Testimonials - Monnalisa School

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The voices of those who chose us

These are the reviews that our students have left us spontaneously on social media platforms like Facebook or on Google and Yelp. Each testimonial is faithfully reproduced. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who took the time to share their experience with us.

Laura Boykin

USA

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Laura Boykin

USA

The Monnalisa School is by far the best language school I've ever attended. It's in a whole different league from the other schools. I've done two courses there, a week in 2024 and two weeks in 2025. In my first course one of the owners, Elisabetta, went with me on the train each day to visit a different city or town in Tuscany, with us chatting in Italian the whole time. My goal was to improve my speech but I wanted to do that not sitting in a classroom but seeing something of the beautiful region of Tuscany. Little did I know that I would also learn a lot about Italian culture from Eli. It was the most wonderful week. Not only did my speech improve and did I see some of beautiful Tuscany, but I also learned about Italian family life, not just on the surface but the truly profound differences between my Dad's Italian culture and that of my mom's side of the family in the USA. I never knew my Italian grandparents and I always felt that loss, but thanks to my course at Monnalisa School I feel closer to them. And I understand and feel closer to my Italian-American dad. In closing I'd like to make two points. When you're learning a language, self-confidence is everything. What you need in a language school are people who make you feel like you're really good, and at the Monnalisa School they make you feel like a star. It's so important to be in a positive environment in which you can make lots of mistakes. Lastly Eli's and Mirko's philosophy is to support you however they can, wherever you are in your journey. For example, during my second course this year I mentioned that I'd love to do something practical in Italian, like maybe some volunteer work in Florence. By the very next day Eli had arranged two interviews for me for volunteer jobs. And the day after that she went with me to the interviews. If that isn't amazing I don't know what is! Thank you Eli, Mirko and the Monnalisa School, from the bottom of my heart.

Scott Balaam

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Scott Balaam

An excellent school … I can’t recommend it enough. The teachers are fantastic – I really enjoy Bianca’s classes. They are very communicative and for the first time I feel that I am learning. I hope to continue studying with the school and have recommended it to others including my wife!

Amanda Knaebel

USA

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Amanda Knaebel

USA

If you’re debating on enrolling in a course at Monalisa, do it! They are so accommodating and the teachers are great, bringing lots of energy to the lessons and keeping things interesting by mixing everyday conversations with practical grammar lessons. I also loved that it isn’t 20hrs week (which, in my opinion, can be a bit exhausting and overwhelming). Rather you have more time between courses to actually put what you learn into practice. Elizabeth also helped connect me to a host family, which really helped me improve my Italian in such a short amount of time. I can’t wait to come back!

Micahel Tafel

USA

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Micahel Tafel

USA

I'm a history professor, and I have taken many Italian classes over the last 20 years, but the Monnalisa experience was by far the best learning experience I have ever had. The teacher (Deborah) was great and very receptive to my level of learning. The school really gave me confidence in speaking Italian for the first time in my life. I highly recommend this school and I'll be back for more lessons whether they be online or in person very soon!! Grazie Monnalisa School!!!

Urs Meier

SWITZERLAND

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Urs Meier

SWITZERLAND

I had some previous knowledge in Italian and wanted to improve my language skills for personal use. My Airbnb host in Florence recommended Monnalisa School and it was truly a perfect recommendation from a local. Elisabetta is a fantastic teacher. She understood what I needed and responded exactly to my needs. I felt immediately in good hands and took every morning private lessons for 3 weeks. She always prepared interesting and informative lessons. Topics and pace were well adapted to my age. I made great progress and my expectations were even exceeded. The course material is modern and ranges from textbooks to videos. Elisabetta has also a profound knowledge about Italy and its culture. Besides the necessary grammar, verbs and vocabulary I learned a lot about her beautiful country and the Italians. The school itself is perfectly located in a medieval palazzo. I am very happy that I chose Florence and Monnalisa for my Italian course. I fully recommend this school to everyone.

Maria Amusategui

SPAIN

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Maria Amusategui

SPAIN

Fantastic place! I took italian language lessons here for a month. All the teachers are incredible and everyone is super friendly.

Esther Baardemans

NETHERLANDS

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Esther Baardemans

NETHERLANDS

Elisabetta is a hero. She’s super smart and knows exactly what individual students need and how to approach them. you don’t get the ‘one size fits all’ treatment, she really looks at your individual needs and goes out of her way to help you achieve your goals. I’ve been in different schools and despite the other one being really good as well, I prefer the informal setting of this school. It leaves more development options for individual students.

Donna Witty

USA

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Donna Witty

USA

I discovered the Monnalisa School late one night during Covid lockdown. Now, one and half years later, I will say that taking these classes with Elisabetta has been one of the best decisions I have ever made! My Italian consistently improves due to the excellent guidance and teaching methods we, as an online class receive. One day I hope to be able to participate in person….!

Taylor Pool

USA

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Taylor Pool

USA

Monnalisa School and Elisabetta (the teacher) is an amazing and enlightening place to learn Italian. Elisabetta is very personal, relaxed, positive, and affirming during the entire course. Her positive energy makes learning Italian very possible and enjoyable. What I also loved about the school is that you don’t have to pay upfront. After weeks or months I paid, but not at the beginning because she allows you to accumulate more hours to gain a better price per hour. I leaned Italian in a perfect environment, free from pressure of tests and exams, and purely because everyone there wanted to be there for personal reasons. You’re missing out if you don’t choose this school!

Lidia Lopez

SPAIN

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Lidia Lopez

SPAIN

Elisabetta is a great teacher. Thanks to her I’ve been able to make progress in Italian pretty quickly!! I’m so glad I found her. She not only teaches you the language, but also the Italian Culture, which is really interesting! Very dynamic classes, so you never get bored! In her lessons, Italian is spoken all the time, which is great for you to get used to the language asap. However, if for whatever reason the grammar explanation in Italian is not clear enough for the students, she will use English to clarify. Really good prices! I’d say definitely good value for money. Small groups. Lovely atmosphere. And last but by no means least, the school is a palazzo from 1300s. The most beautiful school I have ever seen! Grazie per tutto cara Elisabetta!!

Paul Darling-Wills

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Paul Darling-Wills

Regardless of the fact that is a new school, everything has been great! The atmosphere it’s really friendly and helpful. The staff is always ready to help in a very kind way. I had problems with my schedule and they were able to arrange my courses in the evenings. The school it’s tiny and so nice, they are very attentive and passionate about their job. I improved so much my Italian language knowledge.

Gary Pohl

USA

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Gary Pohl

USA

I have taken Italian language lessons intermittently for many years from many different teachers with only marginal improvement. Since starting with Ely, my progress with Italian has dramatically increased. I credit it to Ely’s ability to adjust her teaching methods and pace to my natural learning style and needs. She has a rare talent as a teacher to be both focused and gentle in her approach. Her lessons are always interesting with a variety of exercises and no pressure to perform. I encourage anybody interested in painlessly learning how to speak Italian to seek her out.

Riley Bestgen

USA

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Riley Bestgen

USA

Elisabetta has created an incredible and comfortable environment to learn. She is all about working with the students to make a non intimidating yet incredibly effective course. I have always felt at home at the school, and would highly recommend this course to anyone who is looking to learn Itlian.

Tiernan Cutler

USA

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Tiernan Cutler

USA

Elisabetta is a wonderful teacher! She is so patient and really makes sure you understand what you are learning each lesson. I’m taking private lessons with her and she is very flexible, as I have a complicated work/travel schedule. Would 100% recommend this school for anyone looking to learn Italian!!

Briana Di Grappa

USA

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Briana Di Grappa

USA

After my husband and I settled in Florence I knew it was time to get serious with learning Italian. I had already attended 3 weeks of Italian courses at a different school, but wanted a change of scenery for the longer haul. I found Monnalisa School through a FB group message board and decided to give it a go. I am incredibly glad I did!! I signed up for an 8 week course for the summer to keep my mind as far from the heat as possible …and hopefully learn some Italian. I can definitely say that my skills in Italian have come a long way thanks to my amazing teacher Elisabetta. She has a great deal of experience teaching, awesome resources and she has a firm grasp on English. Elisabetta has truly helped me fill in gaps of misunderstandings, given me the opportunity to ask unanswered questions, and I especially appreciate that she takes the time to explain something to me in English when I cannot understand the Italian version. Elisabetta and her friendly boyfriend happen to be the founders of Monnalisa. Together they have and have completely refurbished and transformed the space in an old Santa Croce quartiere building to create an amazing learning center. The school is bright, inviting and everything in it is brand new. I plan to continue attending Monnalisa School until I have a firm grasp on the Italian language. I cannot say enough good things about my experience with Monnalisa School, and HIGHLY recommend it to anyone hoping to learn some Italian!!!

Benjamin Gordon

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Benjamin Gordon

I’ve been studying Italian with Monnalisa for a couple of months now and I’m really starting get to see an improvement. While living and working in in Florence it’s hard to find free time to study but the school is really flexible and affordable. They’re happy to work late afternoons or weekends and really structure the lessons around you’re free time or needs. The facilities and staff are fantastic so would highly recommend this to anyone looking to learn the language or interested in the Italian lifestyle and culture.

Kelly McKinnon

NEW ZELAND

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Kelly McKinnon

NEW ZELAND

Teresa Ahara

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Teresa Ahara

Italian lessons in the beautiful and inspiring city of Florence, I was wowed by the grand staircase, large windows and sculptures that led to the entrance of Monnalisa school. It is run by its charming founder, Elisabetta, who went above and beyond during my initial communication with her to my arrival in Florence. She even offered an online taster class beforehand, which provided clarity on my level and gave me an overview of what to expect. My teacher was the wonderful Deborah who was very welcoming, supportive and engaging. The classes were well structured and provided amble opportunity to speak in Italian with corrections. My time at the school has motivated me to continue learning Italian. I would highly recommend Monnalisa school to anyone keen to learn Italian while in Florence, whatever your level.

Samantha Chapnick

USA

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Samantha Chapnick

USA

From the minute I contacted Elisabetta I knew her school was for me. Learning a language is intimidating and challenging and she makes it so fun and easy and never ever makes you feel stressed or pressured. One of her unique features is that she holds classes in the afternoon. Most of the other schools in Italy hold them from morning until noon for their intense classes and I can’t even think in English in the morning let alone in Italian. She is ALWAYS there for you, almost 24/7! If you are one of her students she treats you like you are family–whatever you need, a doctor, help with immigration, a suggestion for a gift for someone, advice on her favorite places in Sardinia, whatever she is always always open and receptive and kind and loving. She has a wonderful blend of exercises, conversation, and always a cultural or local interest focus/feature in each class. Because of her I have learned not only Italian but also so much about the culture and the country. I only wish i could take her home with me!

Mitchell Wells

AUSTRALIA

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Mitchell Wells

AUSTRALIA

Best Italian language school in Florence! 100% The teachers are so kind and very professional. We enjoyed our month of learning very much. Can’t recommend highly enough!

Pedro Gutierrez

MEXICO

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Pedro Gutierrez

MEXICO

If you are looking to learn Italian while you are in Florence, Scuola Monnalisa is the best school there is. Their comprehensive program is focused on grammar, conversation and culture. You will learn the proper use of grammar as well as how to speak the language in realistic situations. The teachers and staff are very professional, kind and patient. I highly recommend this school to anyone looking to learn and/or improve their Italian language skills.

Carly Colosimo

USA

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Carly Colosimo

USA

I was looking for an affordable and flexible language school in Florence and Monnalisa School went above and beyond my expectations. The staff really cares about their students and caters to ANY help you need, inside or outside of the classroom. After taking only six weeks of classes my Italian has improved tremendously and I can only thank Monnalisa for that! I would highly recommend this school to anyone.

Donna La Stella

USA

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Donna La Stella

USA

Monnalisa School is one of those true hidden gems of Florence. I found the beginning class online during lockdown and fell in love with Elisabetta and her school. I have had other Italian classes from other schools and they just didn’t compare. Elisabetta cares about her students and her lessons. She is genuinely involved in what you learn. I could not wait to go to Italy and again and take a class in-person. I had the fortune of taking a week with Bianca. Equally as wonderful as Elisabetta. My daughter had Bianca and Deborah. Both are amazing teachers and fascinating people. All of the teachers have a wealth of knowledge and know how to work with their students to get results.

Rachel Greenhalgh

AUSTRALIA

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Rachel Greenhalgh

AUSTRALIA

The atmosphere at Monnalisa is fantastic, you are made to feel relaxed and welcome. I have improved so much and my teacher would always take the extra time to explain concepts to me that I was struggling with. I would recommend this school to anyone wanting to learn the Italian language and also about Italian culture!

Taeko Shinjo

JAPAN

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Taeko Shinjo

JAPAN

I am very happy that I decided to study in Monnalisa, all the teachers in the school are very professional and passionate but also very compassionate and thoughtful. They are very flexible in terms of scheduling and tailor the classes for you! It worked out very good for me, I learned a lot and improved my Italian from A1 to B2 while having fun. 100% recommend!! 🥰🥰

Lucia Pavlikova

SLOVENA

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Lucia Pavlikova

SLOVENA

I took one-to-one lesson at Monnalisa and I can’t say enough thank you for such a great human approach, patience, passion and knowledge I have received. It was fun to study with Ely who was very professional and thorougful in her preparation. I learned a lot and she even made me look forward to our sessions! It’s definitely a great place for learning Italian!

Brigit Binns

USA

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Brigit Binns

USA

I can not praise this school highly enough. Owner Elisabetta (with her boyfriend Mirko) brings a sense of fun to the language learning process, and yet never forgets to emphasize grammar and vocabulary. Debora and Lavinia are both fantastic teachers, and the extensive curriculum includes lots of seemingly fun games and quizzes that have you learning without pain. Best of all, you can set your own goals and style of learning. I did mostly one-on-one lessons, which has been very very helpful for me when combined with a religious devotion to Duolingo and a fun podcast called "Stories in Slow Italian." Whenever I visit Florence, I squeeze in a few lessons and then keep it up occasionally via Zoom. As a result, I feel like a part of the warm, Monnalisa family! If you get a chance to study Italian in Florence, this is without doubt your best choice! Buona Fortuna!

Grant Findlay

SCOTLAND

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Grant Findlay

SCOTLAND

Great language school. Lessons are always immersive, interesting and plans are flexible. Elisabetta, the teacher, is fantastic. She helped me reach a conversational level with part time classes that were very adaptable to my working hours. She was very patient and I felt she had a good instinct as a language teacher when it came to adjusting to the individual levels of students and providing just the right level of challenge. Most importantly she provided me with a lot of encouragement and really helped me grow my confidence in speaking Italian. Would highly recommend the school to any foreigner who wants to learn Italian, whether just for the pleasure or in order to settle down and start a life in Italy. Its hard to overstate how important a good teacher is.

Barbara Senatore

USA

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Barbara Senatore

USA

I have studied Italian on and off since my college days, yet I never got close to being able to have a conversation in the language. Studying with Elisabetta helped me break down that wall. I took private lessons with her and found her to be the best teacher I ever had, and the most likable! Elisabetta doesn’t just teach the words and grammar of this beautiful language. She also shows how the language is a reflection of Italian values and culture, giving extra depth and meaning to your studies. Her method makes it easier to learn and retain what is covered in each lesson. She sets a quick pace, but I never felt overwhelmed, just grateful for the challenge. She is highly organized, dedicated to teaching, and keeps her students’ needs front and center. And, lessons were always fun! I plan to return to Italy to pick up my studies at Monnalisa once again. I highly recommend this school for any student level!

Rachel Mayer

CANADA

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Rachel Mayer

CANADA

My husband and I attended Monnalisa school for a few months while we lived in Florence and we have to say it was the highlight of our days. Elisabetta is one of the most genuinely caring and nice people we have ever met, she truly wants to help you inside and out of class. She really caters her classes and questions to everyones level of comprehension. Elisabetta was not only an amazing teacher but a great friend as well. We will forever look back on our time there with fondness and look forward to coming back to Italy to see her again.

Amanda Canter

USA

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Amanda Canter

USA

Monnalisa school has such a wonderful Italian language program! I had Elisabetta who taught me for about a year, she was absolutely amazing! She was patient with her students, truly cared about our progress, and was always available for help when we needed to reach out. Elisabetta is also a very kind and understanding person, whenever you needed to miss class she would make sure you were okay and would try to catch you up on what you missed on the previous lesson. I will never forget this experience, highly recommend!

Cis Coudenys

BELGIUM

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Cis Coudenys

BELGIUM

Really enjoyed this course and would definitely recommend it to anybody who wants to learn Italian in a warm, authentic and caring environment. Focus is not only on learning, but also on creating a good environment to learn. I loved it a lot and you will too 🙂. Big thanks to Diana and Elisabetta.

Sylwia Raczkiewicz

POLAND

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Sylwia Raczkiewicz

POLAND

Hollie Rose-Schiller

AUSTRALIA

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Hollie Rose-Schiller

AUSTRALIA

The Monnalisa school exceeded my expectations. Elisabetta is an amazing teacher, she is very knowledgeable and passionate. I enjoyed my time learning Latin. I hope to return and continue my my lessons in the future. Thank you, Elisabetta!

Ania Przednowek

POLAND

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Ania Przednowek

POLAND

Elisabetta it’s a great teacher. Atmosphere is very nice. I recommend this school to everybody!!!

Judy King

USA

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Judy King

USA

has elevated my ability to actually make conversation. Ely is so great at making me feel at ease trying to speak. She is a wonderful teacher. She is very patient and encouraging. Great experience.

Lucy Gaughan

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Lucy Gaughan

I really enjoyed my course here, Elisabetta is a great teacher and her lessons were always well prepared and she really put an effort into making the content interesting and geared towards the students’ interests. Her approach was modern and I never felt bored, and I felt my Italian really improved. I also appreciated the flexibility of the course, working as well as studying, I couldn’t commit to five days a week like a lots of the other schools require, and so this was very suitable for my requirements.

Babett Czigány

HUNGARY

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Babett Czigány

HUNGARY

I was looking for an Italian language school where it is possible to learn Italian in small groups, and luckily I have found Elisabetta who was able to fit me in a group of 2-3 students. My level was very low, but after 40 hours with Ely we reached the B1 level, which is a huge success for me. I feel more confident now, both understanding and speaking in Italian, and I’m already planning to go back to her in the future to reach an even higher level. She is one of the most organised teachers I’ve ever met in my life, and every lesson was enjoyable. I’m definitely satisfied with my progress! Thank you Ely!

Kream Siridharma

THAILAND

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Kream Siridharma

THAILAND

Great environment and great teacher 🙂

Inga Almklov

CHINA

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Inga Almklov

CHINA

wonderful and welcoming school, with great teachers and reasonable pricing

Georges Raphael

ISRAELE

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Georges Raphael

ISRAELE

Cara Elisabetta, Ti ringrazio moltissimo per tutte le lezioni interessanti, istruttive e didattiche che ho potuto frequentare grazie a te. Nonostante avessi una buona conoscenza della lingua italiana, mi sentivo bloccato quando un estraneo mi parlava o mi trovavo in luoghi pubblici. Questo problema, più psicologico che linguistico, si è sensibilmente ridotto dopo aver seguito le lezioni. Grazie a te ora mi sento molto più sicuro, spontaneo e non bloccato nell’uso e nella comprensione dell’ italiano”. Tu sei veramente bravissima! La scuola che hai creato con grande passione ed attenzione produce un impatto positivo sulla volontà di noi allievi e ci stimola a studiare ed imparare la lingua italiana. Così io sono sicuro che il tuo sogno di creare qualcosa di speciale possa realmente avverarsi. Inoltre anche l’ambiente della tua scuola si presenta in condizioni eccellenti per la realizzazione del tuo sogno di come insegnare e fare amare la bella lingua italiana. Evidentemente raccomanderò la scuola Monnalisa e la sua bravissima insegnante. Ti auguro un grande successo e buona fortuna per il tuo futuro.