The Unique Language Landscape of Italy

Termoli, Molise, Italy (Pic credit The Little Italian School)

Author: Anna Wolf

In Italy, people speak Italian – obviously, this is nothing new to you. And as an Italian enthusiast, you have probably also been told that there are an infinite number of regional and local dialects spoken all over the peninsula. But did you know that there are 12 (!) distinct languages other than Italian that are historically spoken in different corners of Italy?

There is for example Ladin, Franco-Provençal, or Catalan. In fact, as you can see on the map, Italy’s linguistic diversity resembles a disorganised patchwork of different language groups, spread all over the peninsula. It is estimated that in total about 3 million Italian citizens speak a so-called historic minority language.

As a lover of Italian language, you might want to practice your newly acquired Italian skills and travel to some Italian destinations. But if you go to Aosta, Sardegna or the Dolomites, you will be surprised to hear locals greeting you with: “Bonjour!” (French), “Ajò!” (Sardinian) or “Bun dé!” (Ladin) instead of the classical “buongiorno” that you would expect.

Italy’s linguistic minorities differ considerably from each other, in the numbers and in the way they are taught at school. For instance, while the German-speaking minority in the North, located in South Tyrol/Alto Adige, continues to have a stable number of speakers (approximately 360.000) and enjoys an elaborate protection system with German language schools, some smaller language groups such as the Croatian minority in Molise lack support and numbers are continuously decreasing.

But why do those communities within Italy speak these different languages, you are wondering? Well, historians will tell you that Italian has not always been the majority language of Italy. Back in time when Italy unified as a state (1861), all those culturally diverse regions were integrated into the new nation state. During the first decades after the unification, through the new school system, the population was educated in Italian – which then was a foreign language to many of them. A famous saying of those times was, “Fatta l’Italia, bisogna fare gli italiani!” (Having made Italy, we now have to make the Italians!).

The historic reasons why those different language communities were living on the peninsula are various: In the south, the Arbëreshë, were descendants of Albanian populations that had migrated there in several waves, starting in the 15th century. Even earlier, Greek populations had settled in Calabria and Puglia, where they continued to speak the “Griko” language. In the north, new linguistic groups became part of Italy as a result of the unification wars and of WW1: the French and Franco-Provencal speaking minority in Aosta, as well as the German speaking minority in South Tyrol and the Slovenian speaking minority in the region around Trieste. After WW2, Italy recognised the linguistic minorities present on its territory in its 1948 Constitution and committed itself to protect them.

So, the next time you meet an Italian person, you might ask them, if they by chance also speak a minority language. Maybe you will be surprised. Anyways, now you know how rich Italy’s linguistic diversity is - and that people in Italy do speak Italian… but not only!                       (~520 words)

This is a very easy light version but can be tweeked to your liking. You can add a couple of eggs to the potato mash, but I didn’t for this one. You could also add peas, a little cooked onion if you like, or even substitute the salumi for tuna.

• 1 kg potato - boiled, mashed and a tablespoon of butter added

• 300 g di mozzarella

• 150 g di prosciutto cotto

• About a handful of breadcrumbs

• salt

• pepe

• 80 g di grana padano or parmigiano

Head to the Instagram reel to watch the process. https://www.instagram.com/the_little_italian_school/

I am lucky to have been able not only to live in Italy, but also to return to our loved ones there on a yearly basis (apart from the last two covid stricken years).

This helps to stay up to date with changes, which are happening more rapidly now because of technology, and things are definitely always evolving – yes even fairytale Italy!

There are some Italian cultural traits that are pretty standard, but of course still always ‘general’. Things like family values, meal rituals and no cappuccino after 11am are thankfully embedded in the bloodline. Then, there are the others that make us cringe when we hear them being mentioned.

‘Ciao bella!’

No. Just no. You just won’t hear it in Italy. And it makes me cringe when I hear it. By all means, ‘ciao bella’ your heart out. Just remember it’s not an Italian saying.

‘Italians speak loudly’

Well, let’s say we are animated…and sometimes it can get loud when there’s a room full of family or friends. I also think this depends on the different Italian regions. Southern Italians are generally a little more animated than northerners.

‘We use our hands and body language to speak’

This is definitely true, but some people more than others. It will always depend on what is being spoken about. The gestures are often more prominent when the discussion is getting heated or when someone really believes in what they are saying.

 ‘We listen to the piano accordian all the time’.

NO ! Infact the opposite! Italians love music and like most cultures have their traditional folk songs. The instruments played can vary but the most well known about overseas is the piano accordian. But no, you barely hear or see it these days like once upon a time. It still exists, a few still play it, it’s no doubt a beautiful part of history, but over the last 40 years I have seen it played once at a baptism because my friend’s brother pulled it out, blew the dust off it and belted out some tunes. The new generation don’t really dig it.  

‘We eat pasta and pizza everyday’

Well, I can say that this can actually be true. Pasta is a mealtime staple. Pizza is one of those things you may grab in the evening when you go out and get peckish. I think people imagine we eat huge quantities of it all in one day– and that is simply not true. Small portions are key to a balanced diet.

It is also true that what other cultures dress their pasta with, or slop on their pizza, may be the reason for weight gain, and why they think pasta and pizza are bad for you. Our condiments are generally light and delicate, and often vegetable based! On special occasions we like to lash out and may eat something fried.

Italians aren’t afraid to show affection in public

This is true. It really is a way of life, and I think it’s wonderful. Infact we don’t mind displaying all of our other emotions in public either.

Italians are always late

I wouldn’t agree with this one. Maybe our relaxed approach to life confuses everyone. Most of the people in our circle are pretty punctual, but like anyone anywhere, you’ll always get the person who is always late to everything.

Family is the most important thing in life

This is true. The family unit is everything. Could this be why a lot of Italians seem so sassy and confident? It’s a pretty good bet it is. Family is the foundation of life and you can always count on them. If you have nothing else, you have always got your family, and they always have your back.

All Italians are ‘Mafiosi’

Just no.

Italians love coffee

This is generally true but I know many Italians who don’t drink coffee, but those who do are extremely passionate about it. The ‘pausa caffe`’ is so much more than just about the coffee. It’s about pausing, chatting, and briefly catching up on what’s been happening, so even those who don’t drink coffee may prefer a different drink to enjoy the ritual with.

All Italians are soccer crazy

Well a lot of us are, but of course not all. So I guess you could say this has a little truth to it.

Italians live at home until they marry.

If we are living in the same town as our parents that is very likely. It used to be standard, but nowadays a lot of Italian youth are leaving to find work overseas, so yes if we need to we will, and we aren’t ashamed of it! When I married we ended up living with our parents for a year or two until we could move out. Family stick together.

So many of us had to cancel our Italian summer holiday this year because of the pandemic and are feeling a little disappointed, but if you can try to imagine what life is like in Italy right now, you may not feel so bad.

Travel restrictions in Italy have been eased this month, and according to our family and friends life still feels so surreal. Travel restrictions between regions has been lifted but since the oubreak of Covid19 until now, travelling was not allowed unless it was for work. If you are travelling by car with a someone other than a family member you are limited to two people and both passengers need to wear face masks.

Since the 18th of May Cafés and Restaurants have been open with limited table service to help prevent large crowds. Cinemas and theatres will reopen on June the 15th with a limit of 200 people allowed at once inside, and facemasks worn by staff and patrons is a must. Social distancing applies in all public spaces at all times and everyone needs to avoid contact with people they don’t live with, including relatives and especially the elderly. Regions like Lombardia and Piemonte where the outbreak hit the worst are making it mandatory to wear masks even outdoors.

If you are sporting a temperature of over 37.5 degrees you need to stay home, and if venturing out to dine you may be asked to have your temperature taken and to register your personal information for tracking purposes. If you refuse you will find yourself sent on your merry little way.

So with social distancing including outdoor areas a must and wearing mandatory facemasks, it may be a blessing to be able to skip your travel plans this year to Italy and have a little extra time to put your dollars aside for a more relaxed holiday to our beautiful country in the near future.

Quantity for 2 loaves or 1 loaf and some mini brioche with leftover pastry

1 cup milk (luke warm)

1 teaspoon dry yeast

600gr flour 00

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

¾ cup sugar

1 egg

Bustina di vanillina (or some vanilla essence or lemon rind if preferred)

Filling – Fig Jam (or any jam of choice or chocolate spread)

Melt the yeast in the luke warm milk (set aside)

Beat the egg, vanilla and sugar in a bowl (large enough to slowly add the flour later)

Add evoo and beat

Add milk and yeast mixture and beat

Slowly add flour and knead until soft and elastic

Place dough in bowl covered and leave to rise for an hour to two, making sure it doubles in size or almost.

Now you will need a rolling pin and a rectangular bread tin. If you don’t have a bread tin you can use a ciambella tin.

Flour your board and place risen dough on top and knead it a little getting back to a ball shape.

Roll it out with a rolling pin, into a rectangular shape that once rolled into a log, will fit into a rectangle bread tin.

Spread your jam over it, leaving a little strip at the top of the rectangle you can wet a little with some water so it seals up when you roll it up to close the log shape.

Roll the dough into a log and place in tin lined wth baking paper or some flour

(optional – beat one egg and brush the dough with it before baking)

Oven 180 degrees Celsius and bake for about 40 minutes or if you like a crust leave a few minutes longer

Italian Procession - Riccia, Molise

Easter in Italy is a huge celebration, and like many Italian events it is a deep rooted religious one. Like all of Italy’s traditional celebrations, ‘Pasqua’ (Easter) time comes with some delicious traditional foods that are made throughout the country’s twenty beautiful regions. The most well known are, ‘La Pastiera Napoletana’, which is an Easter pie made in Naples, and ‘La Colomba di Pasqua’ which is a sweet dry cake similar to the Christmas Panettone only shaped like a dove, representing the symbol of new life. In Molise and Abbruzzo we make sweet and savoury ‘Fiadoni’. Here is a blog I wrote last Easter with the recipe: click here

Here are some typical Italian sayings that either refer to Easter or are taken from an event that happened during the Easter period but can be used all year round.

Natale con i tuoi, Pasqua con chi vuoi!

This means, ‘Christmas with your family, easter with whoever you like!’. While Easter Sunday is usually spent with family, Pasquetta (Easter Monday) is always spent with friends and usually by having a picnic.

Lungo come una Quaresima

A long as Lent -  With the lent period lasting 40 days, this saying speaks for itself! It’s used to describe someone or something that is boring or drawn out

Felice come una Pasqua

Happy as Easter. (Happy as Larry) - With Easter in Italy being a very religious celebration because of Christ rising on Easter Sunday, you can imagine the immense joyful energy in the air. New life brings a lot of happiness!

Portare la propria croce

'To carry one’s own cross’. The saying refers to the pain and suffering by Jesus Christ as he carried his own cross, so it used to express when someone is going through a hard time. 

Essere come San Tommaso

One of the Apostles named Thomas said he didn’t believe Jesus had died and risen and said, ‘If I don't see the marks left by the nails in his hands, nor pass my fingers through his ribs, I will not believe’, so this saying is used when a person won’t believe something until they see it with their own eyes.

BUONA PASQUA A TUTTI ! (HAPPY EASTER TO ALL)

Joy shared around the dinner table, love of food, wine and mother earth, closeness to family and friends and being warm and hospitable are just a few aspects of the Italian culture loved by many. I don’t think there is any other place in the world that has more songs written about ‘la mamma’ than Italy! Here are a few warm and fuzzy Italian sayings that will give you a better understanding of just how important ‘la familgia’ is to us

1.    La famiglia e` tutto – Family is everything

2.    Amor di madre, amor senza limiti – (Love of mother, love without limits) A mother’s love has no limit

3.    La mamma e` sempre la mamma – (The mum is always the mum) No matter what mamma does, she’s always my mamma

4.    Chi si volta, e chi si gira, sempre a casa va finire – (He who turns round and round, always ends up home) No matter where you go, you will always end up at home

5.    A ogni uccello il suo nido e` bello – (every bird loves his own nest) -Home sweet home

6.    Una buona mamma vale cento maestre – A good mother is worth a hundred teachers

7.    Un bimbo che non gioca, felicita` ne ha poca – A child who doesn’t play has little happiness

8.    Il sangue non e` acqua – (Blood is not water) – Blood is thicker than water

9.    L’affetto verso i genitori e` fondamento di ogni virtu`- love towards your parents is fundamentally the greatest virtue

10.  Non ricordiamo dei giorni, ci ricordiamo dei momenti – We don’t remember days, we remember moments

Napoli - Naples, Italy

Ahhhh Italia ! The country of ‘la dolce lingua’, Romeo and Juliet, dramatic opera’s and lovers in the streets showing affection like no-one is looking. Funnily enough, Valentine’s Day isn’t made a huge deal of in Italy like it is in other countries. Maybe because Italians show plentiful amounts of love and affection on a daily basis to their partners, friends and family. ‘La Festa di San Valentino’ is celebrated all around the world thanks to the ancient Roman festival Lupercalia. The festival celebrated the coming of spring and men and women being paired off by lottery. Thank goodness we now celebrate it with flowers, cards and love notes to a partner most of us have chosen ourselves.

Here are a few Italian love phrases you can use to woo your sweatheart this Valentines Day!

1.     Ti amo

‘I love you’

A phrase familiar to many ears, and one we use when we want to tell our partner we love them. Ti amo isn’t a phrase we would use to tell a family member or friend we love them…they may get the wrong idea!

2.     Ti voglio bene

‘ I love you / I care about you’

This is the phrase we use to tell family members, friends and partners we love them.

3.     Sono pazzo di te (If you are female you say ‘sono pazza di te’)

‘I am crazy for you’

4.     Sono innamorato di te (if you are female you say ‘sono innamorata di te’)

‘I am in love with you’

5.     Amore mio

‘ My love’

 Used as a term of endearment to your partner but mothers also call their  child ‘amore’ like English speakers say ‘darling’.

6.     Dammi un bacio

‘ Give me a kiss’

 You can use this for anyone really! But if you want to ask your child for a kiss you  would ask for a ‘bacetto’.

7.     Ti penso sempre

‘I think about you all the time’

This phrase can be used to sign off on a love letter or email, but can also be said in conversation.

8.     Sei bellissmo (or bellissima if you are saying it to a girl)

‘You are beautiful’

This can also be used to say to anyone.

9.     Sei sempre nel mio cuore

‘You are always in my heart’

When you just want to be a sweetheart to your partner and make them feel loved

10.  Amo solo te

‘I love only you’

Another phrase to melt the heart of your lover

Campobasso, Molise- Italy

So apparently pasta was brought to Italy from China by Marco Polo in the 13th century. They say it derives from noodles. Hats off to the Asian cuisine. What a blessing! Because what the Italians created with it after has gone down in history!

When I think of pasta, fresh or dry, I think of way more than just food. For us Italians it’s a part of life, it’s good for you, and we eat it every single day. Here are some of thine things I think of when I hear the word ‘pasta’…. 

Mamma helping out at the school for our Cavatelli class

Eavesdropping

As a child, making pasta brought us into the kitchen on Sundays when the women of the family were chit chatting while preparing family lunch, and we would eavesdrop. They’d be updating each other on their week or reminiscing about the past, and the stories I’d love most were the ones nonna told about things that happened back in her paese in Calabria. They’d giggle and talk loudly, or lower their voice if it was a bit of juicy gossip. The ‘ragu’ (meat sauce) would be simmering away and would fill the air with an aroma that would make even a full tummy rumble. If you told them you were hungry they’d get that look of distress on their face typical of an Italian mother, and dip a bit of Italian loaf into it, and hand it to you as a snack followed by the words ‘mangia figlia’ (eat child).

Ravioli with zucchini, eggplant and mushroom

Sunday lunch

Sundays were definitely the day of the week we’d look forward to. It’s when the extended family would gather at nonna & nonno’s and we’d eat, drink and laugh for hours. Either homemade potato gnocchi or ravioli with spinach and ricotta or meat filling were nonna’s favourite fresh pasta types to make, followed by a salad with the meat from the ragu sauce. Standard. The ragu was a treat (if you like meat) because during the week the pasta was usually made with vegetable based condiments.

Sunday lunch in tavernetta (Ripalimosani, Italy)

It’s easy, good for you & covers all food groups

It truly is one of the easiest and quickest meals you can make and it covers a lot of food groups in just one plate. You don’t have to make your pasta from scratch all of the time. There’s nothing wrong with a good packet pasta. Make a quick sauce with some greens, legumes, or meat you like and you’re done. Sauces don’t have to be heavy with cream or other rich ingredients. Extra virgin olive oil and water to simmer are usually the best.

Zia in Italy preparing the tagliatelle with the Sunday lunch meat sugo

Therapy

Just like sport, knitting, reading and other hobbies, making fresh pasta can be very therapeutic. It’s kind of like a ‘zone out’ time and at the same time you create something that can be shared with family or friends. We all love a family or friend gathering full of good food, good vino and good conversation.

Nonno in Italy serving up the tubettini pasta

Cheap

Absolutely. A nice plate of pasta feeds so many people at such a small cost. Quick, easy, simple and cheap. It’s definitely a win win.

Pasta e ceci

So how on earth could anyone say that pasta is ‘bad’ for you? How do Italians live longer and stay so trim while consuming daily portions of pasta? Because we know the difference between good food and bad and won’t let the marketers of fad diets persuade us into having it any other way, especially when nonna has told you otherwise.

Piazza Gabriele Pepe - Campobasso - Molise

Molise. Where is Molise you ask?  Well, that’s what a lot of people ask. Once upon a time Abruzzo was the name of the region until 1963 when the province of Campobasso was split to form another region known today as Molise. As a little girl I remember hearing my father say he was Abruzzese when people would ask what region he was from, because it was easier than giving a history lesson!

One of the reasons I chose to take my students to Molise was because apart from being close to my heart, it is not a tourist destination, and I wanted to invite them into our other ‘life’ in Italy, where we still have immediate family, our best friends and godchildren, our nieces and nephews. I wanted them to experience the true taste of local Italian living. The visit turned out to be even more wonderful than I could have ever imagined and I am truly looking forward to doing it all again very soon.

Cantalupo del Sannio - Molise

Our 5 day tour of this delightfully picturesque region situated between the Adriatic Coast and the Sannio and Matese mountains, with the Abruzzo and Puglia regions above and below, I drove the students around in our Fiat 500 and they discovered a winery that was brought back to life, spent a day on a friend’s farm with his family and made pasta, took a trip to one of the highest points in the region to a cheese factory, and visited a Countess at her masseria to taste her extra virgin olive oil, along with some very long lunches of some of the finest typical Molisani dishes served with a whole lot of love and pride. The most important part of the visit was sharing our local Italian life with this very small intimate group. Does it get any better?

Here are a few pictures and a description of how our days went. I will do my best to remember the details because I was too happy living and enjoying the moments to keep a journal and stop too many times to take photos. I am certain I missed a few snaps along the way. I must mention that everything we ate and drank on this journey was either produced by the host, or by a local neighbouring farmer, and our guests could taste it with every single morsal and sip during their stay.

Enjoy!

Riccia - Molise

The students arrived a day early, which wasn’t a problem at all, because in true Italian style nothing usually is. One of the best things about this visit was that the group was small and intimate, and the visitors were considered to be our guests rather than tourists. My husband and I were the guides so we could ad lib when we wanted and add in the odd extra aperitivo, or visit somewhere spontaneously that wasn’t on the ‘agenda’. It was very relaxed and as authentically Italian as can be.

The morning after they arrived we were headed to my sister in law’s farmhouse for a visit. She’d asked us if we wanted to go and make jam as the fruit on her prune tree was ready to be picked. We stopped by at one of the towns pizzeria’s, owned and run by a family who has been baking for over 100 years. You’ve never eaten pizza quite like it. We also stopped to get a bit of prosciutto, mozzarella and parmigiano to take to her farmhouse for a little ‘spuntino’ (snack) at lunch time. On arrival we decided against making the marmellata (jam) and instead went for a short hike through the woods to stretch our legs and breathe in some fresh Molisano air.

Before our orientation that evening (when the visit officially began) we went for an aperitivo and took a stroll through the historic centre up to the Castello Monforte. Later that evening we ate at a restaurant tucked away in the underground city of Campobasso, boasting ancient stone carvings and paintings. We ate melanzane al forno with ricotta, homemade cavatelli with cinghiale, veal medallions, and then enjoyed some deserts, caffe` and of course amaro.

On day two we headed off to Ripalimosani where we took a 4wd and drove through some hillside vinyards to see how this uncultivated land had been given new life by its owners, and how the wines are produced using no preservatives or pesticides. Back at the hosts home, we tasted all of their delicious wines, from Tintilia rose and red (a typical grape from Molise), to whites including chardonnay.

I’m not sure I’d call them ‘tastes’ as the pours were extremely generous, so it was just as well we were offered platters of bread, capocollo, salsiccia, caciocavallo and other cheeses, all from local neighbouring farmers.

After our visit to the vineyard, we headed off to our friend’s horse riding property where they also have a trattoria and we enjoyed a never ending lunch that was absolutely divine. Rosaria prepared many different local delights and the antipasto was full of variety including cacio e uova (cheese and bread balls), buffalo milk mousse and fiori di zucca. My favourite were her homemade ravioli with ricotta filling and a very light pesto di pistacchio sauce. The cantucci biscotti with cherry and lemon jam she made were so good I took some home for our breakfast the next day. From the pips of the cherries she’d used to make the jam, she also made a heavenly cherry liquor enjoyed by all. Waste nothing!

Day three we took a visit to our friend Pino’s farm who greeted us that morning with an espresso made with the moka (stove top espresso maker) and a few different homemade biscotti and crostate (sweet pies). If our guests had known what his mamma was going to prepare us for lunch I know they would have refused breakfast.

We were invited into Pino’s ‘sala dei lampadari’ (the room where all of the prosciutto is hanging to be cured) where he explained to us the process of how it’s all done (in Italian of course!). We also got a chance to taste it at lunch. Pino’s mamma then took us to milk the cow and use the milk to make some fresh mozzarella, followed by a pasta making class of cavatelli (a pasta shape typical of the Molise region) with flour made from their own grain. We tasted the ricotta she had made earlier that morning and all agreed it was the best ricotta we had ever eaten! After lunch we all had ‘la zoletta’ made especially by Pino, which is a sugar cube soaked in alcohol made from a variety of different herbs found on their farm, and was just what we needed to help us digest the 6 course meal we had just devoured. Then we took off up to the top of this wonderful village to enjoy the most supurb panoramic view of Italy, all the way from East (the Adriatic coast) to West (the mountains of Campania), and while up there we visited some churches and drank fresh ice cold water that was gushing out from the mountain side.

Day four was our cheesemaking day in Agnone. Near one of the highest points of the mountains in Molise (alto Molise) we were guided by the daughter of the producers of the famous Caciocavallo cheese, fresh mozzarella, and cheeses with tartufo and peperoncino (chilli) to name a few. The family have been making cheese since 1662 and we watched as they created the cheeses in their petite factory and then headed off to view the ageing produce in their cellar, along with a tour through their very own museum where we found out about the family’s history and ended with a tasting of some of their cheese. Afterwards we drove a little further up the mountain to enjoy another very long lunch by another gorgeous family, who when we couldn’t decide on which ‘amaro’ we would like at the end of our meal, they brought us out every bottle they had (there were around 6 from memory) with some glasses so we could taste them all. One was made with the ginseng root which is grown on their land, though we were told it is hard to find.

Day 5 and our last day was with the delightfully charming countess Donna Marina at her masseria, walking through her olive grove, seeing how the extra virgin olive oil is produced, bottled and labelled by hand, and ending our day with the most wonderful olive oil tasting imaginable. We enjoyed a beautiful light lunch of olives, crostini, pasta with chickpeas, and ‘la pampanella’ which is a typical slow cooked pork rib dish from San Martino in Pensulis, followed by some biscotti and caffe. On the way home we stopped by the family farmhouse to show our guests my fathers old school, which is pictured in what I use as my logo, and was the inspiration for starting up The Little Italian School.Just as well we had a light lunch because we had our aperitivo and fairwell seafood dinner in a quaint little piazzetta in Campobasso that evening where we enjoyed local wine and the freshest fish from Termoli (a coastal fishing town in Molise) caught that morning. It was a great night but I was feeling a little emotional knowing our guests would be leaving the next day, wishing they could stay just a few days more.

I am so grateful for the way in which the hosts embraced our visitors and treated them like family from beginning to end. It couldn’t have been more perfect and we are looking forward to taking more guests to this undiscovered region of Italy that continues to deliver its local culture and traditions in the most authentic way, with so much pride, love and passion. The locals can never do enough for you. There is a saying in Italy that goes ‘Il Molise non Esiste’ meaning ‘Molise doesn’t exist’. I can tell you that it absolutely does, and it has so much to offer. I believe it’s one of Italy’s best kept secrets and kind of hope it stays that way.

Termoli - Molise