Related Links
Benvenuto! We`re compiling a list of our recommendations about Italy, Italian products and culture. Please visit these sites and send us your feedback.
If you have a suggestion for an appropriate link, please email us the description, the web address and why you think the Il Chiostro Community would appreciate it.
Virtual Italian Language Lessons:
This is a terrific way to learn Italian, one-on-one via the internet. All you need is a microphone and a Skype account. The quality of instruction is good because you can choose the instructor who suits you best. And the cost is very reasonable (about $20 a lesson). We can personally recommend Cosimo Clemente an Italian language teacher living in Torino, Italy. Check his web site by clicking on his name.
Or use this more generic site for language instruction in any language, including Italian. Verbal Planet - Learn how to speak Italian from the comfort of your own home using Skype. Connect to a personal instructor for a fraction of the cost of private lessons. Select an instructor who lives in the US or in Italy and schedule your lesson whenever you want. What an amazing use of the internet! Suggested instructor Angelica Di Chiara.
Italian Wine:
Dievole Chianti Classico wines are available in small distribution in the US. Enjoy the same wine we drank at dinners and on our wine tours at Dievole in Tuscany. You can order Dievole wine online at:
Italian Food Products:
Gustiamo.com - this importer of fine Italian food products was founded by native Italians with a passion for extraordinary food. They continually search their country for small producers who manufacture their products in the traditional way…”come una volta”. Gustiamo offers the best olive oil, vinegar, regional pasta, rice, coffee, preserved tomatoes, special condiments, honey and chocolate. Products are delivered directly from Italy to your home.
Olio2go - finally, a place that specializes in selling quality, 100% Extra Virgin Italian olive oils from Italy online! Luanne Savino, the manager of Olio2go, explains that each variety of olive is unique, and therefore olive oil made from different varieties of olives, grown in different regions of Italy, tastes, smells, and looks different. Her company finds small vintage producers they trust, products made to high standards, and characteristics that are considered the very best in their category. And because these vintages change with each harvest, they frequently add new products throughout the year.
Consorzio di Parmigiano-Reggiano - here you can read everything you need to know about this famous cheese, including its history, the meaning of the various quality markings and symbols, nutritional information, how to cut and preserve it and recipes.
Consorzio del Prosciutto di Parma - this web site is a source for everything about the treasured preserved ham from the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. There are recipe suggestions, nutritional information and notes about its production.
Fun Stuff We Think You`ll Like:
Il Divo singing Amazing Grace in the Coliseum in Rome.