ITALIAN GRADED READER · CEFR A1–A2
Magia a Venezia
A short story in Italian to read, listen to and explore.
Follow Professor Alvise Contarini through foggy canals, acqua alta and an unexpected journey through time. Written in clear A1–A2 Italian, the story includes bilingual vocabulary, cultural insights and slow audio narration.
By Serena Capilli, Italian teacher and author.
A MYSTERY IN VENICE
On a foggy morning during the acqua alta, Professor Alvise Contarini meets a mysterious woman in a black cloak. A strange cat, an ancient Venetian tavern and an unexpected journey through time transform an ordinary day.
Transported into Venice’s past, Alvise comes face to face with Marco Polo. Will he find his way back to the present?
Magia a Venezia is a graded Italian reader for upper-beginners throug intermediate learners of Italian. It combines an engaging mystery with useful vocabulary, natural dialogue, retantion exercices and cultural insights about Venice.
THE BOOK AT A GLANCE
Everything you need to decide whether this graded reader is right for you.
Level: CEFR A1–A2, for adult beginners and lower-intermediate learners
Language: Italian, with bilingual Italian–English vocabulary
Print length: 138 pages
Audio: Slow downloadable narration by a professional native Italian voice artist
Includes: Cultural insights about Venice, natural dialogue and everyday expressions
Formats: Paperback, Kindle, PDF and EPUB, with an accompanying audiobook
Chapter 1 audio — coming soon
THE METHOD
The power of learning through stories
Why learn Italian through story?
When you read a short story in easy Italian, you meet vocabulary, grammar and sentence patterns in context — not as isolated rules.
Italian graded readers are especially useful because they are written for a specific language level. They give you repeated exposure to words and structures you may already have studied, while helping you see how they are actually used in a story.
As you read, listen and talk about the story, you begin to notice useful expressions and sentence patterns more naturally. Over time, this helps you consolidate what you’ve already learned and become more confident using Italian yourself.
Read. Listen. Reread. Talk about it.
This is one of the simplest ways to make Italian feel less like something you study — and more like something you use.
What Italian learners say
A joy to read
As an Italian language learner, I find Serena’s books so helpful for improving my Italian and helping me express myself. The stories are interesting, culturally rich, and full of useful language.
Perfect for A1–A2 learners
Perfect for A1–A2 Italian learners, with translations of trickier words, summaries, exercises, and free audio. The story itself was great fun!
Another great book to better your Italian
The story is interesting, there are exercises at the end of each chapter, and no matter your level, you can always learn something new. Highly recommend!
Fun, educational, and naturally useful
Magia a Venezia is my favorite. The story is fun, I learned about Venice and a historical figure, and reading in Italian is a great way to naturally pick up the language.
F.A.Q.
What's a graded reader?
An Italian graded reader is a story written for a specific language-learning level. Magia a Venezia is designed for CEFR A1–A2 learners, using accessible, simplified but natural Italian while maintaining an engaging story.
How should I use this book?
Read one short section at a time, listen to the slow audio, review the bilingual vocabulary, then retell the scene in your own words.
What level is this book for?
It is designed for adult beginner and lower-intermediate learners at CEFR A1–A2.
Is the story entirely in Italian?
Yes. The story is in clear Italian, with Italian–English vocabulary support and cultural notes.
Does the book include audio?
Yes. Downloadable slow narration by a professional native Italian voice artist accompanies the book.