La Bella Figura – Experience Italian Culture Activity 1 Una

La Bella Figura – Experience Italian Culture
Speaking, Lesson 5
Activity 1
Una filastrocca per ripassare l’alfabeto (15 minuti) - Repeat after the teacher
B. P. di Gianni Rodari
come la G del verbo giocare.
Tutte le lettere dell'alfabeto
Certe lettere vanno in coppia,
hanno un suono vivace e lieto
e la T spesso si raddoppia...
tranne l'Acca che, come si sa,
Ma la coppia più speciale,
un suono proprio non ce l'ha.
famosa su scala internazionale,
Ci sono lettere importanti:
è quella che vedete qui:
l'A che a tutte sta davanti,
una B. con una P.
del suo primato è molto orgogliosa
B.P... Che vuol dire? Pensateci un po':
e porta sempre la Maglia rosa;
forse Buon Pranzo... forse Buon Pro...
la Zeta, con cui si scrive «zero»,
Oppure... Buona Passeggiata?
è più temuta dell'Uomo Nero.
Trovate da soli la ... Bella Pensata
Ci sono lettere buone e care
Activity 2
Canzone: Sapore di Sale di Gino Paoli
Information on the singer
Biography
Gino Paoli was born in Monfalcone, a little town near Trieste, but moved very early to Genoa.
After several different jobs, he was called by Ricordi with his friends Luigi Tenco and Bruno Lauzi. His first success was
the single La gatta, which has been used in world language Italian task disks in America for middle schools and high
schools.
Another early song was Il cielo in una stanza composed in 1959. According to Paoli, the lyrics had come to him while
lying on the bed of a brothel. Looking at the purple ceiling, he thought, "Love can grow at any moment at any place".
Mina's single release of the song topped the list of annual sales in Italy and reached Billboard Hot 100. Video
performances of the song were included in the movies "Io bacio... tu baci" and "Appuntamento a Ischia". Later it was
featured in the "Goodfellas" movie. Carla Bruni Sarkozy covered the song (mixing French with her native Italian) in her
debut album (Quelqu'un m'a dit).
Gino Paoli’s debut album – Gino Paoli was released in Italy on October 8, 1961 on Dischi Ricordi. Il cielo in una stanza
Created by New Realm Media for La Bella Figura – Experience Italian Culture © September 2012
La Bella Figura – Experience Italian Culture
Speaking, Lesson 5
success was followed by Sapore di sale (1963), arranged by Ennio Morricone and believed to be his most famous song.
In the same year he attempted suicide by shooting himself in the heart (the bullet is still inside his chest).
In 1974 he returned with the LP I semafori rossi non sono Dio, followed by Il mio mestiere (1977). Both showed a more
mature inspiration than his 1960s works. In the 1980s Paoli produced a series of successful albums, and in 1985 he
toured Italy together with Ornella Vanoni.
In 1987 he was elected to the Italian Chamber of Deputies for the Italian Communist Party. He abandoned politics in
1992 to pursue his music ambitions. He had a long relationship with actress Stefania Sandrelli. Their daughter,
Amanda Sandrelli, is also an actress.
Listen to the song then read the text loud after the teacher.
SAPORE DI SALE
TASTE OF SALT








Sapore di sale,
sapore di mare,
che hai sulla pelle,
che hai sulle labbra,
quando esci dall'acqua
e ti vieni a sdraiare
vicino a me
vicino a me.








Taste of salt,
taste of sea
that you have on your skin,
that you have on your lips
when you come out the water
and you come to lay
near to me,
near to me.








Sapore di sale,
sapore di mare,
un gusto un po' amaro
di cose perdute,
di cose lasciate
lontano da noi
dove il mondo è diverso,
diverso da qui.








Taste of salt,
taste of sea
a taste a bit bitter
of lost things
of things left
far away from us
where the world is different,
different from here.








Qui tempo è dei giorni
che passano pigri
e lasciano in bocca
il gusto del sale.
Ti butti nell'acqua
e mi lasci a guardarti
e rimango da solo
nella sabbia e nel sole.








The time is in the days
That pass lazily
and leave in the mouth
the taste of the salt.
You jump in the water
and you leave me to watch you
and I stay alone
in the sand and the sun.








Poi torni vicino
e ti lasci cadere
così nella sabbia
e nelle mie braccia
e mentre ti bacio,
sapore di sale,
sapore di mare,
sapore di te.








Then you come back near
and leave yourself fall down
like this in the sand
and in my arms
and while I kiss you,
taste of salt,
taste of sea,
taste of you
Created by New Realm Media for La Bella Figura –
Experience Italian Culture © September 2012
La Bella Figura – Experience Italian Culture
Speaking, Lesson 5
Activity 3
Comics:
I misteri di Vallenberg
Diabolik is a fictional character, an anti-hero featured in Italian comics. He was created by sisters Angela
and Luciana Giussani in 1962.
Diabolik was born from seeing commuters every day. Creator Angela and Luciana Giussani, who lived near
Milano Cadorna Railway Station, thought of making comics in a format designed for travelling and carrying
in one's pocket. To better understand the tastes of her potential readers, Angela made a survey of the
market, from which she concluded that many commuters read mystery novels; another version of the story
claims that the very idea came from her finding a Fantômas novel abandoned in a train. Thus was born the
"Diabolik format”: the stories appear in monthly black and white digest-sized booklets.
The character
Diabolik is a ruthless master thief. He typically steals from criminals (and has no issue with killing them if need be, but
rarely, if ever, kills the innocent or the police), and has a set of lifelike masks which he uses to fool his opponents,
assuming every identity at his will. He seems to have a deep knowledge in many scientific fields, including chemistry,
mechanics and computers. In his first appearances, Diabolik was a more straightforward villain who did not hesitate to
murder anyone in order to accomplish his deeds. He was later given a more “Robin Hood”-like persona and was
shown stealing essentially from criminals, in order to soften the series’ violence and amorality.
He was raised as an orphan on a secret island hideout of a criminal combine, where he learned all his criminal skills,
including developing his special masks, before killing the head of the combine. Diabolik’s true name had never been
revealed in the series, and he doesn’t know it himself. Diabolik took his name from a dangerous black panther that the
head of the combine killed on the secret island. From issue #3 of the series, Diabolik is aided by his “moll”, Eva Kant,
who has gained an increasing role as his partner and lover. Diabolik always drives a black 1961 Jaguar E-type.
Graphically inspired by the actor Robert Taylor, he usually wears a skintight black body suit that leaves only his eyes
and eyebrows (very distinctive ones) exposed when going “into action.” Diabolik does not use firearms: his main
weapons are the daggers he throws with uncanny ability, as well as a small dart gun with knockout darts. Eva drives a
white Jaguar, and unusually goes into action wearing a heavy sweater and pants, no mask and no revealing clothing.
The stories are set in a fictional town, Clerville, loosely inspired by Geneva, Switzerland.
Diabolik’s main opponent is Inspector Ginko, known only by his surname, a fierce police officer who is always
thwarted by astute tricks devised by Diabolik. The only other recurring character is the noblewoman Altea, Ginko’s
fiancée.
Today we will read an extract from the booklet I misteri di Vallenberg. Two weeks ago we have
introduced the characters of Eva Kant and Diabolik; today the extract we will read features the two other
recurrent characters of the stripe: Inspector Grinko and his fiancée Altea.
Created by New Realm Media for La Bella Figura – Experience Italian Culture © September 2012
La Bella Figura – Experience Italian Culture
Speaking, Lesson 5
Let’s now read and explain five stripes (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26). Then work in pairs, you have 10 minutes to
read your part and study the pronunciation. The tutor will help you! Then, each group will read them.
You can use the space provided to write your lines and their pronunciation.
Grinko and Altea discuss after a terrorist attack, in which a man died. It seems that the real target of the
terrorists was the life of the noblewoman …
These are the possible roles

Grinko

Altea
Created by New Realm Media for La Bella Figura – Experience Italian Culture © September 2012