Gioielli, Caffè e Firenze - Learn Italian with Stories: Graded Italian Reader (Intermediate, B1 - B2 CEFR Levels)

by Serena Capilli

Caffè and Cioccolato Series – Book 1

Romance & Mystery in An Italian Language Journey for Intermediate Learners (B1–B2 CEFR)

Follow Marie, a French artist who moves to Florence to learn the art of jewelry making. As she discovers the beauty of the city and meets new people, she finds herself caught in a story of romance, mystery, and self-discovery. Will she ever return to France?

As you follow Marie’s adventures through the artistic heart of Tuscany, you’ll not only immerse yourself in an engaging Italian short story, but also strengthen your Italian naturally through context, repetition, and culture.


Learn Italian and Explore Florence at the Same TimeDesigned for intermediate-level learners (B1–B2 CEFR), this book offers a perfect balance of storytelling and structured language learning. Each chapter

Bilingual vocabulary lists (Italian–English) to build confidenceCultural insights that bring Florence’s art, food, and craftsmanship to lifeSlow audio narration (free download) recorded by a professional native Italian voice artist
Immerse Yourself in Authentic Italian7,000 words of engaging, intermediate-level ItalianNatural dialogue and everyday expressionsItalian idioms and phrases seamlessly woven into the storyCultural details that transport you to the heart of FlorenceStrategic repetition to reinforce patterns and comprehension
Engineered for Effective Language LearningChapter summaries in Italian to test your understandingComprehensive bilingual vocabulary lists for reviewCultural notes that reveal the essence of Florentine life
Perfect for Intermediate Learners Who Want More
Unlike traditional textbooks, this Italian short story combines the beauty of storytelling with practical language learning. You’ll absorb grammar and vocabulary naturally as you get swept up in Florence’s romance and mystery.



Written by an experienced Italian instructor, Gioielli, Cafffè e Firenze, transforms language study into a journey through art, culture, and emotion.

Start your adventure with Book 1 today — and continue the journey in Book 2, Cioccolato, Amore e Torino .

Genres: Italian Literature

105 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 27, 2024

Reviews

[Lauren Agnello · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is really great for readers who are transitioning into a higher level of Italian. Capilli does a wonderful job incorporating natural (and useful) words, phrases, vocabulary, expressions, etc. into the story— allowing learners to branch out from textbook Italian into a more natural, colloquial Italian.

Each chapter is followed by a vocabulary list, a succinct deep dive into phrases and cultural aspects, and a recap on the chapter. The story is pleasant and easy to follow, the chapter length and pacing are good, and the explanations are fantastic!

Out of all the story learning material I’ve gone through, Capilli’s writing feels the most natural. I studied Italian in Florence and several of the phrases introduced throughout this book are ones I learned within the first couple weeks of being in Italy. Lots of them came up in conversations I had with teachers and locals, so I feel good about recommending her writing to anyone wanting to improve their understanding and communicate more naturally!

[Richie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Excellent Book from Serena Capilli

How wonderful it is to read a book in Italian. It is so hard to find interesting material at the appropriate level and there is plenty to learn and enjoy here. Do yourself a favour and buy this one. You will love it, and it will definitely help you with your Italian.

[I S MacPhail · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect for Italian Learners.

I really liked this book. The story of Marie is very believable and it is written in the B1 level of Italian that uses a mixture of nice descriptions, good grammar and interesting idiomatic phrases. It really is excellent! I will be reading the other books written by Serena.

[Steve Groenewold · Rating 5 out of 5]

So well crafted as a tool for learning Italian

This is far from a book you might find targeted at a junior high kid. It’s an intriguing story written at a level that seems to me to be close to how you’d expect mature Italian to look and sound.

Lots of helpful vocabulary, idioms, and grammar topics as well.

[Roger · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent read

An excellent book for intermediate readers. Perfect for my level of understanding Italian language. The story itself is a little bland but just about keeps you interested enough to want to continue through to the end. Having completed this book I now have a good understanding of what level I am in my ambition of learning the beautiful Italian language.

[Stephen Barker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent book by Serena Capilli

This is the third book by Serena Capilli I have read, and it is also the one that I enjoyed the most. The characters and plot are just interesting enough to create the motivation to understand what’s happening, which is the key to learning a new language.

[LA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great way to learn Italian

This book had a very good story in Italian with certain words and phrases defined at the end of the chapter. I enjoyed the story and learned quite a few new words and phrases.

[Carolyn Halliday · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great little book for understanding idiomatic Italian. Its intent is not to be great literature but to give the reader simple, intermediate comprehension.

[Karl K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable story. Good exposure to idiomatic phrases and some interesting information about Firenze. I have enjoyed all of her books—fun to learn from!

[Andrew F. Little · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story

I enjoyed reading this happy story which was appropriate to my current Italian level. I look forward to reading more B1 and B2 stories from Serena in the future

[Michael Podles · Rating 5 out of 5]

simple Italian, good story.

It took me a long time to finish this book but I only read it every now and then. I really appreciated the vocabulary at the end of eac chapter and the insights. Thank you and can’t wait to try another one.

[SHIRLEY · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story was pretty simple but for me, the value of the book was in the Approfondimente(insights) where the author explained the idiomatic expressions after each chapter. I also like the bold vocabulary words as well. I wish that the audio had been included with the paperback , but I see that it is free now. The book was well done for intermediate students. Our Italian Study Group met weekly and completed a chapter each week so it did take over 3 months to read.