Today we re-visited Urbania in Le Marche region and visited the school Centro Studi Italiani, and met with some of the family who feature in our text book Ci Siamo.
To get to Urbania from the west side of Italy you have to drive over the Appenines. The road winds incredibly up the range doubling back upon itself time after time. The many cyclists we saw were having their own Giro d'Italia experience. The scenery is magnificent, if you can take your eyes off the road!
We had contacted Giovanni and planned to arrive at Centro Studi Italiani at 11.30 am. We received a very warm welcome from him and also from Carlo and Anna. They remembered us from when we stayed at their home and we had lots of talk about their tree planting, their pets and of course, their children. Donatella was on holidays unfortunately but Alba arrived to meet us. Carlo and Anna are grandparents many times over and await the arrival of two more this year.
It was interesting hearing about the other people in our text book and how the photos were taken by Elio Guarnuccio so many years ago.
Giovanni organised for us to have photos taken with them in the school foyer. Here we are: Giovanni, Alba, Anna, Carlo, Eleanor and Kelly/Rinaldo.
We were so pleased that we had made the big drive to visit Urbania again and to meet this lovely family. From small children in our text book to teens when we stayed in their rental accommodation to adults with growing families of their own, it was a happy visit.
Similar to the language school in Carlton, CSI was abuzz with people of all ages and nationalities keen to learn to speak Italian. Singing classes for opera singers could be heard and we were invited to their next opera singers' concert next week. They no longer hold these concerts in their own court yard but use the beautiful Teatro Bramante nearby. Unfortunately it is too far to drive there and far too scarey to drive home in the dark!
This is the front of the school.
We were trying to take a selfie when a Dutch student came along and offered to take the photo.
This is the Teatro Bramante in Piazza San Cristoforo.
A view down Corso Vittorio Emanuele. The school is to the right a little way down.
The Centro Storico of Urbania is very pretty.
As well looking at all the places that feature in our text, we visited the Temple of Peace, a memorial built upon a bombed out church of Spirito Santo from WWII. It commemorates the civilian lives lost in the war. On 23 January 1944 Urbania was bombed many times and a substancial section of the city was destroyed. On the 25th anniversary this memorial was dedicated and the focal point is a very impressive mosaic by Urbino artist Augusto Ranocchio.
No comments:
Post a Comment