Il Sidereus Nuncius: an Italian book for intermediate learners (B2)
Galileo Galilei · adapted by Alessio Insegnante · CEFR level B2
Galileo Galilei's classic (1610), rewritten for learners of Italian at level B2: calibrated sentences, footnotes, a final glossary and comprehension questions in every chapter.
In production · soon in 6×9 paperback and on Kindle
The plot of Il Sidereus Nuncius
Padua, summer 1609. A professor of mathematics hears of a Dutch tube with two lenses that brings distant things closer. He has never seen one: he rebuilds it by reasoning, improves it to thirty magnifications — and then does what no one had seriously done before: he points it at the sky.
The Moon, which every book called smooth and perfect, fills with mountains and valleys. And on the night of 7 January 1610, three small stars appear in a line beside Jupiter… and the next night they are no longer where they should be. The book that founded modern astronomy, told in Galileo's own voice, night after night, down to the race to print it before anyone else.
Why read Il Sidereus Nuncius to learn Italian
This is the Italian of science told in the first person: observing, doubting, deducing, proving — the thinking verbs a B2 learner needs to build arguments. And the story, night after night, has the suspense of a mystery: you know he will discover Jupiter's moons, but not how.
Inside this reader
CEFR adaptation
The text is fully rewritten for level B2, 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-B2 edition you mainly practise the imperfect and past subjunctive, hypothetical clauses of possibility, the passive and indirect speech. The vocabulary revolves around the sky, science and discovery: 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 cannocchiale | telescope | de telescoop |
| la luna | moon | de maan |
| la stella | star | de ster |
| il cielo | sky | de hemel |
| la lente | lens | de lens |
| la montagna | mountain | de berg |
| il pianeta | planet | de planeet |
| la scoperta | discovery | de ontdekking |
About the author: Galileo Galilei
Galileo Galilei (1564–1642), from Pisa, father of modern science, was the first to point a telescope at the sky and publish what he saw. The Sidereus Nuncius of 1610 suddenly made the universe much bigger.
Details and difficulty level
B2 is upper-intermediate Italian: complex syntax, subjunctive and conditional structures, shades of register. This reader suits learners who already read in Italian and want to tackle the great classics with structured support. Format: 6×9 paperback on cream paper or Kindle ebook; 20 chapters with footnotes, a final glossary and comprehension questions. All level B2 books →
Frequently asked questions
What level of Italian do I need to read Il Sidereus Nuncius?
This edition of Il Sidereus Nuncius is rewritten for CEFR level B2. B2 is upper-intermediate Italian: complex syntax, subjunctive and conditional structures, shades of register. This reader suits learners who already read in Italian and want to tackle the great classics with structured support.
Is this Galileo Galilei's original text?
No, it is an adaptation: the plot and spirit of Galileo Galilei's original remain, but vocabulary and syntax are rewritten for level B2, with footnotes, a final glossary and comprehension questions at the end of every chapter.
When is it coming out?
The book is in production and will be on Amazon soon, in paperback and as a Kindle ebook. The same text already lives in the ti app.
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