while covering the pictures to see how much you can understand, or watch a video about setting the table for Easter with the screen covered to hone those listening skills.
13. Nomadi Digitali
Translated to mean “digital nomads,” Nomadi Digitali is just that: a blog created by wanderers who document their travels around the world online.
Geared toward advanced learners and native speakers, this blog specializes in travel tips, guides and accounts from real-life world travelers, taking readers from popular travel destinations like Europe and the USA to more exotic places like Bali and Thailand.
This blog offers tips and tricks for becoming a long-term traveler and freelancer as well.
Start subscribing, Italian learners. Blogs are where it’s at!
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
