'Essere' and 'stare' as they relate to location... I'm sure this is a question that is asked by every beginning student of Italian, but after much research i still haven't come to a clear answer...is there any strict way to differentiate between 'essere' and 'stare' as they relate to location? I have a fair amount of Spanish under my belt and am familiar with the usage of its two cognates 'ser' and 'estar,' but it seems that in Italian they are much more interchangeable than they are in Spanish. For example: Io sto a casa. vs. Io sono a casa. Some sources say that sono implies it's a temporary situation (i.e. I could leave soon), while 'sto' implies a more permanent state (i.e. I'm at home and not going anywhere). Yet other sources say that the two are practically interchangeable and which one is used is a regional preference depending on where you are in Italy. Does anyone have a clear answer? Thanks!