Living and Learning in Italy: Starting the 2010-2011 Year at CCI

Mr. George Rutherford ready to greet the students.

Our school year began with the arrival of our students on a sunny hot August day. We welcomed students from Albania, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bermuda, Canada, Costa Rica, Ghana, Italy, Jordan, Mali, Mexico, Norway Switzerland, Tanzania, UAE and the USA. Some families brought their children here as part of a vacation while others sent them to us via planes. It was a long, busy and exciting day for everyone.

L-R Mr. Stephens, Mrs. Williams, Ms. Milne and Mr. Knapp awaiting the students

Walking to the residences

When the bus arrived with the students who had flown in from Rome, they were met by the faculty who escorted them to their residences through the narrow streets of Lanciano. Rooms were assigned by the Residence Dons and soon the students were unpacking their luggage. We hosted a welcome dinner which was soon followed by lights out.

Lanciano is an ancient town that is celebrating its 3190th birthday this year. It is believed that the town’s name incorporates the word ‘lance’ because the Roman soldier who pierced Jesus’ side while he was on the cross came from this town. The old fortified centre in which the school and residences are located is divided into four quarters or Quartieres. They are Borgo, Sacca, Civitanova and Lancianovecchia. It is a town of churches. A number of them date back to the 11th and 12th C and were often built on the ruins of Greek, Roman or pagan temples. The Cathedral, named ‘Santa Maria del Ponte takes its name from the fact that it is on the Diocletian Bridge built in the 3rd C by the Roman Emperor Diocletian over a deep ravine. It is a remarkable town that preserves and celebrates its past and yet has a modern outlook.

Orientation Day was devoted to helping the students becoming familiar with the layout of the town as well as the school routines and expectations. We have had to repeat some of this information since as a good number of the students were still jet lagged.

'Photo ops' on Orientation Day

Classes started on the Friday of that week. Some of the teachers even gave homework! There’s nothing like a fast start to the year.

Our students had a chance to sleep in on Saturday morning. That afternoon we took them to the beach. Given that the day time temperatures for the week were above 35C, everyone enjoyed getting into the water for the better part of the afternoon to cool off. This day also gave the students time to get to know one another a little bit more. It was so obvious that we were not Italian as the Italians on the beach were so bronzed whereas our fair skins were in marked contrast.

Throughout this past week, a medieval festival has been held with events, demonstrations and activities scheduled for each day, primarily in the main piazza or town square. It is not hard to imagine such demonstrations as falconry, or flag throwing or ancient games being played when standing the piazza surrounded by buildings that date back to between the 12th and 14th C.

After a busy week of classes, our students and faculty had a day long excursion to the Tremiti Islands a small archipelago, off the coast of Italy. These islands have a storied history. A stone age burial site, a 10th C church fronted by an 11thC facade and a wooden crucifix inside that has the year 747 inscribed on it as the year it was brought to the island, give modern visitors a genuine sense of just how long people have lived here. Not everyone who did live chose to do so as the islands were used as places of exile. Julia, the adulteress stepdaughter of Tiberius and granddaughter of Augustus died on the island of San Nicola and is entombed there. Since then through to the 18thC people have been exiled or imprisoned there. Benedictine monks arrived from Montecassino to build a church and monastery that stands today on the same site established by a hermit came in the 3rdC. After seeing and touring such sites, our students had the opportunity to relax on the beach and enjoy the sun and the sea before returning to Lanciano for the night.