News by Marzia and Roberta- San Lorenzo- Italy

SCHOOL
Our school “Dante Alighieri” is quite new, it’s 8 years old! It was opened in 2000.
Dante is the most famous Italian writer in vulgar language lived in 1300. Our school is to him entitled.

In secondary school we study English and Spanish. English is our first foreign language, Spanish is our second foreign language.Our school opens in September and closes in June. Every day lessons last five hours from Monday to Saturday. But on Wednesdays we have eight hours from eight a.m. to five p.m. and have lunch in the school canteen at one o’clock. The marks of our school go from 4 to 10. The bad marks are 4 and 5 and the good marks are from 6 to 10. The best mark is 10.
We go on school trips but we don’t go on trips among the nature!... We usually go and visit Italian
Cities!

FLAG AND ANTHEM
Our national flag was born on 7th January 1797 in Reggio Emilia. It has got three colours: green, white and red.
But why these three colours? These colours result from the region of Lombardy and the civic guard of Milan. In fact, the red and the white appeared in the very old banner of Milan (a red cross on a white field), and the green was the colour of the uniforms of the Civic guard in Milan. These colours, combined, were adopted as the Italian flag.
Our National anthem: Inno di Mameli.
Its verses were written in 1847 by Goffredo Mameli, a young poet and patriot from Genoa , and its music was composed by Michele Novaro. It became the Italian official anthem in 1946, after the defeat of the fascism and the end of the second world war.

SPORTS
The most popular sports in Italy are football, volleyball and rugby.
Our national sport is football.

CARNIVAL
The carnival is a festival which dates back to the traditional rites of the winter season. The explosion of joy and the use of the mask had the task of removing the evil spirits. The mask, in fact, making men like animals, gave a symbolic power. The festival was inaugurated in Rome. During the Saturnali everything was permitted, in particular in use was the exchange of roles, wearing the clothes of others, the slaves were, for example, served by masters and could allow any freedom! After the advent of Christianity, the carnival continued to be celebrated, but lost its content and ritual magic.
THE CARNIVAL IN VENICE
Carnival of Venice. It is the most famous and important Italian carnival. The presence of the Doge (the supreme office in the republic of Venice and Genoa) and the Senate, gave special solemnity to the feast. The Venetian carnival is celebrated with fireworks, games, parades and simulated battles. The clothes, music and games tend to recreate the lost glory. The use of masks, now known throughout the world, went back to 1700, where, daily, the Venetian aristocrats wore white masks to adorn their clothing.
THE ITALIAN MASKS
Arlecchino
The Italian mask of “commedia dell’arte” ARLECCHINO is a poor servant, who has no money even to patch up his dress. Hungry and cold, with his cunning, he tries to escape the bullying of the rich and strong. The mask of Arlecchino is characterized by multi-pieces of cloth, sewn together
rist. On this occasion, celebrated December 25, families gather around the table and are living a moment of great communion, exchanging gifts and mutual love.
PULCINELLA
The name derives from the Latin, perhaps late, "pullicenus ", chick. Pulcinella is a poor farmer, who does not want to work. Cunning and clever, makes the effort to find ways to eat. Pulcinella wears a white coat and wide trousers. He covers his face and his long hooked nose with a black mask. He has two humps, one on his back and one on his chest.
PANTALONE
Pantalone is the caricature of the merchant, mean and suspicious. It has a red dress and a black cloak, such as Dalmatian merchants of the 15th and the 16th century.
COLOMBINA
She is the gossip servant, often represented as a pair with Arlecchino. Crafty and vain, she was the protagonist of many comedies, in Italy and France, since the sixteenth century.
BRIGHELLA
He is a wise and faithful servant, who warns the owners against the troubles and the lightness of youth, with maybe a good word between parents and children.
BALANZONE
Also known as Dr. Balanzone, he is a caricature of the doctors of the School of Bologna, one of the most prestigious Italian universities of the XVI and XVII century. He says many Latin quotations, not always accurate. Infact his speeches reveal a profound ignorance.

FOOD:
In our country we eat many foods. For example, pasta: tortellini, spaghetti, ravioli, cappelletti, gnocchi, bavette, lasagne, tagliolini, penne, maccheroni and many other kinds of pasta. Italians like pasta very much!!! Pizza is our favourite food, there are lots of tastes: Margherita, Capricciosa, Diavola, Quattro Formaggi, Vegetariana, Quattro Stagioni, Monte Bianco, Napoletana, Ciclista, Parmigiana, Ortolana, Fornarina, Sfiziosa etc…
We can also cook meat in different ways and vegetables, fish and cakes.
Our ice creams are fabulous, they are the best in the world!!!

We have never been to Turkey but we would like to come and to know you and your country.

News by Manuela - Pergola- ITALY

This is the meaning of the three colours of our flag: green is the colour of our plains; white is the colour of our snowy summits and red is the fallen’s blood.
Our country is a Republic and the President of our republic is Giorgio Napolitano. His official residence is “il Palazzo del Quirinale”, in Rome.

SCHOOL
Our school “Galliano Binotti” – PERGOLA- ITALY goes back to 65 years ago.
In our country school starts in the first week of September and finishes in the first / second week of June. In my school, lessons start at ten past 8 a.m. and finish at ten past one p.m. Twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, they finish at ten past four p.m.
We study two foreign languages: English and French.
We study Italian, History, Geography, Maths, Physical Science, English, French, Technology, Art, IT, Music, Physical Education (PE) and Religious Education (RE).
In ten days, on 20th December, we have Christmas holidays until 7th January; we have a week’s holiday for Easter; the summer holidays usually start in the first week of June and finish in the second week of September. During Christmas holidays we decorate our own Crèche and Christmas tree. We also sleep a lot! In summer, most of us go to the seaside in Fano or Marotta, not too far from our village. Every day our parents give us some money because we buy our snack (pizza) at school.

TRADITIONS
An important Italian tradition is the Christmas Eve dinner: we prepare a lot of fish dishes. These dishes do not contain any meat: this is due to the fact that the night before a religious feast is considered a vigil. During Christmas time, many families build their own “Presepio” (crèche) that represents the Nativity scene, the birth of Christ. In our village it is possible to see the living outdoor crèche. On Christmas Eve we have a great dinner, but we don’t eat meat. After that we usually play games, then we go to the church at midnight. At night Father Christmas comes to our houses and brings lots of presents. On Christmas Day we have lunch with our relatives, we usually eat: “cappelletti”(pasta filled with meat), meat, “panettone” and “torrone”.La Befana is onether tradition. Each year on the eve of the Epiphany children hang stockings up the chimneys and hope that La Befana visit their houses during the night. This kindly old witch leaves good children toys and bad ones a lump of coal in their stockings.
Another tradition is the Carnevale, from the Epiphany on January 6 to the beginning of Quaresima. In this period there are a lot of parades and masquerade balls, entertainment and music. Children throw “coriandoli” (confetti).
Pesce d’Aprile! April Fool’s Day. The traditional “pesce d’Aprile” consists of attaching a paper cutout of a “pesciolino” (small fish) to the shoulders of a school companion. Then everyone asks: “L’hai visto? – Chi? – il pesce d’Aprile!” have you seen? – Who? – The April Fool!).
Italian Valentine. “Il giorno della festa degli innamorati” is a celebration for lovers. Gift can be red roses, a perfume or the famous Baci Perugina: these small chocolates contain a small sheet of paper with a romantic poetic quote in four languages.
Our national holidays are: 25th April, 1st May, 2nd June, 15th August, 1st November, 8th December.
In our country there is the Neapolitan song, “canzone Napoletana”: a traditional Neapolitan song is “O sole mio”. The “cantautori” singer-songwriter traditions are also popular . Italian folk music is an important part of our traditional music : each region has its own styles, instruments and dances.

Some of the most popular names for men are: Andrea, Luca, Marco, Francesco, Matteo, Alessandro, Davide, Simone, Federico, Lorenzo, Mattia, Stefano, Giuseppe, Riccardo, Roberto, Enrico, Nicola, and Michele. Some women’s names: Antonella, Lucia, Giulia, Chiara, Alessia, Eleonora, Francesca, Federica, Silvia, Claudia, Anna, Ilaria, Elena, Giada, Cristina, Maria and Veronica.

NEWS by Joao Maria PORTUGAL

The colours of our flag are: red (courage and blood of the Portuguese people that died in the battle), green (hope), armillary sphere (the world that the Portuguese navigators had discovered in the XV and XVI centuries and the peoples with who had changed ideas and commerce).
Our typical dishes are “Cozido à Portuguesa”, “Feijoada”, codfish. We have a very rich gastronomy. We have different kinds of folk dance, “Vira”, “Corridinho”, “Saias”, “Fandango” and others. Nowadays we wear what everybody wears in other countries, in the past the clothes were different according to the region.
The following are the names of some of the most famous artists in our country :
-Painting – Cargaleiro, Júlio Pomar, Vieira da Silva
- Music – Amália Rodrigues, Mariza (Fado)
- Xutos e Pontapés, GNR, Delfins and UHF (Pop/Rock)
MadreDeus, Rui Veloso, Vitorino (different kinds of music)
- Siza Vieira (architecture)
- José Saramago (literature)

The Portuguese educational system is structured in four levels:
Pre-school - not mandatory and destined for children from the age of 2 to 6;
Basic - which is organized in three cycles and constitutes mandatory minimumeducation:
1st Cycle- 4 years of schooling;
2nd Cycle - 2 years of schooling;
3rd Cycle - 3 years of schooling;
Secondary - 3 years of schooling;
Higher.
Some children start studying English in primary school. But all the pupils start studying English in the 5th grade, at 10/11 years old.
The activities in our schools are:
Football, music, riding, swimming, volleyball, basketball and we have different subjects: Science; History; Portuguese; English; French; Maths; Geography; Chemistry.
A Portuguese corrida de touros has three main events:
Cavaleiro - A horseman (rider), dressed in traditional 18th century costumes fights the bull from horseback. The horses are Portuguese Lusitanians, specially trained for the fights. These horses are usually skilled in dressage and may exhibit their art in the arena. The purpose of this fight is to stab three or four bandarilhas (small javelins) in the back of the bull. Horseback bullfighters are usually members of old aristocratic families.
Bandarilheiros - Akin to the Spanish matadores, but without the sword. These men simply play the bull with a red coat.
Forcados - The forcados are a group of eight men who challenge the bull directly, without any protection or weapon of defense. The front man provokes the bull into a charge to perform a pega de touros (bull catch). The front man secures the animal's head (usually it is a violent choke) and is quickly aided by his fellows who surround and secure the animal until he is subdued. Forcados were usually people from lower classes who practice their art through amateur associations.
Portuguese Bullfighting: the bull is not killed in the ring and the fight is accordingly referred to as a "bloodless bullfight". After these three sets, the bull is removed from the arena alive and is sometimes killed, away from the audience's sight, by a professional butcher. More often than not, many bulls are entered into other events, such as rodeos in California, or released to pasture until their end days. Nevertheless, tradition was so strong at the small town of Barrancos, where the bull was illegally put to death in the arena, that the government was forced to relent and permit the town to follow its ancient matador tradition and kill the bull in the arena. There are many forms of traditional, popular bullfighting in Portugal, differing from the "official" version, some of which involve groups of people doing a tug-of-war with young bulls, by holding large wooden structures into which the animals charge. In the Azores, bullfighting is often remniscent of the running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain, in which those most at risk are human beings, not the bulls themselves.
In Portugal, some bulls have their horns severed in a way that they do not present sharp points. This practice is believed to have been introduced by King Joseph I of Portugal after a tragic event in a bullfight he was presiding. The son and heir of the Marquis of Marialva was fighting a bull on horseback when the animal wounded his horse. The young man fell, was kicked by the bull and killed. The Marquis himself, then around 70 years of age, jumped from the royal cabin that he shared with the king, drew his sword and killed the animal.
Also in Portugal, the main stars of bullfighting are the cavaleiros, as opposed to Spain, where the matadores are the most prominent bullfighters.

News BY Marta and Cristina- SPAIN

BAMBINI MONTJUÏC- GIRONA SPAIN
ANSWERS TO SLOVENIA, BULGARIA, TURKEY, ITALY AND PORTUGAL’S QUESTIONS
We’ve tried to answer all your questions in this presentation, we hope we’ve achieved it!!!!
TRAVELLING ABROAD
• We’ve travelled to some countries such as Portugal, France, England, U.S.A, Africa, Italy, Andorra, Austria …
• We travelled there with our family and some of us have been to England with the school to improve our English!!!!
• What we liked the most is to meet different people and cultures.
• We also visited important monuments such as The Eiffel Tower, The Big Ben,
• The Vatican city, The Trevi Fountain, Disneyland, Buckingham palace
• We’ve never been to Bulgaria, Turkey and Slovenia, and we’d like to visit them a lot!!!
TYPICAL SPANISH FOOD
• Spanish people like eating “good” food very much.
• Our diet is called “Mediterranean Diet”, and is based on vegetables, fruit, fish, meat, bread, pasta, rice and olive oil.
• One of the most famous dishes is “La Paella”.
OUR FLAG
• Three horizontal stripes: red, yellow and red, the yellow stripe being twice the size of each red stripe.
FOLKLORE
• Our region is called CATALONIA (Catalunya), it’s in the North-East of Spain. So, our culture is slightly different from Spain. For example the traditional dance in Spain is “La Sevillana”, as in Catalonia is “La Sardana”.
FAMOUS PEOPLE
• Catalan people are very proud of having famous painters, architects, musicians, artists, sportsmen… such as Dalí, Gaudí, Pau Casals, Rafa Nadal, …
• Other Spanish famous artists are Picasso, Julio Iglesias, David Bisbal, Rocío Jurado, …
FAMOUS PLACES
• There are lots of nice places to visit around Spain.
• In the North os Spain we have The Pyrinees, where you can go skiing.
• La Costa Brava, with very nice beaches.
• In the South we have Andalucia with it’s very beautiful for its “white” villages…
• The capital city of Spain is Madrid, and the one in Catalonia is Barcelona.
EDUCATION
• Education in Spain is divided in 5 parts:
• Infant School (0-5 years old)
• Primary School (6-12 years old)
• Secondary School (12-16 years old)
• Batxillerat (16-18 years old)
• University (18-23 years old )
OUR SCHOOL
• Our School is an Infant, Primary and Secondary School (“future project”)
• We start our lessons at 9 o’clock in the morning and finish at 5 o’clock in the afternoon.
• Almost all the students have lunch at school.
• The subjects that we study are:
• MATHS, CATALAN, SPANISH, ENGLISH, SCIENCE ( we study this subject in English), PHYSICAL EDUCATION, COMPUTERS, ARTS, MUSIC ,FRENCH and RELIGION OR SOCIAL EDUCATION (we can choose it!).
• We study English 4 hours a week and we study 4 more hours of Science in English as well.
Thank you a lot!!!!
We’ll keep in touch!!!!