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Canadian College ItalyCanada's Top High School in Italy

The CCI Times

Up in the Trees!

 

September is a busy month at CCI. We've run various orientation activities, trips to the Tremiti Islands and Rome, and have an upcoming overnight excursion to the Amalfi coast. All of these experiences help forge strong bonds between students and staff. Saturday was no different!

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Ravenna

 

It had been many years since CCI visited the beautiful town of Ravenna. We were pleased to return last weekend, to take in its rich cultural history.

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San Marino

 

This past weekend marked our last overnight trip of the year. We travelled north to Ravenna, but along the way stopped in the hillside town (and country) of San Marino, which is the subject of Part One of this blog.

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Ropes Course

The Apennine Mountains are a perfect place for an outdoor adventure. On Sunday, CCI students took part in a ropes course in nearby Majella National Park for some team-building exercises.

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Gargano

With the end-of-year is just around the corner, CCI traveled south to Gargano for a day of relaxation before heading into exams.

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Dubrovnik

On the list of most beautiful cities in the world, Dubrovnik must be near the top! CCI students had the privilege to travel there last weekend on an optional trip.

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Tivoli & Sulmona

It’s now springtime here in Italy and it's the perfect time to explore some of the smaller towns that most tourists would miss. So, on Saturday we embarked on a day trip to Tivoli, followed by Sulmona.

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Ski Day!

If you've ever visited Lanciano, you have no doubt seen the magnificent Apennine Mountains from across the valley. This time of year they're snowcapped and begging skiers and snowboarders to come tackle them - and we did just that!

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Florence, Pisa, Siena

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.

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Remembrance Day

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. 

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Elba

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:

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Winery Tour

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.

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Rome

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.

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A New Beginning

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.

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Prom

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. 

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Ischia

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.

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May 1st

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

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Krakow

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. 

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Tivoli & Rome

CCI returned to Rome last Saturday with tours in the afternoon. Along the way, we stopped in Tivoli to visit Villa d’Este. The villa was constructed in the 16th century and commissioned by Cardinal Ippolito II d’Este. It is most famous for its incredible garden, which uses cascading water, fountains, and pools to enhance its beauty.

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Venice - Part One

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.

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Vatican

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.

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Florence - Day One: David

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.

Read More about Florence - Day One: David
Remembrance Day

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.

Read More about Remembrance Day
Agriturismo

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.

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Croatia - Day One

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.

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Ortona

This past weekend, 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.

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Rome

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.

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Benvenuti!

Benvenuti a tutti! Welcome everyone!

Here we are in our 22nd 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.

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Sea & Mountains

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.

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Roma

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

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Ortona

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.

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Prom

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).

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Ischia

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. 

Read More about Ischia
Cooking with Chef Enza

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.

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Villa d'Este

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.

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Venice

After a long bus ride, we arrived in Venice shortly after 2:30 pm on Thursday. As usual, the beauty of the city caught us all off guard. We quickly checked in to our hotel, the Principe, and made our way to St. Mark's Square.

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Vatican City

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.

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Florence, Pisa & Siena

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.

Read More about Florence, Pisa & Siena
Remembrance Day

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.

Read More about Remembrance Day
Part 2: Agriturismo Caniloro

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 10th century fortress of Rocca Calascio.

Read More about Part 2: Agriturismo Caniloro
Caserta, Pompeii, & Sorrento

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. 

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Field Trips

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.

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Rome!

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.

Read More about Rome!
Bocca di Valle

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.

Read More about Bocca di Valle
Tremiti Islands

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.

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Let's Begin!

We’re at it again!

 Welcome to CCI’s 21st year in operation. As always, we have a lot planned for our students and I will be sharing our journey with you through this blog.  I invite you to also explore this website to learn more about our program.

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Roma

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.

Read More about Roma
Bocca di Valle

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.

 

Read More about Bocca di Valle
Florence, Pisa & San Gimignano

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.

Read More about Florence, Pisa & San Gimignano
Trabocco

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.

Read More about Trabocco
Summer at CCI

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.

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Prom 2015

CCI held its annual prom last night. It was a special evening filled with laughs, spiffy outfits, great food, and lively dancing. The event was held at Baia Delphis just south of Lanciano on the coast, and it couldn't have been more spectacular.

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Our First Cooking Class

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.

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Ischia

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.

Read More about Ischia
London

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.

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Ascoli Piceno & Urbino

Our last day trip of the semester and we found ourselves in the small medieval town of Ascoli Piceno. The forecast had called for rain, but we were fortunate to have a few hours of brilliant sun. From Lanciano, Ascoli Piceno is an hour and a half by car, heading north along the coast. The town is famous for its stuffed olives (olive ascolane). On weekends, Ascoli is alive with its many markets filling the piazzas.

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Berlin

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.

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Easter Lunch

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.

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Dodgeball!

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.

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Return to Rome

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.

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Venice & Verona

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.

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Vatican

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.

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Florence

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

Read More about Florence
Paris

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.

Read More about Paris
Remembrance Day

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.

Read More about Remembrance Day
Parent Visit

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.

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Tremiti Islands

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! 

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Bocca di Valle

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!

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Roma

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.

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Ortona

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.

Read More about Ortona
A Day at CCI

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.

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Trabocco

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.

Read More about Trabocco
Firenze

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.

Read More about Firenze
Roma

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.

Read More about Roma
Agriturismo

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.

Read More about Agriturismo
Prom

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.

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Ischia

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. 

Read More about Ischia
San Sebastiano fuori le mura

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!

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Science!

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.

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Adventures in Rome

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. 

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Semester Two Begins

After a long winter break semester two has begun. Most of our students arrived in Italy by plane on Sunday, while many others were already in the country. For returning students the first night back was a time for reconnecting with close friends.  It felt the same for us staff as the bus pulled up with “our kids.”

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Florence, San Gimignano, & Siena

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.

Read More about Florence, San Gimignano, & Siena
Remembrance Day Ceremony

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.

Read More about Remembrance Day Ceremony
Halloween Dance

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!

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Trip to Lisbon

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.

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Parent Visit

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! 

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Roma

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!

Read More about Roma
Prom!

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.

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SCUBA Club at the Tremiti Islands

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.

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April 20, 1944 - April 20, 2013

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.

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Recent Events at CCI - Part 3

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.

Read More about Recent Events at CCI - Part 3
Recent Events at CCI - Part 2

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.  

Read More about Recent Events at CCI - Part 2
Recent Events at CCI

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.

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Venezia and Verona

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. 

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The Firenze Trip

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.

Read More about The Firenze Trip
Remembrance Day

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.

Read More about Remembrance Day
The Malta Trip

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. 

Read More about The Malta Trip
Parent Visit

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 17th C fishing platform. 

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Matera and Alberobello

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.

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Feste Lights

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. 

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The Tremiti Islands

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 10th C church fronted by an 11thC facade.

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Festivals

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.

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A Day in Our Life

CCI is located in the medieval heart of Lanciano which is over 3000 years old, making older than Rome. Since Lanciano is a hilltop town, there are flights of stairs everywhere which is good for everyone’s heart and leg muscles. The school is housed in a 14th C house that is four storeys high guarded at the front by two heavy doors. 

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Ischia

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

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SCUBA Club

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. 

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Venice

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.

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Croatia

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.

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Spirit Week

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'. 

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Buona Pasqua

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. 

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The Lisbon Trip

“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.

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The Malta Trip

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. 

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