by Olly Richards
So you’re trying to learn Italian. That means you’ve likely already done the following: you have signed up for an online course, are watching language videos on YouTube, have downloaded an app to practice on the go.
Is there anything else you can do?
Sure there is! You can start following Italian blogs and sites in Italian to supplement your learning in a way that doesn’t have to feel like more things to memorize, or like studying at all.
In this article, I’ve gathered 24 of the very best Italian blogs for Italian language students from all over the internet. These are the most helpful sites to follow, blogs to read, and newsletters to sign up for.
Most of the Italian blogs on this list are devoted to language learning. But there are some interesting Italian blogs to follow for different kinds of interests you may have that can easily be combined with studying the language, whether that be cooking, fashion, travel or photography.
Here are my picks for the best, most helpful, useful, or just fun Italian blogs and sites to look at.
By the way, if you want to learn Italian through stories, not rules, my top recommendation for language learners is my Uncovered courses, which teach you through StoryLearning®. Click here to find out more and try out the method for free.
#1 Fluent in 3 Months
Lead by an Irishman called Benny, this blog focuses on a number of languages, not just Italian.
There is a full-fledged course that promises you will be able to have a 15-minute conversation in Italian after 90 days, or your money back.
Whether that’s the case or not, the blog does come with handy tips for learning a language. And even if only some articles are about Italian, the rest contain useful information for learners. The blog also has a free newsletter you can sign up for.
#2 Joy Of Languages
Joy of Languages is a fun, simple site to check out. You might recognize Katie from the EasyItalian YouTube channel, where she often hosts videos.
This page seems to be entirely separate from that, however, and is a little different in its approach.
Subscribe to her free 5-day course or listen to a few episodes of the 5-minute-Italian podcast to get an idea.
Katie Harris also has a YouTube channel where you can find more Italian language content.
#3 Lingq
This site is focussed on practical tips. So it’s great if you're looking for a straightforward way to improve your Italian.
Also available in a number of other languages, Lingq is a very useful tool for learners at every level. Though perhaps mostly so for beginners who really want to cover every basic lesson thoroughly. And don’t mind getting right to it without a lot of distractions.
#4 ItalianBites
Martina from ItalianBites is an experienced, skilled language teacher and a native Italian speaker.
Her lessons — whether video classes, 1-on-1 virtual classes or in-person workshops — employ a teaching method that is focused on two things:
- on the information being digestible (hence the name)
- and useful in the real world, rather than in language exercise books.
This is an important difference to other classes since you can advance faster when you don’t waste a lot of time with unlikely or useless sentences such as “the apple is under the chair.”
#5 Learn Italian With Lucrezia
A supplement to Lucrezia’s YouTube channel, this Italian blog is worth following on its own.
Though it is more than recommended that you watch her videos, as well.
Useful but informal, Lucrezia’s site is great if you want a friendly tone to go with your learning. And want to be part of a close-knit but huge community of students.
Article topics include “how to overcome your fear of speaking Italian”. Or “how to use could/would/should in Italian” along with interesting facts about Italian culture, food and life.
She writes mostly in Italian. But there are always English translations to the example sentences. And she is careful not to use words that may be outside of a learner’s vocabulary.
#6 Becoming Italian Word By Word
Author Dianne Hales, one of those expats who seems to have been born with an Italian soul, leads an Italian blog that is very basic in its technology.
But exhaustive in all other ways. Focused more on adopting a certain lifestyle than just learning to speak Italian, this site will still teach you a lot about the language itself.
You will pick up snippets of realistic speech from her journal entries. And learn about fascinating facts of the language, rather than just plain old grammar.
If you’re interested in her books, the one entitled “La Bella Lingua: My Love Affair with Italian, the World's Most Enchanting Language” may be a good place to start.
#7 Learn Travel Italian
This site is very similar to an actual language school.
The Learn Travel Italian blog will not only teach you rules of Italian speech and writing, but also explain in a charming, easy way why and how those rules came to be.
This leads to a deeper knowledge of the language than just memorising words and ways to use them in context.
It's best for learners who have already covered the basics. This Italian blog is a great reference to look things up if you’re struggling with a particular part of the language. Don’t let the simple design fool you: this is actually one of the best-organized, most useful sites on this list.
#8 ItalianLearning on Reddit
Sure, this is more of a community than an Italian blog.
But this corner of Reddit, one of the largest social media forums on the internet, is great for those who want to share their Italian experience with others and communicate through the process of leaning the language.
Useful for any stage of learning, this subreddit is full of helpful people and good advice, whether you are the one asking for it or browsing existing threads. It’s great for those moments when you feel you aren’t progressing, are stuck or unable to look at your progress in perspective.
People have been where you are now and have moved past that point to tell the story, just like you will. Warning: it’s addictive.
#9 Alma Edizioni
Quite a bit more serious than most other entries, this site has a rather official feel, something like a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing the Italian language and culture to people around the world.
But, as it often goes, serious means useful, too. Here, you can learn things about Italy and its people that you wouldn’t elsewhere. And do so through super informative articles and videos, all revolving around the language.
This is best for intermediate students who can follow more complex subjects and faster, more formal speech.
#10 Forvo
Forvo is special in that it has something other sites don’t: a pronunciation dictionary.
Yes, there are online dictionaries that provide something similar, except for the fact that those tend to be voiced by a computer.
Here, words are recorded by real Italians – often multiple — so that you can get a feel for what a word actually sounds like spoken in real life.
Forvo also comes with a ‘useful phrases’ section, where you can look up things to say in common life-situations. These, too, are recorded by real people.
Forvo comes in a large number of languages, but the Italian version is one of the most complete.
#11 Studentessa Matta
Studentessa Matta, meaning “Mad (fem.) Student,” is the work of Melissa Muldoon who, just like Dianne further up, fell in love with Italy and wants you to share in the joy.
She is a self-proclaimed autodidact, meaning that she went from not speaking Italian at all to complete fluency pretty much all by herself. She now teaches students all over the world how to get to where she is, with her help, of course.
Her blog uses simple, clear language to tell sweet little Italian stories. So you’ll learn about Italy as you improve your language skills.
#12 I Learn Italian
A classic language learning blog, I Learn Italian is a great resource for students at any level.
There are comprehensive courses you can sign up for, but also free exercises.
This site often focusses on music, from lyrics to Italian songs to stories about famous singers and musicians the country has produced.
This is a great way to not only learn the language faster (which you will because music has a way of sneaking into your brain), but also have more fun and learn about Italy from a musical perspective in the process.
#13 ItalianPod101
The popular favourite, ItalianPod101, along with offering a massive amount of YouTube content, also has a great site.
Sign up for free and enjoy newsletters, daily lessons, and have the option of a paid course that’s more intense and, arguably, effective, than the free version.
A great option for students anywhere in the learning process, ItalianPod101 seems to be the best choice for absolute beginners, since lessons start straight from the numbers one to ten, and goes on from there.
#14 EasyLearn Italian
EasyLearnItalian is similar to many of the other sites mentioned here, in that it’s a fairly valid replacement for a comprehensive language school.
The topics covered are varied, interesting and helpful for intermediate students. Although beginners can also benefit from a number of the articles.
Advanced learners can go right along with the newest lessons, which mostly take the form of articles with translations occasionally supplemented by videos.
New students of Italian can easily go to the archives, start at the beginning and build up from there.
#15 CyberItalian
CyberItalian is a cool, funny and super entertaining blog to follow. Topics are not the expected, cookie-cutter language learning.
Articles (which tend to be brief and always have a word-for-word English translation below the Italian text) revolve around things you wouldn’t necessarily expect in the world of language learning: funny stories, song lyrics, movie reviews or obscure facts.
All of that is what makes this blog a great choice for those who can’t find themselves able to focus on dry, educational content. Or just want a little change of pace.
#16 Iceberg Project
The Iceberg Project comes with a promise to make learning a language less boring.
No ordinary sentences about libraries and tables for two please — this site is all about having fun while you learn.
They do offer online lessons to help you get started, but just the blog in itself is well worth following.
Their articles are written in an engaging, easy to follow English that doesn’t throw you in the deep water of a foreign language from the start.
If you’re planning on visiting Italy soon and are still at the beginning of your language journey, download the Not Your Typical Tourist Workbook.
#17 Corso Brancaleone
The perhaps coolest entry on this list, and not just visually speaking, this site represents what modern Italy is about.
Innovation with one nostalgic and longing foot firmly planted in the past.
Here, you can find funny takes on things about Italian language and culture that may seem weird to foreigners. But also Laura Pausini songs analyzed. Or strange village festivals explained.
Started in 2018, this is one of the more recent Italian blogs on this list and content is still woefully sparse. But they’ve got a YouTube channel and a newsletter, too. So you don’t have to be without Corso Brancaleone for long while you’re waiting for new posts.
#18 The Blonde Salad
Italian It-girl and socialite Chiara Ferragni’s blog, The Blonde Salad, is dedicated to all things fashion, with a particular focus on Italian brands.
Look through the articles, written in a spunky, lighthearted way, to learn about the Italian culture of dressing well, to keep up with local trends, and to find out what it is that makes Italians so darn stylish.
The content on the site relies on images pretty heavily. And lots of recognisable, international terms (like “style icon” or “fashion week”). So it’s really easy to follow.
Also, this is the most popular style blog in Italy, which has got to count for something. For something less mainstream and commercial, check out Giulia’s site.
#19 GialloZafferano
Giallo Zafferano is much like any other recipe website, except for that it is Italian, and has authentically Italian recipes.
The best thing is that most of them come with detailed photographs to accompany the written steps. So you won’t have trouble understanding the recipes.
If you’ve ever wondered how to make a proper carbonara, or what the secret to perfect gnocchi is, you can do no better than to visit Giallo Zafferano, or “saffron yellow”.
This may seem like a strange name for the most popular Italian food website until you realise it’s a reference to the colour of risotto alla Milanese.
If you’re on a recipe binge, see Italian food empress Csaba dalla Zorza’s site, too. The name may be male and Hungarian. But this is an Italian woman who really knows her way around delicious, local food.
#20 Italy Chronicles
A treasure trove of practical information on Italy. This Italian blog is great not only to organise your next trip to the boot, but also to inspire you to start planning one in the first place.
You can find anything from the bestselling coffee brands in Italy to Trenitalia ticket information. But also off the beaten track tourist info or book recommendations.
The one thing that unifies all of these things is a very local, profound love for all things Italian.
This site is great as a reminder that you’re learning Italian for a reason. Because Italy is one of the greatest countries in the world. Dream of Italy is a similar site, as is the more visually-focussed The Lost Avocado.
#21 Girl In Florence
An especially beautiful site, Girl in Florence may appear to be focussed on places in the city of Florence (and a girl therein), but it’s not just that.
You can find profiles on locals — whether expats or Italians – and interesting articles about daily life in Italy, from festivals, the fun and beautiful things and, yes, some challenges that the country is facing.
This Italian blog is entirely in English, so that you won’t do much language learning. But it is useful to get an idea of a life lived in the north of Italy today.
Browsing Rome is a very similar thing, except for that it’s based in Rome, and has a slightly different tone. Also worth checking out: Prayers and Piazzas.
#22 The Local Italy
An English-language news site intended for expats in Italy, The Local also often features articles that focus on funny, special or strange things in the Italian language, like slang terms, or things you only hear in Rome, at Italian restaurants, or from your Italian friend.
Very entertaining and informative, The Local is a great place for you if you are interested in the day-to-day headlines of Italian politics, economy, and lifestyle. ItaloAmericano is a similar site, even if it’s less news-centric and more devoted to Italian culture.
#23 Manuela Vitulli
Manuela Vitulli is a Puglia native and her blog is all about traveling, in and outside of Italy.
Seeing places through the eyes of a sweet, Italian girl is great for a pick-me-up, since her unflinchingly positive outlook on life and on all the things in it is infectious, as well as a very authentically Italian mindset.
If you're more interested in the visual part of travel, or photography in general, take a look at Stefano Tiozzo’s site.
#24 MindCheats
Dedicated to mindfulness and pop psychology, MindCheats is an Italian site aimed to help people get the best out of their minds and lives.
Here, you can read surprisingly conversational articles on good mental hygiene, beneficial habits, and all sorts of tips to get happy.
The content of MindCheats may sound like you need perfect Italian to understand anything. But the writing on the site is surprisingly simple and easy to understand.
Articles are spaced out well and short enough to keep your attention, along with being very interesting to people wanting to make positive changes in their lives.
Italian Blogs: An Adventure In Italian Immersion
So there you have it – 24 Italian blogs to help you boost your Italian learning.
The great thing about these Italian blogs is that you can use them to immerse yourself in Italian. That's how you pick up a language without trying to memorise rules or doing endless grammar exercises.
In fact, it's how I learned Italian in three months from home, using the StoryLearning® method. I focused on daily immersion in the Italian language – whether through Italian blogs, Italian podcasts or stories in Italian.
So make sure you bookmark these Italian blogs and get reading!
