Settling In

Everyone at CCI is settling into the routines of school and daily life in Lanciano.

The daily rhythm of school life is a blend of modern and medieval lifestyle. First of all, the school building itself was built as a house in the 14thC. Located on what is now a typically narrow street in the oldest part of the town, the front doors of this house (which are intact and still in use) are designed to allow a horse and wagon to enter; students, faculty and staff now enter through a much smaller door cut into the larger doors. Where there is now tile, one can imagine a dirt floor leading to what must have been the stalls. As one proceeds into the main hall, one passes the well (now closed) on the left hand side. The back half of the hall opens up four storeys to the sky above. Now there is a plexi-glass roof. It is in the main hall that we eat breakfast together on weekdays. Following breakfast, we have Morning Announcements and the day begins. The remaining food from breakfast is kept in a small common room so that everyone who wishes to have snack may do so throughout the day.



Our Front Door - Note the small 'human entrance' on the right hand door



The day begins at CCI



Each student has four 80 minute classes per day – two in the morning and two after lunch. Classes tend to be small and are located throughout the four storey building. Interior hallways adjoining the classrooms overlook the main hall and are accessed by a sweeping staircase. Believe me, there is plenty of exercise being had as everyone is up and down stairs all day long not only inside the school but outside on  the streets as Lanciano is built on hills. 

      

Most of our meals are held at The Allegria restaurant. a few minutes walk away. Once again there are stairs to contend with. Depending on the route one takes, one could face climbing some 64 steps to enter the restaurant! Once everyone has recovered a normal heart and breathing rate they are greeted by a buffet of fresh produce, meat and pasta. There are several rooms that the students eat in. There is always lively conversation and laughter to be heard throughout the meal.

  

After classes, the students return to their residences. Cavour, the boys’ residence is along Via Cavour from the school, while the girls’ residence, Santa Maria the larger of the two, is located one street up from the school on Via Santa Maggiore. Residences are not open to the students during the day in order them to be cleaned. Following a short break, extracurricular sports and clubs are offered.



Ms. Tozzi



Mrs. WIlliams



In the evening, dinner is held at the Allegria at 7:00 p.m. most nights except on Tuesdays and Saturdays, where it held at The Mercato. Following dinner, the students have free time until curfew at 8:15 p.m. There is a mandatory supervised 2 hour study period each night. The Residence Dons who supervise the students in the evening are Ms. Victoria Tozzi and Mrs. Kathryn Williams in Santa Maria and at Cavour, Ms. Martha Cioccoppo and Mr. Pino Ucci. 'Lights out' is at 11:30 p.m.



Ms. Cioccoppo



Mr. Ucci

On weekends, the students have much more free time. We have been organizing trips and experiences so that they become familiar with the region on Saturdays, leaving Sunday open for them to complete their assignments and relax.

This past Saturday, the teachers took the students to Pescara. We spent a couple of hours at a large mall called Megalo so that they could do some shopping. We followed that up with a trip to Pescara’s main street or corso which is closed to vehicular traffic. Pescara’s architecture is a much more modern and reminds one of the architecture of cities in North America and stands in stark contrast to the architecture of Lanciano and many other towns in the region. Nevertheless, a leisurely stroll down this wide street lined with shops and cafes, takes one down to a lovely and expansive beach. Should students want to visit Pescara in future, they can do so via a short train ride from Lanciano for just over two Euros.       

In our next blog, we will talk about the Feste, the annual celebration of the harvest and about our trip to Croatia.