Time Travel in Otranto to 1163

South of Italy, "The gateway to the east"
During October 2012 boys and girls, teachers, parents and friends of Otranto, Italy, were involved in a Time Travel as protagonist of their early history. The Time Travel to 1163 recreated a typical day at the Greek monastery of Saint Nicholas of Casole. Otranto was then a very important port for trade between The East and the West and the monastery was afamous center of cultural exchanges and classical studies. The library of Saint Nicholas of Casole became one of the richest in the West.South of Italy "The gateway to the east".

Scenario
Today, Abbot Nicetas, Abbot of Saint Nicholas of Casole, receives an important guest at the Greek monastery: Archbishop Jonathan from Otranto. The monks need help and volunteers arrive. There are a lot of preparations for the reception. The same day, mothers and sisters of the boys’ novices have the possibility of visiting them at the monastery school. They will learn how to make herbal medicine and copy documents.

Comments from participants
“Meet people from other cultures and traditions is important to understand their language and learnabout their way of living. But, it is not only to acquire new information because learning about other cultures helps us to grow inwardly.”
“Learning by doing is much more fun than studying in books. Above all, we were able to concentrateon the activities more than we thought.”

Bridging Ages Venice in collaboration with the ”Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana” of Venice, Cà Foscari University, the ”Provincia of Lecce”, the school ”Istituto Comprensivo di Otranto” and the Municipality of Otranto organized this event with great enthusiasm.

Cecile Franchetti
Bridging Ages Venice

Last updated: 2013-12-03 10:22:33