La Villa Malaspina

In search of a place to live, a group of students and young professionals move into the mysterious Villa Malaspina. What initially appears to be an unusual shared residence in a historic villa soon develops into a mystery filled with hidden doors, secret passageways, and unexplained events.

Amid old diaries, encrypted messages, and the shadows of the past, the residents uncover the story of Costantino Malaspina, whose fate still seems to be connected to the villa. Their investigations take them through the hidden corners of Florence, from the Palazzo Vecchio and the Vasari Corridor to the tunnels beneath the city and ultimately into Dante’s Inferno itself.

But the more secrets are revealed, the clearer it becomes that some forces have been waiting centuries for their release. Will the residents solve the mystery of the villa and break the curse of the Malaspina family?

Der Kurs im Detail

Hier sind die einzelnen Sitzungen des Kurses mit Aufgaben dokumentiert. Sitzungen sind nach Ort oder Thema benannt.

The Arrival at Villa Malaspina

The players are students and/or young professionals looking for a place to stay in Florence. They meet for the first time in front of Villa Malaspina. A caretaker hands them the keys to the villa, after which they begin exploring the building.

The Welcome Letter

A warm welcome from the mysterious owner of the house in the form of a letter, but there seems to be something strange hidden between the lines.

Focus: Reading Comprehension
The Door Lock That Must Be Opened with an Unknown Word

A crossword puzzle containing words related to the villa reveals a keyword.

Focus: New Vocabulary
The Diary That Writes Itself

The residents wake up in the house and go looking for the kitchen. Once they find it, they discover that the food has been hidden inside a compartment in the table. Later that day, they find Costantino Malaspina's diary and discover a newly written page that was not there before.

The Three Doors

The residents must choose a door and solve language-based puzzles, including proverbs, tables, and sentences that must be corrected.

Focus: Grammar
Breakfast

The residents must accurately describe how and with what they eat breakfast.

Focus: Oral Production
Malaspina's Diary

The residents must read and understand the secrets hidden within the new page.

Focus: Comprehension
The Shadow Upstairs

The players hear mysterious noises. One group goes into the garden while the other heads upstairs. After reuniting, they encounter a mysterious shadow that leads them to Costantino's study. There they discover a secret staircase and the unconscious body of one of their fellow residents.

Crossword and Door Riddle

The players must solve puzzles to gain access to new information about the house.

Focus: Reinforcing Basic Vocabulary and Training Deductive Reasoning in a Foreign Language
The Notary's Letter

The notary informs the residents about the villa’s ambiguous legal situation.

Focus: Understanding a Formal/Bureaucratic Text
Costantino's Diary

Put the sentences in the correct order.

Focus: Text Cohesion and Logical-Temporal Connectors
Oral Production

The players introduce their character and summarize an element of the story.

Focus: Oral Production and the Use of the Past Tense When Narrating Events
The Hidden Library

The players find a book inside a hidden library. After completing the exercise, one of the library walls moves. Costantino asks the players questions and then tells them his story. At the end of the corridor, they find themselves inside Costantino's empty crypt. When they open it, they discover a letter written in Sumerian.

Fill in the Blanks

The players complete the sentences in the book.

Focus: Reading Comprehension
Answer the Questions

The players are asked questions, after which Costantino tells them his story.

Focus: Comprehension and Oral Production
The Secret Passages of Florence

The players meet the new character Rosalinda and try to convince her to help them decipher a clue they have found. Afterwards, they discover a secret tunnel beneath the villa that leads them to the Palazzo Vecchio.

Rosalinda's Translation of the Sumerian Letter

It is revealed that Costantino Malaspina does not have complete control over the villa and appears to be a victim of something himself. The letter ultimately points the players toward a path to follow.

Focus: Listening Comprehension and Note-Taking Skills
The 'Secret Passages' Tour Ticket

The players finally understand where they are: inside the Palazzo Vecchio, but on a special tour through Florence’s secret passageways.

Focus: Reconstructing the Situation and Cultural Knowledge of Florence
Riddle

Perhaps they can get help from the outside world, but that is not certain. They must first figure out how communication can be established at all.

Focus: Written Production and Contextual Adaptation
The Halls of the Salone del Cinquecento

The group encounters Lorenzo Sigismundo, a former friend who wants an apology from Rosalinda. The group continues forward and enters a chamber called the Capriate del Salone del Cinquecento.

Logic Puzzle

The players must choose one of the available tools to illuminate the dark hall.

Focus: Speaking with Others and Finding a Solution Together - Oral Production
Game of the Goose

The group finds a game that must be solved in order to continue.

Focus: Grammar
The Spirit Behind the Door

The players emerge into Piazza della Signoria. There they find clues leading first to the Mercato Nuovo and then to the Vasari Corridor. Beyond a door they encounter Lorenzo's spirit, who reveals that a cursed book must be burned at a boundary place in order to break the bond.

Informal Letter

The players, who are now considered missing, must write a letter to reassure a parent without revealing the truth.

Focus: Guided Written Production of an Informal Letter
Anagram

The players solve an anagram to obtain an important item.

Focus: Reinforcing Vocabulary and Spelling
Costantino's Letters

The players must place the letters into chronological order based on tone and content.

Focus: Reading Comprehension and Pragmatic Competence
Beneath the Streets of Florence

Costantino and Rosalinda look at one another, but they cannot touch. A secret door opens. Once the room's puzzle has been solved, a hidden ladder appears. The group enters the sewers of Florence and proceeds until they hear the sound of a giant rat. Giulia scares it, causing the rat to spit out a key bearing the crest of the Auditore family. The players open the door and the session ends.

Costantino's Monologue

Costantino speaks to Rosalinda.

Focus: Listening Comprehension
Passato Prossimo

Complete the summary of the events that have just occurred using the passato prossimo form of the verbs provided in parentheses.

Focus: Written Production
The Gate of Hell

The players follow a path leading them to the Church of Santa Felicita. There they find a cemetery where a key figure in the story is buried. Their conversation with this individual points them toward a special gate: the Gate of Hell. However, they must first convince Charon before they can enter the afterlife.

Reorganizing the Collected Objects and Clues

Summarize everything that has happened so far and share the clues gathered during the adventure.

Focus: Writing
Article About Dante's Inferno

An informative historical article provides background information about Dante’s Inferno. The players thereby come to understand the situation they have entered.

Focus: Reading
The Verses on the Gate of Hell

The verses reveal an important piece of information: only those who abandon hope may enter. What will the players do to enter the afterlife while still alive?

Focus: Reading
The Flame of the Inferno

The group travels through Hell with Charon while carrying the Malaspina book, which must be burned. There they meet Sigismundo again, who admits that he lied to them and leaves them a flame that can destroy the book. However, this flame is not strong enough to completely annihilate it. In the next circle they finally discover the correct flame. The group then magically finds itself back inside the villa.

Summary

The players must orally organize and summarize the events that have occurred so far.

Focus: Individual and Group Oral Production
Farewell Note

In order to seal the destruction of the book once and for all, the players must write a farewell note.

Focus: Written Production and Creative Writing
The Villa's Final Secret

Private investigators question the players about several mysterious objects discovered during their adventure. Afterwards, a new letter arrives from the notary warning that the villa will be demolished unless useful information is provided.

Investigator Interrogation

The game masters (acting as investigators) describe mysterious objects found by the players and ask questions while pretending to be skeptical of the supernatural.

Focus: Spontaneous Oral Production and Interactive Listening
The Notary's Letter

The players learn that the villa will be demolished unless they provide useful information about the property. They must answer four open-ended questions.

Focus: Reading and Understanding a Bureaucratic Text
Letter to a Friend

The players ask a friend for advice on how they should deal with the notary.

Focus: Written Production with Mixed Communicative Functions (Narrating, Expressing Concern and Emotions, Making Requests)