Milazzo, Sicily 

11th -16th December 2017

Internal migration and emigration

The meeting in Milazzo focused on the phenomenon of internal and external migration in the different partners' countries. In relation to this topic, each country had to create some items (posters, photos, objects, etc.), to be displayed in an exhibition open to the school population and the parents.

11/12/2017

After the welcome by the headmistress, the program of the meeting was presented, with slides illustrating the planned activities. The presentation was followed by the icebreaking activity: Pictionary.

The pupils, divided into 3 teams, competed in the famous board game, adapted by the Italian team to be played in the auditorium by more than 40 pupils.

Then a visit to the new town of Milazzo with selected students as tourist guides.

The lunch offered different specialities of Sicilian street food, a heritage of various dominations.

In the afternoon, the teams illustrated with presentations the phenomenon of emigration in their respective countries.

12/12/2017

After the meeting at the school, the international teams went to Messina, to visit the most important monuments of the city. After lunch, the group went to Taormina, a beautiful town on the Ionian coast of Sicily, founded about 700 years B.C. as a settlement of Naxos, one of the most important cities of Magna Grecia. A fast sightseeing tour made evident the stratifications of Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Muslim, Norman and following dominations. This was a clear example of the melting pot that Sicily was, since the most ancient times, mixing, assimilating and integrating the best of the peoples who migrated in.

13/12/2017

At the start of the activities, the pupils worked to prepare posters, print pictures and realize items for the exhibition. Then the group visited the ancient Milazzo's Castle, as a fast walk through the history, from the Arab Tower to the Aragonese Walls passing through Normans, Swabians, Angevins. In the afternoon, the pupils' workshop at school continued, while the Partners' Coordinators met to talk about next meetings and activities.

14/12/2017

After the meeting at the school, the international teams went to Castelbuono, a small town founded by Byzantines and then conquered by Arabs and Normans; The most important monument is the castle, built in the XIV century by Ventimiglia noble family, moved to Sicily from the of the same name town in Liguria. After lunch the group went to Cefalù, a famous touristic town on the Tyrrhenian Sea, where Arab, Norman and Byzantine architectures and arts blended, giving us an UNESCO World Heritage site.

15/12/2017

The pupils worked in the morning to complete the preparation of posters, print pictures and realize items for the exhibition. Then they put all the items in the place destined to host the exhibition. Then the pupils and the teachers received the certificates awarding the participation to the Milazzo meeting. In the afternoon, the Goodbye party with all students, teachers and hosting families took place.