Italian Stories for Beginners
Easy A0, A1, and A2 Italian stories with audio, images, key vocabulary, and short comprehension checks.
A0 Italian Stories
The Apple for Anna
A story about Marco giving an apple to Anna.
The Red Bag
A story about Anna getting a red bag from her mother.
Bread for Dad
A child gives bread to his father at home.
Luca's Ball
A story about Luca and his red ball at home.
The Blue Door
A story about Anna, Marco, and a ball at the blue door.
The Cup of Water
A story about a mother who gives a cup of water to her daughter.
The Red Apple
A little girl receives and eats a red apple.
Anna Wants the Bread
Anna is at home and asks her mother for bread.
Mother and Anna
A story about Anna and her mother at home, where her mother gives Anna a cup.
Two Cups
A story about Anna and Marco drinking water at home.
The Dog and the Child
A story about a child who gives a red ball to a dog.
The Blue Ball
A story about a little girl who finds her blue ball.
Where Is the Book?
A story about Anna, a cat, and a book.
The Cat and the Milk
A story about a child who gives milk to a cat.
Where Is the Ball?
A story about Anna, a cat, and a missing red ball.
A1 Italian Stories
Il Cinghiale sotto la Finestra
A short story about a boy named Marco who discovers a wild boar and her baby under his window.
La Sedia Vuota a Capodanno
A short story about a family reuniting for a special New Year's dinner.
Il Pacco sul Portone Sbagliato
A helpful neighbor discovers a misdelivered package and makes sure it reaches its rightful owner.
La Fontana che Non Si Asciuga Mai
A thirsty girl discovers a magical fountain in the park that never runs dry.
La Freccia Sbagliata di Venezia
A traveler in Venice follows the wrong directions and eventually finds his way.
The Ball in the Reeds
A story about a boy who loses his ball in some reeds and finds it with the help of a friend.
Il Gusto Mancante
Sofia tries to recreate her grandmother's special pasta sauce for a family dinner.
La Gondola sul Tetto
A curious story about a man who finds an unusual object on a hotel roof.
Il Giardino di Re Laurino
A legend about why the Dolomite mountains turn red at dawn and dusk due to the magical roses of a dwarf king.
La Luce Accesa nella Casa Vuota
A young woman notices a strange light in her neighbor's house and discovers who is visiting.
Il Forno che Non Si è Mai Spento
A young boy discovers the secret behind his grandmother's bakery oven and the legacy it carries.
Il Podio Scambiato
A story about two runners, Luca and Marco, whose race results are re-evaluated after a photo finish.
La Moneta Trovata nell'Orto
A young boy named Marco makes an exciting discovery while digging in his garden.
Il Citofono che Non Risponde
A young woman named Sara visits her neighbor Signora Pina and is worried when she does not answer the door.
Il Telegramma che Salvò la Cupola di Firenze
This short story tells how a telegram saves Florence’s famous dome during the war.
Il Lupo che Scese a Valle
An old wolf descends from the snowy mountains to find food in a quiet village.
La Nota Stonata del Coro
A story about a boy named Marco who helps a nervous singer find her confidence during a choir rehearsal.
La Macchina di Leonardo che Non Volò
A story about a young boy named Marco who observes Leonardo da Vinci as he attempts to build a flying machine.
Il Messaggio Mandato alla Persona Sbagliata
A young woman accidentally sends a personal message to the boy she likes instead of her best friend.
Il Nome Sbagliato sul Campanello
Chiara discovers the wrong name on Davide’s doorbell and learns why it is there.
L'Inquilino che Nessuno Vide Mai
A curious woman named Anna discovers the identity of her mysterious neighbor through small acts of kindness.
La Cornice Vuota agli Uffizi
Lucia helps explain why a missing painting is not lost before the museum opens.
Il Caruggio che Non Vede il Sole
Sara navigates the narrow and dark alleys of Genoa to discover the city's best focaccia shop with the help of a local.
Il Portiere con Due Guanti Diversi
This is a simple story about a goalkeeper who uses two different gloves and helps his team win.
Il Bucato Ritirato dal Balcone Sbagliato
Marco accidentally takes clothes from Elisa’s balcony and discovers an unexpected surprise before the rain begins.
Il Sentiero delle Cinque Terre Dopo la Pioggia
After the rain, Elena helps a man on a muddy trail and reaches Vernazza with him.
Il Tortellino Senza Pieghe
This Italian story follows Luca as he learns how to make a tortellino and understands the value of mistakes.
La Porta che la Befana Non Deve Trovare Chiusa
Marta discovers that an open door brings a special surprise on the night of the Befana.
Le Impronte Bagnate nella Biblioteca
When a letter disappears from an open display case, Elena and Marco follow wet footprints to solve the mystery.
I Cugini dell'Estate Lontana
A young girl named Chiara reunites with her cousin Diego after years apart and tries to fix a mistake from the past.
L'Ultima Barca per Burano
Sofia finds a lost bag with lace and a note, then travels to Burano to return it before the last boat leaves.
La Chiave Caduta nel Naviglio
On a rainy day, Elena loses her house key in the Naviglio and gets help from a kind cyclist.
La Promessa Scritta su un Bacio Perugina
Elena worries that Marco loves another woman, but a mistaken Bacio Perugina leads to a birthday surprise.
A2 Italian Stories
Il Sale sulla Soglia
A grandmother uses a special tradition to keep her home safe, and her grandson learns about its magic.
The Mandolin Hanging on the Door
A story about a young girl who discovers a beautiful old mandolin hanging on a door in her home.
Il Falco che Nidificò sul Duomo
A young girl watches a falcon build a nest and raise its chicks on a city cathedral.
Il Cane che Tornò Solo
A kind man helps a lost little dog find its owner in a local park.
The Bitter Orange of Palermo
A grandmother teaches her grandson how to turn a bitter orange into a delicious treat.
La Maglia Troppo Grande
Luca is excited for his soccer match, but his new jersey is a little bit too big for him.
L'Ultima Bottega di San Gregorio Armeno
A young girl named Sofia searches for a traditional artisan to repair a broken nativity shepherd for her grandmother.
La Faccia sul Muro che Ritorna
A woman living in a building in Bologna discovers a mysterious drawing on her hallway wall and learns the poignant story behind it.
La Modella di Tre Maestri
A story about a model named Elena who inspires three different painters in Florence to see her in unique ways.
L'Ombrello Restituito Troppo Tardi
A short story about a woman who leaves her city after waiting too long for a neighbor to return her borrowed umbrella.
La Fermata Sbagliata
A woman learns that a mistake can lead to an unexpected opportunity.
Il Fioretto Rotto Prima della Finale
A young fencer named Marco faces a challenge when his weapon breaks right before his first regional final, but help comes from an unexpected source.
La Sirena che Guardava Mergellina
A story about a mermaid who watches over a fisherman in Naples and must decide between her safety and his life.
La Fotografia Girata verso il Muro
Two sisters find a way to navigate the pain of a breakup through a small, meaningful gesture involving a photograph.
Il Gatto che Aspettava alla Stazione
A touching story about a loyal cat waiting at a small train station for its owner who will never return.
Il Miele dell'Ape Nera di Sicilia
A young woman visits her grandmother in Sicily and learns the value of tradition and simplicity through a rare jar of honey.
Il Cioccolato di Modica che Non Si Scioglie
Sara discovers the unique history and secret behind the chocolate her grandfather makes in Sicily.
Il Fazzoletto Caduto dalla Tarantella
During a summer festival in Salento, Elena searches for her grandmother's embroidered handkerchief and discovers a touching connection to a traditional dance.
Il Soldato che Portò i Semi a Casa
A soldier keeps a promise to his mother by bringing home tomato seeds after the war.
La Banca che Accetta Forme di Parmigiano
This story follows a family of cheese producers who uses Parmigiano Reggiano as collateral to save their caseificio.
La Nebbia sul Fiume Po
A young woman named Elena risks the dangerous fog on the Po River to retrieve her grandfather's old fishing nets.
La Barca Bloccata tra i Fenicotteri di Molentargius
Marta and Paolo help a young flamingo after their boat gets stuck in the lagoon.
Il Fischio Mancante del Tenore
This story recounts how the famous tenor Enrico Caruso experienced the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and remembered the unusual silence before it.
Il Numero Novantanove all'Ufficio Postale
Elena tries to send an important letter before the post office closes, but she loses her ticket and receives unexpected help from an elderly man.
Il Pettorale Cucito dalla Madre
This story follows Alfonsina Morini as her mother's quiet support helps her challenge prejudice and race as a cyclist.
La Ruota Bucata sul Muro di Sormano
This story follows Matteo, a young cyclist who learns that friendship and helping others matter more than winning.
La Terza Colonna di Colapesce
A young fisherman risks his boat to save a magical column beneath the sea and discovers the meaning of a mysterious bell.
Il Bambino che Aprì la Porta ai Garibaldini
A young boy named Nino makes a difficult decision that changes the course of a historical moment in Palermo.
La Valigia Scambiata sulla Circumvesuviana
Marta accidentally takes another woman's suitcase on the Circumvesuviana and turns the problem into a chance to impress a hotel director.
Il Posto Vuoto alla Tavolata di Ferragosto
At a Ferragosto family lunch, an empty chair brings Luca and his father back together.
La Campana che Tiene Lontano il Basilisco
A young bell ringer learns that an old bell may truly protect his village from a dangerous basilisk.
La Bicicletta della Staffetta Partigiana
This story follows Tina Anselmi as she becomes a partisan courier and secretly carries a message by bicycle during World War II.
Il Cantastorie che Perse la Voce
A talented Sicilian storyteller faces a challenge when he loses his voice just before a highly anticipated performance.
La Marea che Chiuse la Via delle Saline
Marta and a nature reserve guard brave high water and heavy rain to save her grandfather’s blue notebook from an old warehouse.