Nel centro storico c’è un vicolo stretto con case antiche.

In the historic center, there is a narrow alley with old houses.

Breakdown of Nel centro storico c’è un vicolo stretto con case antiche.

• con: with
• la casa: the house
• il centro: the center
• storico: historic
• esserci: there is
• il vicolo: the alley
• stretto: narrow
• antico: old

Questions & Answers about Nel centro storico c’è un vicolo stretto con case antiche.

Why is c’è used instead of ci sono?

Because we’re referring to a single vicolo (alley). C’è is used with singular nouns (there is), while ci sono is used with plural nouns (there are).

What does nel centro storico literally mean, and why is nel used here?

Nel is a contraction of in + il (meaning in the), so nel centro storico means in the historic center. Italian often contracts prepositions and articles this way (e.g., in + la → nella, di + il → del, etc.).

Why is the alley described as stretto?

Stretto means narrow or tight. In this context, it emphasizes that the alley is not wide and is close between the houses, which is a characteristic often found in historic districts.

When do we use un before a noun like vicolo?

In Italian, un is the masculine indefinite article used before masculine nouns that begin with a consonant (e.g., un libro, un vicolo). If the noun begins with a vowel or certain consonant clusters (like s + consonant, z, ps, etc.), you might use un or uno appropriately (e.g., uno studente, uno zaino).

Why do we say case antiche instead of antiche case?

In Italian, adjectives can come before or after nouns, but placing them after often gives a more literal or descriptive sense. Case antiche emphasizes that the houses are old or ancient in a more descriptive way. Reversing it to antiche case can still be correct, but it might slightly shift the emphasis, often creating a more poetic or stylistic effect.