Il paese di Cuccagna: an Italian book for intermediate learners (B1)
Matilde Serao · adapted by Alessio Insegnante · CEFR level B1
Matilde Serao's classic (1891), rewritten for learners of Italian at level B1: calibrated sentences, footnotes, a final glossary and comprehension questions in every chapter.
Ebook free with Kindle Unlimited · $4.99 · also in 6×9 paperback
The plot of Il paese di Cuccagna
In Naples, Saturday is lottery day, and the whole city — ruined noblemen, clerks, working women, moneylenders — lives in wait for the numbers. The Marquis of Formosa has sacrificed his fortune and his daughter Bianca Maria's health to the dream of the impossible win.
Serao follows dozens of intertwined destinies caught up in gambling fever, in a great choral fresco of Naples: the «land of plenty» promised by the lottery is a mirage that consumes all who believe in it.
Why read Il paese di Cuccagna to learn Italian
A choral novel means many dialogues and many voices: perfect for getting used to the different registers of spoken Italian. Numbers, money and bets provide practical vocabulary, and the narrative connectors are exactly those required at B1.
Inside this reader
CEFR adaptation
The text is fully rewritten for level B1, with controlled vocabulary and syntax, while staying faithful to the original plot.
Footnotes and glossary
Footnotes on difficult words and a final glossary, so you can read independently without a dictionary.
Comprehension questions
Every chapter ends with questions to check understanding, just like in class.
Paperback and ebook
6×9 paperback on cream paper, or Kindle ebook. The same text also lives in the ti app.
Language focus: what you practise
In this level-B1 edition you mainly practise the present subjunctive, the conditional, real hypothetical clauses and discourse connectors. The vocabulary revolves around money, gambling and the city: the key words, with translations, are in the glossary below and recur throughout the text, so you learn them in context.
Essential glossary (Italian · English · Dutch)
| Italian | English | Dutch |
|---|---|---|
| il lotto | lottery | de loterij |
| il numero | number | het getal |
| la vincita | winnings | de winst |
| il giocatore | gambler | de gokker |
| l'usuraio | moneylender | de woekeraar |
| la rovina | ruin | de ondergang |
| il sogno | dream | de droom |
| la febbre | fever | de koorts |
About the author: Matilde Serao
Matilde Serao (1856–1927), Neapolitan by adoption, was the first woman in Italy to found and run a newspaper. A tireless journalist and powerful storyteller, she portrayed Naples like no one else, between reportage and fiction.
Details and difficulty level
B1 is the threshold of independence: longer sentences, the present subjunctive, rich everyday vocabulary. This reader suits intermediate students and anyone preparing a B1 certification (CILS, CELI, PLIDA). Format: 6×9 paperback on cream paper or Kindle ebook; 20 chapters with footnotes, a final glossary and comprehension questions. All level B1 books →
Frequently asked questions
What level of Italian do I need to read Il paese di Cuccagna?
This edition of Il paese di Cuccagna is rewritten for CEFR level B1. B1 is the threshold of independence: longer sentences, the present subjunctive, rich everyday vocabulary. This reader suits intermediate students and anyone preparing a B1 certification (CILS, CELI, PLIDA).
Is this Matilde Serao's original text?
No, it is an adaptation: the plot and spirit of Matilde Serao's original remain, but vocabulary and syntax are rewritten for level B1, with footnotes, a final glossary and comprehension questions at the end of every chapter.
Which formats is it available in?
Paperback (6×9, cream paper) and Kindle ebook on Amazon. The ebook is free to read with Kindle Unlimited. The same text also lives in the ti app, with vocabulary translated into 14 languages.
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