Book: Tiziano Scarpa, Stabat Mater

Tiziano Scarpa, Stabat Mater (Einaudi, 17 euros, pp.136).

The novel is the journal of Cecilia, an adolescent orphan in 18th Century Venice.
In her diary, the young girl addresses the mother she never met; she dialogues with death, and experiences the outside world, solely through the narrations of others.
Her gloomy view of existence changes significantly when she encounters a charismatic and challenging music teacher, Antonio Vivaldi. This is not a love story, but rather a novel of rebellion, which aims to suggest that in any moment in life one can change, grow and begin a new life!
The novel’s crystalline and at the same time, whirling style captures the reader to the last page.
“Stabat Mater” is a little (just in size) masterpiece to read all in one go!

The unexpected benefits: elective affinities

Teaching Italian to students who come from different parts of the world is for us a privilege as well as an enriching experience.
Those who travel abroad to learn a new language and a new culture have an exceptional mental openness and intellectual curiosity.
Thus, every month, faculty, staff and students, feel part of a cosmopolitan family that, in its precious differences, is united by common interests and passions. We have a fabulous time together, during the excursions and at meals, but above all in class. The funniest, most memorable, moments are always during role play activities, when students put themselves in someone else’s shoes and pretend to be a different person... sooner or later some of them we believe, will consider starting an acting career!