Learn words connected with houses in Italian
Everyone knows that Italians are a sociable lot. One of the ways in which this manifests itself is in the way they construct their abitazione (housing). Where other nationalities tend to give themselves a bit of space, Italians like to abitare (live), literally, on top of each other.The condominio (block of flats) is probably the most popular choice as it means a vast number of people can live near to servizi (facilities) such as negozi (shops), scuole (schools) and chiese (churches). A condominio has anywhere from three to ten piani (floors) with three or so appartamenti to a floor and an ascensore (lift) to save weary legs. Apartments can be monolocale (bedsit type), mini-appartamento (one bedroom) or bi/tri camere (two or three bedrooms). Those wanting more luxury can opt for the attico (penthouse) with a great vista (view) of the city.
Not all Italians live in centro città (the city centre). Garden lovers can choose from the casa a schiera (terraced or town house), villetta (detached house, similar to a bungalow) or bi/trifamiliare (a large house split into two, like a semi-detached). In the countryside you can also see the rustico (converted barn or farmhouse) becoming more and more popular.
So what can you see inside una casa italiana (an Italian house)? Cucina (kitchen) and salotto (lounge) are often one big open space. There are usually a couple of camere (bedrooms) and bagni (bathrooms). A cantina (storage room) is often to be found near the garage. An unusual room is the taverna (a big, subterranean kitchen and dining room) where family gatherings take place. Outside, those with a giardino (garden) may have a portico (covered veranda) whilst apartment dwellers get their air on the terrazza (balcony).
