The CCI Times

CCI adventurers embrace breathtaking views, rich history, and sweet rewards on a Majella mountain hike to the Hermitage of San Giovanni.

We explored Rome's ancient Mercati di Traiano—a five-story market and historical marvel from Emperor Trajan's era, offering a glimpse into ancient Roman life.

CCI travelled to the city of the Renaissance for our last big trip of the summer.

CCI’s summer students traveled to Rome, the Eternal City, for tours of the Vatican, Colosseum, and more. 

Having spent Saturday biking along the sea, it only made sense to head up into the mountains on Sunday for a true Abruzzo weekend.

A common saying about what makes Abruzzo so great is that “it has the sea and the mountains.” We took advantage of this last weekend, with a bike ride along the Trabocco Coast and a picnic in the Maiella.

In 1943, our friend Tommaso was 10 years old when his hometown of Ortona was liberated by the Canadians. Tomasso shared his experiences of WWII with CCI’s summer students at the Moro River Canadian War Cemetery.
 

On our first big trip during the summer program, CCI traveled to Florence, the city of the Renaissance.

CCI's Summer Academy has begun and we sure hit the ground running! Learn more about the start of our adventures in Lanciano.

Canadian College Italy's response to COVID-19. Answering your questions.

This past Saturday, CCI traveled to Rome. Our first stop was the newly renovated Galleria Nazionale D'Arte Moderna (GNAM) followed by tours-by-choice which included the Colosseum, the Capuchin Crypts, and the Capitoline Museums.

I was 23 years old when I first traveled to Florence and it changed my life forever; I committed myself to a career in education with the goal of one day returning to Italy to teach. I've since been to the city of the Renaissance over 15 times with CCI. Each time, I'm blown away by its beauty. This trip was no different.

Since its founding, CCI has hosted the Remembrance Day Ceremony every November 11 along with the Canadian Armed Forces at the Moro River Canadian War Cemetery just outside of the town of Ortona. 

It’s harvest time in Abruzzo. First came the grapes, now it’s time to collect olives. 

CCI held its first overnight trip of the year last week, when we toured the region of Campania.

Last weekend a group of CCI students travelled to the biggest island off the coast of Tuscany, Elba. I would like to thank Mr. Ciufo, Mr. Knapp, and Ms. Tozzi for organizing and leading the trip. This is their story:

This past weekend, many of our students were away on an optional trip to Elba. For the students who remained, we decided to explore some of the region.

Among other things, Italy is of course well known for its wine. For this reason, CCI spent Saturday afternoon at a family-run cantina to learn about the winemaking process.

With the Apennine Mountains to the west and Adriatic coastline to the east, ask any local and they will tell you that the region of Abruzzo is the perfect place to live.

We traveled to Rome this past Saturday. Being situated so close to the Eternal City allows CCI to travel there multiple times each year.  We left bright and early so as to make the most of the day.

CCI traveled to the Tremiti Islands this past Saturday for a day of exploration. The forecast had called for a 20% chance of rain, so we were pleased to wake up to a sunny morning.

Our 2017-2018 school year has officially begun with students arriving last Saturday. Many families came to see the school, residence, and town, where their sons and daughters will now be living. We were pleased to meet with all of the families who came to Lanciano. For those of you who we have yet to meet, we hope to see you soon. It’s always a great experience to get to know new families and reconnect with those whom we already know.

Congratulations class of 2017

CCI held its prom this weekend at Villa Mayer near the Adriatic. We arrived just in time to take photos before the sunset. This was followed by a wonderful dinner, where we voted on Prom King, Queen, Prince, and Princess (Ziad, Pascale, Niko, Anabella). Dancing followed as our students celebrated the end of the year. 

Every May, CCI embarks on its annual end-of-year trip to Ischia. This volcanic island is located in the Mediterranean off the coast of Naples. This is our final trip, and as such, it is designed to celebrate our year together, and to offer a bit of relaxation before exams.

As with many countries, May 1^st is Labor Day in Italy and is celebrated as a national holiday. For CCI, we spent most of the day along the Adriatic.

Last weekend, a group of our students and teachers traveled to Krakow Poland on an optional trip. Typically, CCI offers one optional trip per semester. They are organized by our teachers, and are designed to allow our students to experience more of Europe while studying in Italy. 

It’s starting to feel more and more like summer here in Abruzzo. As such, we decided to take advantage of the sun and head to the coast on Saturday, which is only 12 km from Lanciano.

Last Saturday our students had the option to participate in a day of skiing and snowboarding in the Apennines.

Our 9th Mystery Tour, glass blowing demonstrations, and Juliet's balcony are among the things we did and saw while in Venice.

After a long bus ride, we arrived in Venice shortly after 2:00 pm on Thursday. As usual, the beauty of the city caught us all off guard as we caught our first glimpse of the Grand Canal. We quickly checked in to our hotel, the Principe, and made our way to St. Mark's Square, snaking our way through the narrow streets and crossing over tiny bridges. Along the way, we made a few stops to learn about the history of this remarkably unique city.

With today being our last school day of the semester, the art class put on an exhibition to display the work they created throughout the year.

Last Saturday marked the final trip of the year. CCI returned to Rome, this time to visit the Vatican, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's. Meanwhile a smaller group headed to the Capuchin crypts.

In the morning, the school toured the Uffizi. These galleries hold the artwork collected by the Medici family over centuries, and house the most important pieces of the Renaissance. We saw works by Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Caravaggio, and of course, Botticelli. 

The day before, we visited the David and explored Florence at night. On our second day, we traveled to Pisa in the morning to see the leaning tower. It had called for rain, but thankfully it held off.

We woke up early Sunday morning and headed to Florence; in my mind, it’s one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

We reached Florence in the early afternoon. Before checking in to the Hotel Adriatico, we stopped at Piazzale Michelangelo for an amazing view of the city.

Since its opening, CCI has hosted the Remembrance Day Ceremony every November 11 along with the Canadian Armed Forces. The ceremony takes place at the Moro River Canadian War Cemetery just outside of the town of Ortona. Here, are the final resting places of the 1375 Canadian soldiers who lost their lives in the battles that took place during the winter of 1943.

On Friday, a small group visited Agriturismo Caniloro, just outside of Lanciano. Agriturismi can be found all throughout Italy. They are small working farms, usually family-run, that have been restored to offer services similar to a B&B. To be recognized as an agriturismo, the majority of the farm’s income must come from agriculture, and the food served must either be from the farm, or grown locally. Caniloro also runs as an Educational Farm, allowing school groups to visit and learn about local agriculture.

CCI held its first overnight trip of the year last week, when we toured the region of Campania.

Our second day in Dubrovnik began with a relaxing morning. Students were able to sleep-in, visit the nearby beaches, or head to old town.

Throughout the academic year, CCI offers optional trips to its students so as they can experience more of Europe while studying in Italy. Last weekend, we traveled across the Adriatic Sea to magnificent Croatia.

We traveled to Rome this past Saturday. Being situated so close to the Eternal City allows CCI to travel there multiple times each year.  Still, we left bright and early so as to make the most of the day.

CCI traveled to the Tremiti Islands last Saturday. The islands are located off the east coast of Italy near the Gargano Peninsula. 

Benvenuti a tutti! Welcome everyone!

Here we are in our 22^nd year, and these past days have been a blast! We've been very busy lately with students arriving on Saturday, followed by orientation activities, then classes this afternoon.

Today was our final day in Lanciano. We held exams in the afternoon, then made our way to Frisa for our last dinner together. Looking back on the summer, it moved by too quickly.

A common saying about what makes Abruzzo so great is that “it has the sea and the mountains.” We took advantage of this over the past couple of days, with a trip to a trabocco on the sea and a hike in the mountains.

We started the day with tours-by-choice. Most of our students opted to climb the Duomo, which has well over 400 steps to the top. Still, the view is worth it! Meanwhile, a smaller group visited the Galileo Science Museum, followed by La Specola, which is part of the larger Museum of Nature.

We woke up early Sunday morning and headed to Florence; in my mind, it’s one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

Today our students had the unique opportunity to climb one of the towers in Lanciano. The tower is located in the oldest of the four quarters, Lancianovecchia. What a great view!

Rome. The Eternal City. Its most famous sites include the Colosseum, Forum, Vatican City, St. Peter’s, and the Pantheon. We saw it all!

Yesterday, after school, we traveled to the nearby town of Ortona. In the winter of 1943, this town was the site of the bloodiest battles fought by the Canadians in the Italian campaign.

Though we’re only five days into the summer programme, our students have already shared some wonderful experiences.

Today we welcomed our summer school students to Lanciano. For most, it was a long flight from Canada, though a few had arrived earlier in the week. For our flyers, it was an exhausting day.

CCI held its prom this past Friday, and what a magical evening it was. Student Council met our ladies with roses at Baia Delphis. We then walked down to the sea for an aperitivo and photos. This was followed by a wonderful dinner, where we voted on Prom King, Queen, Prince, and Princess (Egor, Anastasya, Timofey, Alena).

Every May, CCI embarks on its annual end-of-year trip to Ischia. This volcanic island is located in the Mediterranean off the coast of Naples. This is our final trip, and as such, it is designed to celebrate our year together, and to offer a bit of relaxation before exams. 

Italy is known for many things, but the cuisine is certainly on the top of the list. Last Thursday, some of our students met with Chef Enza Liberati to learn how prepare a typical Italian dish. They prepared pasta all'amatricina and a nice dessert in the Mercato where we have our lunches.

CCI returned to Rome last Saturday with tours of the Colosseum, Capuchin Crypt, and National Gallery of Modern Art. Along the way, we stopped in Tivoli to visit Villa d’Este.

Mr. Ciufo organized for a group of students and teachers to attend a soccer match this past Saturday. Our local team is SS Virtus Lanciano, which was promoted to Serie B in 2012. As always, there is a lot of buzz in town whenever there's a game. Saturday was no exception!

Lanciano is located near to the Apennine mountain range, which is perfect for all sorts of outdoor activities. In the winter, that means skiing and snowboarding.

This past Saturday, CCI returned to Rome, this time to visit the Vatican, and Sistine Chapel. For many of our new students who joined us for second semester, this trip was their very first visit to the Eternal City.

We had our last trip of the semester on the weekend. We headed north to the Marche region, to the town of Urbino. 

There are a lot of things that I look forward to during the year at CCI and Florence is at the top of the list. In my mind, Florence is one of the most beautiful cities in the world with its rich history, architecture, sculpture, and paintings. I have trouble leaving every time I visit.

Since its opening, CCI has hosted the Remembrance Day Ceremony every November 11 along with the Canadian Armed Forces. The ceremony takes place at the Moro River Canadian War Cemetery just outside of the town of Ortona. Here, are the final resting places of the 1375 Canadian soldiers who lost their lives in the battles that took place during the winter of 1943.

As mentioned in Part 1 of this blog, the majority of our students were away on an optional trip to Barcelona last weekend. For the students who remained, we planned excursions for the Friday and Monday. On Friday we toured the caves of Grotte di Stiffe, then climbed to a mountaintop to visit the 10^th century fortress of Rocca Calascio.

This past weekend, the majority of our students were away on an optional trip to Barcelona. As with the last Optional Trip Weekend, we planned educational activities for the students who remained in Lanciano. In fact, we were so busy learning about the region, that this had to be a two-part blog.

Each CCI student belongs to a house: Borgo, Civitanova, Lancianovecchia, or Sacca. These names come from the four neighborhoods, or quartieri, of Lanciano. 

We had our first overnight trip this past week as we made our way through the mountains and west to the Mediterranean.  This annual trip to Caserta, Pompeii, and Sorrento is always exciting to students and staff. Unfortunately we had bad weather on the second day, but that didn’t stop us from enjoying the time we had in this beautiful area of Italy. 

This past weekend, the majority of our students were away on an optional trip to Sicily. For the students who remained, we decided to make the most of the weekend an explore some of Abruzzo. The region is often over looked by tourists, but I highly recommend it to anyone visiting Italy.

We traveled to Rome this past Saturday. While it only takes a few hours to drive to the Eternal City, we left Lanciano bright and early to ensure we had the full day to explore one of the most historically rich cities in the world.

When thinking of Italian landscapes, rolling hills of olive orchards and vineyards come to mind. Those traveling to Italy for the first time may be surprised by the rugged mountains. Where we are located in Abruzzo, these mountains are the Apennines.

CCI traveled to the Tremiti Islands last Saturday. The islands are located off the east coast of Italy near the Gargano Peninsula. 

We traveled south from Lanciano to the port town of Termoli and boarded a jet boat to Tremiti. While we had poor weather in the morning, forecasts told us the day would brighten up.

Wednesday was our final day in Lanciano. We held exams in the afternoon, then made our way to Frisa for our last dinner together. Looking back on the summer, it seemed to move by so quickly.

We traveled to Rome this past Saturday. While it only takes a few hours to drive to the Eternal City, we left Lanciano bright and early to ensure we had the full day to explore one of the most historically rich cities in the world.

When thinking of Italian landscapes, rolling hills of olive orchards and vineyards come to mind. Those traveling to Italy for the first time may be surprised by the rugged mountains. Where we are located in Abruzzo, these mountains are the Dolomites.

Florence, the birthplace of the renaissance. In my mind, Florence is one of the most beautiful cities in the world with its rich history, architecture, sculpture, and paintings. I can't help but get excited every time I visit. We spent two nights in this wonderful city last week. Upon arrival, we first headed to Piazzale Michelangelo for a gorgeous view of the town, with the famous Duomo at its centre.

On Tuesday, after classes had ended, we traveled to the coast to visit a traditional trabocco. Trabocchi date back to the 1700s. They are complex structures made of pine logs, designed to allow fishermen to catch fish even in rough seas. A large net is suspended from the antennae of the trabocco. The fishermen would lower the antennae to drop the empty net into the water. When the timing was right, they would then raise it filled with their catch. These days, the trabocchi are no longer used for commercial fishing, but have been restored because of their historical importance. Some have been converted into restaurants.

Welcome to Canadian College Italy’s 2015 Summer Academy.

Our students arrived safely last Friday and have since been busy with orientation, classes, and visits to San Vito, Ortona, and an agriturismo.

Lanciano is over 3000 years old – older than Rome – and our school is located in the heart of the historic centre. Below you will see the entrance to our school: a charming door within a door.

Italy is known for many things, but the cuisine is certainly on the top of the list. CCI recently transformed a space at the Mercato into a kitchen where our students can learn to prepare typical Italian dishes. Yesterday, six students were chosen to make gnocchi, and a tasty dessert, from talented Chef Enza.

At the end of April CCI organized an optional trip to visit the beauties of London, UK. The adventurous group of kids left early on Friday. Excitement was in the air when we saw the coastline of Britain approaching.

As I mentioned in my previous blog, on Easter weekend a group of students participated in a teacher-led optional trip to Berlin.

This academic year, CCI has run other such trips to Pisa, Elba, and Paris. In two weeks, another group will be traveling to London. These optional trips allow students to discover more of Europe while studying at CCI.

This past weekend was a busy one for CCI students. It was the first optional trip weekend of the semester, where students were able to participate in a teacher-led trip to Berlin. Other students took the opportunity to plan trips of their own, while many spent Easter weekend at home with family.

This week, Student Council organized an after-school Dodgeball tournament. The students were broken off into their houses - Borgo, Civitanova, Lancianovecchia and Sacca - and played against each other.

After what felt like a week of rain, we were treated a beautiful sunny day last weekend as we traveled to Rome. From Lanciano, Rome is a 250 km drive west through the Apennines. These mountains appear even larger this time of year when they are snowcapped.

After a long bus ride, we arrived in Venice shortly after 2:00 pm on Wednesday. Though I had been there before, I was still caught off guard by the beauty of the city. We quickly checked in to our hotel, the Principe, and made our way to St. Mark's Square.

T'was our last night in Lanciano. To celebrate the end of the semester, and the beginning of the holidays, we spent our last night together at the Allegria for a special dinner.

Last Saturday marked the final trip of the year. CCI returned to Rome, this time to visit the Vatican, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's. Meanwhile a smaller group headed to the Capitoline Museums.

Commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Italian campaign, Veterans Affairs organized a delegation to visit the Moro River Canadian Cemetery. Amongst them were 28 veterans of the Second World War. Canadian College Italy had the honour to participate in the candlelight ceremony on November 26th, and to meet those who fought in Italy.

Florence, the birthplace of the renaissance. In my mind, Florence is one of the most beautiful cities in the world with its rich history, architecture, sculpture, and paintings. I can't help but get excited every time I visit. We spent two nights in this wonderful city last week. Upon arrival, we first headed to Piazzale Michelangelo for a gorgeous

Bonjour! For the second optional trip of the semester, an energetic group of students joined Ms. DeeMac and Ms. Curtin on a three day visit to Paris! The city of lights is rich in art, culture, architecture and food, and the group spent three days soaking in as much of the Parisian lifestyle as possible.

Since its opening, CCI has hosted the Remembrance Day Ceremony every November 11 along with the Canadian Armed Forces. The ceremony takes place at the Moro River Canadian Cemetery just outside of the town of Ortona. Here, are the final resting places of the 1375 Canadian and Commonwealth soldiers who lost their lives in the battles that took place during the winter of 1943.

CCI had its first overnight trip last week. We left early morning on Thursday and headed west across the mountains toward the Mediterranean. Our first stop was Caserta Palace. Construction began in the mid 1700s for Charles the VII of Naples, a bourdon king.

Each fall, we invite the families of our students to visit the school. This allows for parents to see the school, meet with teachers and dons, and most importantly, reunite with their sons and daughters.

Last weekend a group of our students and teachers went to Pisa and Elba Island as an optional trip.

Today marked CCI's Second Annual Water Balloon Challenge.

he Tremiti Islands are located off the east coast of Italy. We travelled there on Sunday after having to postpone the trip for poor weather conditions. As you will see from the images below, the wait was worth it! 

When speaking with locals about Lanciano I often hear "This is the perfect place to the live, with the sea to the east and the mountains to the west."

On Saturday, we headed west!

The day began bright and early as we left Lanciano for Rome. We arrived in the Eternal City just past 10:00 and began our student-led tours.

Our plan was to visit the Tremiti Islands last weekend however the weather refused to cooperate. And so, we postponed the trip and visited the town of Ortona. 

Ortona was the site of one of the bloodiest battles of WWII. In December of 1943 Canadian troops fought their way through rain, mud, and artillery fire, to make their way into the town. There, they fought from one house to the next, claiming one street at a time, and eventually liberated Ortona from the Nazis.

Our day begins with breakfast at the school. It is prepared in our kitchen and served buffet-style. Students and staff eat together either in the student lounge or atrium. A typical breakfast spread includes pancakes, waffles, cured meats, cheeses, eggs, cereal, and fresh fruit.

Dear parents, students and friends,

I welcome you to the 20th year of Canadian College Italy!

On Wednesday, after classes had ended, we traveled to the coast to visit a traditional trabocco. Trabocchi date back to the 1700s. They are complex structures made of pine logs, designed to allow fishermen to catch fish even in rough seas. A large net is suspended from the antennae of the trabocco. The fishermen would lower the antennae to drop the empty net into the water. When the timing was right, they would then raise it filled with their catch. These days, the trabocchi are no longer used for fishing, but have been restored because of their historical importance. Some have been converted into restaurants.

Florence, the birthplace of the renaissance. In my mind, Florence is one of the most beautiful cities in the world with its rich history, architecture, sculpture, and paintings. We spent two nights in this wonderful city last week. Upon arrival, we first headed to Piazzale Michelangelo for a gorgeous view of the town, with the famous Duomo at its centre.

We traveled to Rome this past Saturday. While it only takes a few hours to drive to the Eternal City, we left Lanciano bright and early to ensure we had the full day to explore one of the most historically rich cities in the world.

Agriturismi can be found all throughout Italy. They are small working farms, usually family-run, that have been restored to offer services similar to a B&B. To be recognized as an agriturismo, the majority of the farm’s income must come from agriculture and the food served must either from the farm, or grown locally. We visited one such agriturismo after school on Wednesday: La Massaria di Sarchiappone.

Welcome to Canadian College Italy’s 2014 Summer Academy.

Congratulations to our Class of 2014

This year, prom was held at the beautiful Castello di Septe. Together, we celebrated the end of the year. Before enjoying a wonderful meal, we explored the gardens and took photos with our students in their suits and gowns. It was a special evening for all and a terrific way to unwind before heading into a week of exams.

CCI was invited to participate in the commemoration of the 70^thanniversary of the capture of Monte Cassino, a hilltop Benedictine monastery. There were four major battles fought here in 1944, lasting from January and into May. The Allies saw the deaths of 50 000 soldiers, including 855 Canadians.

Every May, CCI embarks on its annual end-of-year trip to Ischia. This volcanic island is located in the Mediterranean off the coast of Naples. This is our final trip, and as such, it is designed to celebrate our year together, and to offer a bit of relaxation before exams. 

CCI offers optional trips at various times throughout the year. These trips are organized and led by teachers, and the locations change year to year. These past weeks have been busy with trips to Croatia, Trieste, and Paris. 

With Lanciano only being a few hours to Rome, we often travel there with the school.  Friday, was our fourth time this academic year. It was also our final trip to the Eternal City, and had me recognize just how fast a year come move by. There are now only six weeks until graduation and our closing ceremonies. Hard to believe!

Mr. Knapp recently proposed an interesting challenge to his physics class:

Take your combined knowledge of the physical laws of nature. Add €20. Build a machine that will launch water balloons with a single target in mind… your physics teacher.

Challenge accepted!

The week before March break was a busy one in CCI’s science classes! Ms. Curtin’s Grade 11 Chemistry class explored chemical reactions with a lab activity.

Our first overnight trip of the second semester was to Venice, perhaps one of the most unique cities in the world.

Our first trip of the second semester was to the Eternal City of Rome. We boarded the bus in the early morning and were greeted by a beautiful view of snow-capped Mount Maiella. We drove west through the Apennines and arrived in Rome just before lunch. 

CCI returned to Rome last Friday for our second tour of the Eternal City.

We woke up early last Thursday and headed to Florence, the city of the Renaissance. There was a fair amount of traffic due to the rain, but we arrived safe and sound after a long bus ride. The girls checked into the Hotel Adriatico; the boys stayed at the Rivoli. We were at our hotels for only a few minutes before heading to the Accademia to see Michelangelo’s David, perhaps the most recognizable sculptures in the world.

Since its opening, CCI has hosted the Remembrance Day Ceremony on every November 11. The ceremony takes place at the Moro River Canadian Cemetery just outside of the town of Ortona. Here, are the final resting places of the 1375 Canadian and Commonwealth soldiers who lost their lives in the battles that took place during the winter of 1943.

On Saturday night CCI’s Student Council held our annual Halloween Dance at the school. The night was filled will dancing, music, hula hooping, and even a performance from Ms. Curtin and Ms. DeeMac! Of course, a picture’s worth a 1000 words… Enjoy!

Last weekend a group of students went to Lisbon on an optional trip. I would like to thank Mr. Knapp and Ms. Tozzi for organizing and leading this excursion. They too, were responsible for this following blog entry:

As an optional trip, CCI organized a weekend in Lisbon, Portugal. Seventeen of our students had the chance to visit this interesting city and discover its Roman and Arabic roots.

On the 18^th and 19^th of October CCI visited the Mediterranean coast. Our first stop was the Caserta Palace where we were guided on a tour. We then had free time to explore the gardens.

Last week we held our annual Parent Visit. Families came from all over to reunite with sons and daughters. Many brought goodies from home. For some it was maple syrup; for others it was hot sauce; some even brought laundry detergent! 

Last Saturday we had our first trip to Rome. We had originally planned to leave Lanciano at a leisurely 9:00 a.m., but the students spoke out and had us on the road at a whopping 6:30 in order to have more time in the Eternal City. Though it was a long day, I believe it was well worth it!

Last Saturday CCI went on a trip to the Tremiti Islands. We first headed south to Termoli, then took the ferry over to San Domino. San Domino is the largest of the islands and it is here where we spent most of the day swimming and enjoying the clear blue water.

Our teachers arrived a week before the students. Below, from left to right, are Mr. Menzella, Ms. DeBlois-McElrea, Ms. Curtin, Ms. Marinilli, Ms. Tozzi, and Mr. Knapp

The annual Prom is an exciting and much anticipated event in the school calendar. This year's Prom, organized by our Student Council was a successful evening held at a seaside restaurant.

Each semester, Mr. C. offers a SCUBA Club to the CCI students. The final test of the Second Semester is always a dive at the Tremiti Islands. This is a group of small islands about 2 hours south-east of Lanciano. The island pictured above and the waters surrounding it is a natrual reserve. The water here is very clear making it ideal from SCUBA divers.

The annual CCI trip to Isola Ischia is a much anticipated trip that is enjoyed by students and faculty alike. Though it only lasted two days, the trip seemed much longer.

The Giro D’Italia is an annual bicycle road race. This year marks the 98^th year of the race which runs from May 4-26 in 21 stages covering 3405 km. or 2116 miles.  

A group of students and faculty visited the UNESCO sites of Split and Trojir in Croatia last week.  Travelling overnight on the Blue Line Ferry from Ancona, they arrived in Split early on Saturday morning.

At the invitation of Lanciano's Mayor, Dott. Mario Pupillo, CCI students and faculty participated in a ceremony today commemorating a dark day in Lanciano's WWII history.

On April 20, 1944 citizens and liberating soldiers from Canada, New Zealand and other commonwealth countries were killed in a bombardment in the very piazza in which we stood.

The Villa D’ Este and the Villa Borghese

Last Saturday, we took our last school trip to Rome. On the way, we toured the gardens of the Villa D’ Este, a Renaissance home perched high on a high near Tivoli. While the house itself is grand and there are hints of its former grandeur in some of the rooms, the gardens and fountains are breathtaking.

Notwithstanding the fact that it was Spirit Week, a number of our students visited various WWII battlefields and sites in this area as part of their studies. 

This is Tomasso, a guide at the war museum in Ortona. He was a boy in Ortona during WWII and can speak knowledgably about his experiences during the war. Here he is with our students in front of a scale model of Ortona.  

This blog will appear in three parts. Our website host has altered way in which photographs are stored and sized. This means that photographs which are large files and which take longer to download in this blog cannot be compressed in size as much as we have been able to do in the past. Since there are many photographs in this blog, it has been broken into three parts so that the download speed is maintained.

Just when we were getting used to days like this... 

The Student Council, pictured below planned and hosted a wonderful Ventain Ball last Friday night.   

We travelled to Rome last Friday.

The snow-capped mountains seen in the early morning light on the way from Lanciano to Rome were spectacular. 

Our annual CCI trip to Venezia began as it ended…in the snow! This is not how one pictures this ancient and storied city or sees it depicted in travel magazines. It may have been cold and snowy but at least we did not have to contend with floods at the same time. 

Last weekend, all of our students and faculty were travelling to or in Italy to start the second semester at CCI. It was a glorious sunny day on Sunday. 

It was a very early start to our day as we drove in the darkness through snow covered mountains to get to our destination in Rome, the site of our last excursion. 

Day One:

The annual CCI trip to Florence comes at a most welcome time in the semester, just well enough ahead of the final exams to allow everyone to forget about their work load and enjoy each other’s company in this magnificent Renaissance city.

The CCI Remembrance Day Ceremony is held every November 11. It especially commemorates the 1375 Canadian soldiers who died in and around Ortona (located just north of Lanciano) in fierce battles during WWII and who are buried in the Moro River Cemetery.

Dinner on our first day was held at the Hotel Michelangelo in Sorrento where we were staying.

Dear Reader, 

Please note that this blog will appear in two parts as there are so many photographs that it would be impossible to load the full file in a reasonable time frame. Part 1 covers the first day of our recent two day trip.

Congratulations to the CCI Student Council for organizing this year's successful Hallowe'en Party. 

Students at CCI have the opportunity to join into optional trips around Italy and Europe and eleven took advantage of a staff lead trip to the sunny island of Malta.  Malta’s location between Europe and Africa means it has a rich history from pre-historic times and later influenced by Phoenicians, Romans, Knights, Arabs, the French and the British.  The language is a unique mixture of Arab, Italian and French but almost everyone speaks English. 

October 6 is a sacred day for the people of Lanciano as they honour a group of young men who during the Nazi occupation of Lanciano, tried to resist them. They were massacred as a penalty and as a warning to others.

We were pleased to see so many CCI parents visiting the school and their children last week. Our parents were treated to a winery tour, a walking tour of Lanciano, a visit to a monastery and a visit to a trabocchi, which is a 17^th C fishing platform. 

Last Wednesday after school, we toured a local cantina (winery). The grapes are being harvested right now, so the cantina was in full operation during our tour.  

CCI students, Faculty and Staff visited two UNESCO World Heritage sites this week.

Matera is in part a very modern Italian city in Puglia but it also a unique heritage. The Sassi or caves are carved out of the cliffs comprised of tufa stone. Historians believe that a good many of these cave homes have been lived in for millennia. However, the absence of running water and proper sanitation resulted in generations of people living in illness plagued poverty.

The Feste in Lanciano marks the beginning of the harvest season and is the unofficial end to summer. It is a period of celebration and thanksgiving marked by music, artistic displays, porchetta and celery dinners outdoors, fireworks and of course, decorative lights bordering the piazza and corso. 

The Tremiti Islands is a small archipelago off the coast of Italy approximately 150 km south of Lanciano. These islands have a storied history. They contain a Stone Age burial site and a 10^th C church fronted by an 11thC facade.

One of the lovely and unique customs of Lanciano is its celebration of its medieval heritage annually in August and September. 

The annual Medieval Festival ran for four days including last weekend in the Lancianovecchia Quartiere, which is the oldest part of Lanciano.

The Residence Dons are the people who live with your sons and daughters in the residences. They are very experienced working with our students helping them to adjust to life in Lanciano and in Italy. 

Each school year at CCI ends with two significant events - Prom and the Graduation Ceremony/Farewell Dinner. Here is a selection photos from each event.

Dear Mum and Dad,

Mrs. D’Alessandro arranged our last trip for the year. We left early last Thursday morning and returned late on Friday night. In between time, we enjoyed ourselves at a resort on Ischia which is an island in the Bay of Naples.

Bet you wish you were me when you see the pictures!

Lots of love,

Your CCI son or daughter

For their final diving test, members of the SCUBA Club had their dive at the Tremiti Islands which are southeast of Lanciano, a few kilometers from the coast of Italy. 

CCI students had three tours from which to choose for this final trip as extensions for their course work – The Jewish Synagogue, The Capitoline Museums and UN Food and Agricultural Organization.  

CCI students and staff enjoyed a three day visit to Verona and Venice.

Departing early on Friday morning, we travelled to Verona for lunch. Verona is a beautiful and old city that boasts the oldest extant Roman amphitheatre. In the past, it was used for gladiatorial combat; today it is the setting for opera productions.

One of the wonderful features of CCI is the ability to take optional trips to locations that the whole does not visit. Such is the case when fifteen of our students and three of our teachers spent last weekend in Split and Trojir, Croatia located northeast of Lanciano across the Adriatic Sea. Both cities are UNESCO World Heritage sites and as such, well worth a visit.

Last Saturday morning, some of our students were participating in a festival, painting faces on the children. 

After they set up…

Our Student Council held some theme events this week in order to raise funds for the upcoming Prom Dance in May. 

Twin Day produced some interesting 'couples'. 

The people of Lanciano, indeed all Italians have a hearty celebration of faith and family annually on the Easter Weekend. People travel to their home towns, large family dinners and lunches are planned and the churches are filled with worshipers at the many services that occur from Thursday through Sunday. 

“Sir! I had a steak with chocolate sauce! It was amazing!” That summed up Lisbon for many of us – it is both an ancient city (one of the oldest in Europe predating London, Paris and Rome) and a modern city, rich in history, culture, the arts and architecture that continually surprised and delighted us as we spent two glorious days there.

Malta sits in the middle of the Mediterranean and has been an important site since Neolithic times.  The island is sprinkled with ruins from Stone Age, Carthaginian, Roman, Byzantium, Ottoman, Norman, Spanish, Napoleonic and British settlements.  Ten intrepid CCI students set out to discover all that Malta has to offer.