Group Subscription. Premium Digital access, plus: Convenient access for groups of users Integration with third party platforms and CRM systems Usage based pricing and volume discounts for multiple users Subscription management tools and usage reporting SAML-based single sign-on SSO Dedicated account and customer success teams. Learn more and compare subscriptions content expands above.
Full Terms and Conditions apply to all Subscriptions. Or, if you are already a subscriber Sign in. Other options. Close drawer menu Financial Times International Edition. Search the FT Search. In Siena, the girls had the opportunity to explore the Piazza Del Campo, the famous sqaure where the horse race known as the Palio has been held every year since The race had been won in August by the contrada district of L'Onda, the wave , and we happened to be there on the eve of their celebration dinner.
It seemed appropriate then, that we should adopt their bandiera as our new flag and after traversing most of Italy it hangs proudly now in Room 15 until it is called upon to lead a new group of explorers from St Mary's. Siena is also the home of Nannini, a bar with the most delicious gelato and traditional Siennese desserts.
Upon arrival in Florence, we were met by the host families that would provide a home for our students for the next week while they attended school. We said arrivederci to each group as they made their way to different parts of the city. This location, formerly a Roman Forum, would be our hallowed halls of learning for the next week. During study breaks the girls discovered Paszkowski, an incredible cafe serving delectable desserts. Lessons were conducted entirely in Italian, students spoke with their host families in Italian and a large part of the commentary provided through the Whisper Audio on our tours around the city was also in Italian.
This immersion style of learning has assisted the students in their comprehension of the Italian language to the extent that lessons at St Mary's for the Year 10s and 11s are now mostly conducted in la lingua di Dante. In fact some of the students found themselves asking Perth bus drivers for tickets in Italian! A sign of a successful language tour no doubt. Each day the students would have le lezioni in the morning or afternoon and visit iconic monuments or museums for the rest of the day.
What a way to get to know this beautiful Renaissance city. We visited Gli Uffizi, the Medici family's gift of art to the world and saw classic masterpieces such as Botticelli's Birth of Venus. We walked through La Galleria Dell'Accademia and marvelled at the skill of a young Michelangelo, creator of the most famous sculpture in the world, the magnificent David.
We hiked up the Tuscan hills to stand at the feet of the bronze copy of David, overlooking a simply magical view of a city that is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with its wondrous dome by Brunelleschi dominating the panorama. We even climbed the steps to the top of that beautiful cupola to gasp at the beauty of one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Of course a visit to the San Lorenzo markets and stroll acorss the Ponte Vecchio were included.
Needless to say, Firenze was a highlight and will no doubt be a city the girls will remember forever as the place where they lived and breathed the language, history and culture of Italy.
We were a very adventurous group and used all our time to take in as much of this beautiful country as possible, so our last weekend in Firenze was used to visit Le Cinque Terre, simply stunning and Pisa, with a somewhat offbalance climb to the top of this famous campanile. Sadly, it was time to leave Tuscany and there were some sad farewells at the station. I know that some of the girls had made friends for life.
One of the Florentine mothers told me her host daughters were the best guests she had ever had and complimented our school for the excellent manner in which the girls behaved. This was something we would be proud to hear a number of times during our travels. The girls were wonderful ambassadors for St Mary's and I commend them for that. A quick stop in Parma allowed us to taste not just the Parmigiano and Parma ham famous in this city, but also to view the wonders in the city's Duomo, a romanesque church with works of art that took our breath away.
How many hidden treasures does Italia have? A long succession of ruling coalitions have been too busy wrestling among themselves to take on entrenched interests. The current regime is a case in point. The reforms foundered on a series of strikes, setting the government on a path to failure a year and a half later. Comment on this story. Fini, who commands a breakaway faction of parliamentarians, has been clashing with Berlusconi over a series of reforms.
For now, the two men seem to have put aside their differences — Fini supported the government in a vote of no confidence last month — but tensions between the two are already rising over proposed changes to the criminal-justice system that would free Berlusconi from tax-fraud and corruption trials.
In the meantime, Italians are stuck with a government that could collapse at any moment and leaders consumed with positioning themselves for the next election. No wonder young Italians want no part of it.
And indeed, after years of ignoring the problem, the government has begun to try to do just that. Most of the people interviewed for this story said they would love dearly to go home. She spent her Easter break knocking on doors in Milan. Every night, when she gets home from work, she checks the online job listings. In London, where she receives unsolicited calls from headhunters, Ianni has turned down two job offers during the same period. So the country is caught in a vicious circle.
The economy will continue to fade as long as it stifles innovation by excluding its young. Meanwhile, every young person driven away is one less voice calling for reform.
0コメント