Italian Graded Readers & Slow Italian Podcast
Learning Italian that feels less like studying and more like a lifestyle.
Learn Italian naturally through stories, magazines and podcasts that bring Italian into your daily life.
★★★★★ Loved by readers on Amazon · 30,000+ readers · 13+ books from A1 to B2
Start here
Italian short stories for beginners and intermediate learners
A1Beginners
Short stories in simple Italian, with chapters you can read in a few minutes.
A2Lower-intermediate
Stories set in Venice and Sicily, with vocabulary lists and exercises.
B1Intermediate
A mystery in Puglia and a story in Florence, in natural Italian.
Piazzetta Italiana
A slow Italian podcast and a cultural e-magazine
Designed for adult learners worldwide, to bring Italian into your daily life.
The Magazine · A2 to B2
For learners ready to move beyond grammar drills
Cultural articles, travel stories, expat interviews and real Italian lifestyle, to understand the language and discover modern Italy on a deeper level.
Podcast in Slow Italian · A2 to B1
Everyday life in Italy, with free transcript
What my readers say about my Italian short stories
★★★★★
“In my quest to learn Italian, I have purchased textbooks, grammar books, audiobooks, and workbooks with repetition drills. All of these efforts proved to be disappointing, boring, and tedious. Luckily, I found Serena’s short stories.”
Amazon customer on
Due Amiche e un Album di Fotografie
★★★★★
“The chapters are short enough that you can easily get through the end in minutes without feeling overwhelmed. And the best is that at the end of the book I could tell I knew Rome better than I ever did.”
Amazon customer on
Le Avventure di Paul a Roma
★★★★★
“The story is engaging, and the vocabulary lists and exercises reinforce the learning skills. This is my second book by Serena Capilli and I look forward to more.”
Amazon customer on
Incontri in Sicilia
Free
Listen, read, practice: get the free Worksheet Pack
Exercises, key vocabulary and answer key for 3 episodes of my slow Italian podcast.
Italian Teacher, Author & Storyteller
Ciao! Sono Serena.
I’m a certified Italian teacher (University of Venice), a polyglot, and a lifelong language learner. I used to be a terrible language student at school, but my obsession with languages drove me to become fluent in more than six of them.
I believe anyone can learn Italian at any point in their life. You don’t need a special gift. You need the right content, at the right level, and a genuine passion for Italy and its culture.
Online Italian Language Classes with Serena
Bespoke private classes, online or in Rome, built around your goals, with homework, correction and real accountability.
“After a six-month immersion course with her, I passed my B1 citizenship exam at the first attempt. If someone asked me to give Serena a score from one to five stars, I’d give her six for sure!”
John, Professor of Sociology, London
“Studying for CILS B1 Cittadinanza under Serena’s guidance has been a unique and rewarding experience. Serena is a warm, talented and thoughtful teacher: patient, optimistic, direct and funny. In short, she is the best, I highly recommend her!”
Jane, Managing Director, London
My Blog: Italian Grammar and Vocabulary Made Simple
17 Best Italian Podcasts for Learners, by Level (2026)
Podcasts are one of the best ways to train your ear and hear how Italians really speak, and you...
11 Italian Magazines for Language Learners (by Level)
Reading Italian magazines is one of the most enjoyable ways to improve your vocabulary,...
12 Nonfiction Books to Improve Your Italian
This is my list of the non-fiction books I have read in the last few years. Every book on this...