Tutti Matti per l'Italiano!

Melissa Muldoon calls herself "Studentessa Matta" — the crazy student — and that nickname captures the infectious energy she brings to teaching Italian through culture, art, and history. Her podcast is not a traditional language course. Instead, it is a cultural tour of Italy delivered in Italian (with English support), covering medieval jousting festivals in Arezzo, Renaissance painters, Italian legends, language immersion programs, contemporary Italian life, and book club discussions about Italian literature. The show has 72 episodes spanning several years, with the most recent from April 2023. Episode lengths vary widely — some quick 5-minute cultural snapshots, others stretching to 42 minutes for in-depth interviews with native Italian speakers. The format keeps shifting, which can feel unpredictable but also means you never get bored. Transcripts in both Italian and English are available on her website, making episodes accessible to learners at different proficiency levels. With a 3.8 star average from 23 Apple ratings, the audience is modest but the cultural depth is significant. Melissa's perspective as an American who fell deeply in love with Italian language and culture gives the show an outsider's enthusiasm paired with genuine knowledge. She interviews native speakers, covers regional traditions that even many Italians do not know well, and connects language learning to the art, food, and history that make people fall in love with Italy in the first place. If your motivation for learning Italian is rooted in a passion for Italian culture rather than just practical communication, this podcast speaks directly to that motivation.