Mantova — Mantua

Festivaletteratura

Festivaletteratura has been held in Mantua every September since 1997, for five days, and is one of Italy's best-known literary festivals. Events take place all over the historic center — in squares, courtyards, palaces and deconsecrated churches — and many are held outdoors. The festival depends on hundreds of volunteers, many of them young, recognizable by their blue T-shirts: they guide guests, manage lines and keep the events running. Authors, translators, scientists and journalists meet readers in a relaxed, crowded atmosphere, and book signings after the events can be long. The language of this lesson is the language of procedures: per prima cosa, dopodiché, a quel punto, si comincia con, una volta arrivato, man mano che, and the passive with venire and andare. It is the Italian of instructions, schedules and programs.