DANIEL AND EDUARDO: Benvenuti a Roma!
DANIEL: Rome is the capital of Italy. It's a big city. And it's very near the sea.
I'm Daniel. I came to live here three years ago with my family.
And this is my friend, Eduardo.
Rome is so full of history. It's like a living museum.
There are heaps of monuments and cool ruins to explore.
Roma è piena di monumenti.
EDUARDO: Questo è il Foro Romano.
DANIEL AND EDUARDO: C'è anche tanta gente!
DANIEL: There's always lots of traffic, so it's very noisy.
Roma è una città molto rumorosa!
EDUARDO: Tanto caotica!
DANIEL: Rome can also be very quiet: tranquilla.
I love the view from this hill, because you can see all of Rome from up here.
There are lots of churches: chiese. And also the Vatican, which is a whole state in itself.
It's where the Pope lives. And people come from all over the world to visit.
The river Tiber, il Tevere, runs right through Rome.
There's a castle. Castel Sant'Angelo. And it's surrounded by angels.
Rome has hundreds of fountains: fontane. Including a rather famous one.
Questa è la fontana più famosa al mondo.
EDUARDO: La Fontana di Trevi.
DANIEL: They say if you throw a coin into the fountain, you'll always return to Rome.
Ma cosa ci sono con tutti quei soldi?
I wonder what they do with all that money.
BUKI: I'm Buki and this is my friend Eliane. We like to hang out with the cool cats.
Il mio posto preferito è quasi nascosto.
This is the place where Julius Caesar was killed. But now it's a sanctuary for cats.
Ci sono gatti di ogni colore. Neri e tigrati.
Questo gatto ha tre colori. Nero, bianco e arancione.
I'd love to take one home.
Italy has the best ice cream in the world. Gelato. And we eat it all year round.
There are hundreds of flavours: gusti. Which makes it very difficult to choose: cioccolato, vaniglia, pistacchio, fragola e stracciatella.
Buonissimo!
DANIEL: The Romans are also famous for the many roads they built all over the Roman empire.
This is the Appia Antica. The Romans built it over two and a half thousand years ago.
Back then it was 330 miles long. Now, it's a bit shorter, but it's the perfect place for a walk.
As they say, all roads lead to Rome!
ALL: Tutte le strade portano a Roma!
Two primary school children, Daniel and Buki, present their favourite Roman sights in Rome, including the Roman Forum, the Vatican, the Trevi Fountain and the Appian Way.
They also visit lesser known places that children enjoy; the place where Julius Caesar was killed, now a cat sanctuary, and a popular ice cream shop in Rome.
This clip is from the BBC2 series, Being Italian.
Teacher Notes
- This clip could be used as a starting point for introducing the Romans by linking Italian language with the history topic of an ancient civilization.
- Having looked at the clip, pupils can be asked to research the places and monuments mentioned in order to recreate a timeline with key facts and events.
- They can also compare the historic sites in Rome and Italy, with other Roman sites throughout Europe.
Curriculum Notes
This video is relevant for teaching Italian at KS2 in England and Wales, KS2 in Northern Ireland and second level in Scotland.
A day at an Italian primary school. video
Buki introduces her primary school, her teacher and friends. We find out about their favourite subjects, what they eat for lunch, and what their favourite games are at playtime.
Playing frisbee and football in Rome. video
Daniel and his friends enjoy playing Frisbee in the Circo Massimo in Rome, but what he loves most is training with his football team after school.
Making a Roman pizza. video
Buki and her friend learn how to make Roman pizza from an Italian chef, including baking it in the wood oven.
Making olive oil. video
At the end of October, we join Daniel and Buki picking olives to make olive oil and learning how to use rakes and nets.
