Newsletter April2013

Co.As.It Italian Resource Centre Newsletter
189 Faraday Street, Carlton Vic 3053 Tel: 9349 9018 Fax: 9349 9091
www.coasit.com.au, email: resource.centre@coasit.com.au Vol.21, Issue 2,
April, 2013
SATURDAY OPENINGS
FOR
2013
Open 10.00 a.m. – 2.00 p.m.)
18 th May
17 th August
9 th November
Opening hours :
Mon CLOSED
Tues 9.00am- 8.45pm*
Wed 9.00 pm- 5.00
Thurs 9am-5pm
Fri 9am-5pm
Note: Late night opening on
Tuesday applies only during the
school term, and not during the
holidays.
Appunti :
Term 2 is a gentler term. The pace changes from hectic to
steady, as teachers, who now know where they are going,
work constantly and diligently at achieving their goals.
The link below to the Co.As.It Resource Centre on-line
catalogue, hopefully will also help steady the pace enabling
teachers and students to access the collection at all times :
http://webopac.coasit.com.au/webopac/
Thanks to Andrea Breen, a passionate and adventurous
Adult Italian Language Student who initially shared her
experience and personal photographs of the transumanza
(see article Cultura in Briciole), and to Giovanni Di
Fabrizio from Simonds Catholic College who contributed
information regarding the poem which accompanies the
article. Also note there is within this publication important
information regarding Professional Development at Farm
Vigano.
It is vital that your school has paid their 2013 subscription as
the first edition of “Orizzonti” for the year on the topic of
“Sustainability” is due soon to be distributed to subscriber
schools only. A current form can be found in this
Newsletter.
The Museo Education Programs are available from Term 2
to Term 4, 2013. Please refer to information in this Newsletter
and the website for details: www.museoitaliano.com.au
For any queries and bookings please contact Maria
Brancolino on 9349 9019 or email: mariab@coasit.com.au
Keep the requests for resources coming!
This edition of “Il Centro” is
published by Co.As.It
Italian Resource Centre,
Carlton and is compiled by
Rose Patti.
Advertising of products and
services is not necessarily
endorsed by Co.As.It.
2013 celebrates the 200 th
Anniversary of Giuseppe Verdi’s
birth on 9 th or 10 th October, 1813.
This Romantic Italian composer
has given the world creations
as “La donna è Mobile” from
Rigaletto and the great patriotic
anthem “Va pensiero.”
www.giuseppeverdi.it/inglese/default.asp
Il Centro – Co.As.It Resource Centre Newsletter Volume 21 Issue 2

2013 School Subscription
This Order Form is also a Tax Invoice for GST purposes
Co.As.It Italian Assistance Association ABN 85 005 596 485
School/ Teacher Subscription $110.00 (inc GST)
Name of School:
Please print clearly the e-mail addresses to which you would like all
correspondence to be sent. (This is the main form of communication.)
Administration
Library
Other
Postal Address:
Suburb: State: Postcode:
Telephone:
Fax:
Locational Address:
Suburb: State: Postcode:
Please list names of all teachers who may use this borrowing card
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Funding Source:
o
o
Catholic primary
Catholic secondary
o
o
State primary
State secondary
o
o
Independent primary
Independent secondary
DEET Regional Zone / CEO Diocese:_______________________________
N.B.: SCHOOL SUBSCRIPTION CONDITIONS MUST BE
SIGNED OVERLEAF.
Il Centro – Co.As.It Resource Centre Newsletter Volume 21, Issue 2

2013 School Subscription Conditions for Co.As.It. Italian
Resource Centre
I, the undersigned, hereby apply for subscription of Co.As.It. Italian Resource Centre Library for the
person/s named above.
Whilst a subscriber of the Library I agree to:
Take responsibility for all items issued on the subscription card until returned to the library and discharged
by library staff.
Accept responsibility for the choice of library materials if intended for applicants under 18 years.
Pay replacement and processing costs for any item/s lost, destroyed or damaged by any cause while on
loan, except such damage as is caused by reasonable and fair use.
Notify the Library Staff immediately if the subscription card is lost.
Pay the cost of any fine incurred for overdue materials.
Use borrowed materials only for educational purposes within the above named school, and not for profit.
Failure to comply with these conditions may result in the suspension of access or borrowing privileges.
I have read and understood the borrowing conditions and agree to abide by them.
SIGNATURE/S:
• • • • • • • • • • • Conditions for
viewing material at the Museo Italiano Historical Society
1. The Italian Historical Society reserves the right to refuse access to its collection
2. Smoking, eating and drinking is not permitted.
3. No ink may be used in the archive, use pencil only. Computers may be brought in and used at the
discretion of the Italian Historical Society.
4. All archival material must be handled with care. Do not write on the material or trace illustrations or
maps. Do not fold documents or place books face down. Do not lean on material or place other
documents or objects on the material.
5. No material may be removed form the archive.
6. It is the responsibility of persons requesting a copy of material (Other than small amounts for the
purposes of research) to first have permission from the creator of the document.
7. Use of cameras or scanners in the Italian Historical Society is forbidden.
8. Copying and reproduction of materials in the archive are subject to charges.
9. The material is not to be absorbed into another repository nor added to any database without the written
consent of the Italian Historical Society.
SIGNATURE OF USER
Please make cheques payable to Co.As.It. and mail to:
Co.As.It. Resource Centre
Subscriptions
Level 1, 189 Faraday Street,
Carlton, Victoria 3053
Il Centro – Co.As.It Resource Centre Newsletter Volume 21, Issue 2

CO.AS.IT Italian Language, Culture and Heritage Department
Education programs and resources
The Museo Italiano Melbourne explores the themes of migration and settlement, diversity, identity,
language, culture and community life. An education kit including student activities at different levels
(beginners, intermediate and advanced) based on the permanent exhibition are available for teachers
to download from the website: www.museoitaliano.com.au
The following Education Programs for Museo Italiano Melbourne will be offered:
La storia in valigia- Exploring Italian migrant stories
Staff led program for Years 5-10
A student centered program about the stories of Italian migrants and their contribution to Australia.
The workshop explores the themes within the exhibition at Museo Italiano through a series of objects,
photographs and information about Italian migrants.
The workshop will cater for all levels of comprehension and can be facilitated in Italian and/or
bilingually. The workshop will be followed by a visit to Museo Italiano exhibition. Students are
encouraged to complete museum activities in Italian, which will be available for teachers to download
and bring on the day of the excursion from the website: www.museoitaliano.com.au
Museo Italiano- Introductory talk for Advanced level of Italian
Staff led program for Years 11- 12 (VCE)
An introductory talk of the permanent exhibition presented in Italian with a focus on the contribution
and identity of Italians in Victoria. This session will be followed by a visit to Museo Italiano exhibition.
Students are encouraged to complete museum activities in Italian, which will be available for teachers
to download and bring on the day of the excursion from the website: www.museoitaliano.com.au
Museo Italiano-Self Guided school group visits
Teachers can organize self-guided visits to the Museo Italiano exhibition and can download the
museum self-guided activities from the Education kit available from the website:
www.museoitaliano.com.au There is no cost for self-guided visits to the museum, however,
bookings are essential.
Il Centro – Co.As.It Resource Centre Newsletter Volume 21, Issue 2

Education kit- Refer to website www.museoitaliano.com.au
The education kit for Museo Italiano includes teacher notes, Tuning in, Museum visit and Post visit
language activities at the beginners, intermediate and advanced levels that link to LOTE (Italian) and
other domains: Humanities- History; Personal Learning, Civics and Citizenship, Communication;
Thinking Processes and ICT.
The Italian language activities in the Education Kit cover a range of themes such as, la vita
quotidiana -il divertimento- lo sport- il lavoro- i bambini. The kit also includes
pictures and information on museum objects and key historical images.
Bookings for Museo Italiano Melbourne Education Programs
School groups must be booked into the Museo Italiano for both staff-led programs or selfguided
visits. For queries and bookings, please contact Maria Brancolino by email
mariab@coasit.com.au or telephone on 9349-9019 between 9am-5pm (Mondays- Fridays).
Information is also available at www.museoitaliano.com.au
The Museo Italiano is open for self-guided school group visits from Tuesday- Friday at the
following times: 10am, 11am, 12midday, 1pm & 2pm. Cost-NIL.
Staff led programs are available on Tuesdays, Wednesdays,Thursdays and Fridays at 10am,
11.30am and 1pm. Times can be negotiable.
Cost of sessions: $66 (up to 30 students) or $33 (1-10 students)
All bookings will be confirmed by email. A registration/tax invoice form with booking details
will be emailed to the school/teacher.
Il Centro – Co.As.It Resource Centre Newsletter Volume 21, Issue 2

THE FRIENDS OF FARM VIGANÒ
ITALIAN IMMERSION WEEKEND
Primary and Secondary Teachers of Italian
Saturday 3 – Sunday 4 August 2013
Farm Viganò 10 Bushmans Way, South Morang
You are invited to:
enhance your knowledge of Italian Language and Culture within a local context
discover Farm Viganò, and the Viganò family’s contribution to Melbourne’s restaurant,
cultural scene and local community
explore the potential of Farm Viganò as an excursion destination and stimulus for
resource development for Italian programs
This two- day intensive Italian language immersion weekend is a project of the Friends of
Farm Viganò (FFV), with support provided by the Victorian Association of Teachers of Italian
(VATI) and the City of Whittlesea. The Immersion weekend will give teachers an opportunity
to explore a range of topics including, the Arts (music and visual), sustainability, environment,
horticulture, food production and dining and migration history, in an authentic setting at Farm
Viganò, South Morang.
The materials and ideas gathered from the two days will form the basis for the development
of a resource kit for teachers of Italian.
Date: Saturday 3 – Sunday 4 August 2013
Venue:
Time:
Cost:
Farm Vigano
10 Bushmans Way,South Morang 3752
Melways Map Ref: 183:J9
Sat. 8.45 registration start 9.00am 5.00pm
Sunday: 9.00am -2.00pm
$130 per person (includes of GST)
Cost includes materials and catering
Optional cost: Dinner, Saturday evening TBC
Accommodation if required at participant’s expense
Please refer to attachment for further information
All participants will receive a Certificate of Participation for
VIT Registration purposes.
Event supported by:
About Friends of Farm Viganò
The Friends of Farm Viganò Inc. is a
not-for-profit community group of
people committed to the restoration
& preservation of Farm Viganò in
South Morang.
Farm Viganò was established by
Mario and Maria Teresa Viganò as
a family haven, a salon for artists,
musicians and intellectuals and a
working farm to supply fresh
produce for their city
restaurant. This family restaurant
tradition was continued by Mario’s
granddaughters Patricia and Mietta
O'Donnell.
More information about Farm
Viganò can be found at:
http://home.vicnet.net.au/~vigano/
Il Centro – Co.As.It Resource Centre Newsletter Volume 21, Issue 2

REGISTRATION FORM & TAX INVOICE
To register please completing the form below and return to:
Post: Ines Cilmi
c/o PO Box 505 Preston 3072
Email: cilmi@arilla.com.au
Registrations Close: THURSDAY 20 JUNE 2013
Confirmation of your registration will be sent via email upon receipt of your payment
A receipt will be available for collection at the event
Please use one form per person to register
Italian Immersion Weekend (FARM VIGANO)
Name
Name of school
School Address:
Contact details: Telephone: Mobile:
Levels taught:
Email:
I am interested
in attending the
dinner on
Saturday
evening
YES NO
A dinner will be organised if we have sufficient interest from
participants
Venue to be decided
PAYMENT OPTIONS:
Cheque
Direct Debit
Total amount including GST $130.00
AMOUNT DUE $130.00
Made payable to Friends of Farm Vigano
Attach a copy of this invoice and forward to the postal address above
Bank: Commonwealth, Spring St Reservoir
Account Name: Friends of Farm Vigano
BSB: 063-385 Account No: 10209435
Please use your name and Italian Camp as the reference
Il Centro – Co.As.It Resource Centre Newsletter Volume 21, Issue 2

ACCOMMODATION DETAILS
PLEASE NOTE:
Accommodation if required is at participant’s expense
The information below has been included for participants requiring accommodation
close to Farm Viganò.
Participants are responsible for booking their own accommodation requirements
directly with their chosen venue.
Best Western Mill Park Motor Inn
14 The Link
Mill Park. 3082
PH: 03 94079500
Email: info@millparkmotorinn.com.au
www.bestwestern.com.au
Approximately 3.5km or 5min drive to venue
Quest Bundoora
40 Janefield Drive
Bundoora. 3088
Tel: 03 8306 0600
Email: questbundoora@questapartments.com.au
Approximately 6km or 8min drive to venue
Il Centro – Co.As.It Resource Centre Newsletter Volume 21, Issue 2

The Language of Interaction
From : Rete! 2 by Marco Mezzadri & Paolo E. Balboni, Guerra Edizioni, Perugia, 2001 “
“Asking to receive things.... inviting, accepting, or refusing...interacting with a peer group” requires specific
language in order to develop a variety of opportunities to practice listening and speaking with others.
Turntaking : Tocca a te!
Tocca a me!
A chi tocca
Chi comincia, tu o io
Cominci prima tu
Posso Posso prendere / fare / parlare / avere
Bene. Cosa sono questi
Ci penso io!
Aspetta un momento!
Co-operating : Ti aiuto io
Vuoi una mano
Mi puoi aiutare
Aiuto!
Posso aiutarti Puoi ripetere
Come si può fare meglio
Parliamo più piano!
Ascoltiamo a Mark.
Grazie.
Prego.
Mettetevi in coppia.
Mettetevi in gruppi.....di tre, quattro ecc.
Mettetevi in fila indiana.
Mettevi in fila per due.
Mettetevi in cerchio.
Questioning : Non capisco!
È troppo difficile.
Mi fai vedere come si fa
Cos’è la risposta
Puoi ripetere più lentamente
Indovina
Controlli la risposta.
Cosa devo fare
Il Centro – Co.As.It Resource Centre Newsletter Volume 21, Issue 2

Non sono sicuro / sicura.
Di chi è questo / questa
Dimmi!
Affirming : Buona idea.
Dai.....Bravo!
Brava!
Forza!
Ascoltiamo, Marco.
Un applauso per Mary.
Bravi a tutti.
Ipp ip urrà! (Hip, hip, hurrah!)
Si’, d’accordo / No, un’altra volta.
Evviva!
Other : Ho finito!
Ho bisogno di più tempo.
Non copiare!
Calmati!
Ho un problema.
È facile / È difficile.
Finalmente!
Come Aiuto, per favore.
Come si dice...
Come si dice in italiano
Come si scrive....
L’italiano nei giochi
Giochiamo a....
A che giochiamo
Chi vuole giocare a...
Testa o croce
Pronti Sei pronto / a / siete pronti / e
Pronti, partenza, via!
Tre, due, uno, via!
Sei fuori!
Fuori!
Sei squalificato / eliminato!
Uno a zero!
Siamo due a due!
Un pareggio!
Qual è il punteggio
Ho vinto!
Dammi la palla!
Corri / correte!
Tira / tirate!
Passa / passate!
Fermati! / fermatevi!
References : Pascaline Horan MLPSI©Incareer Booklet 12 – March 2004
Second Language Learning through cooperative learning by Julie High, Hawker Brownlow Education, 2007
Acara : Australian Curriculum : Languages : Italian : Draft Foundtaion to Year 10 sequence
Il Centro – Co.As.It Resource Centre Newsletter Volume 21, Issue 2

Good Italy Bad Italy : why Italy must
conquer its demons to face the future by
Bill Emmott, Yale University Press, New
Haven, 2012
An authoritative and highly readable book on
Italy. Emmott analyses “Bad Italy” – the land
of disgraced Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi,
an inadequate justice system, an economy
dominated by special interests and continuing
corruption – against the contrasting “good
Italy” – the home of long-sighted, responsible
entrepreneurs, truth-seekers, meritocrats and
countless citizens determined to push back the
country’s evils.
Italy : Places we go [DVD]narrated by Jennifer
Adams and Clint Bizzell
Great visuals of Mt Etna, the Amalfi coast, the Sassi of
Matera, Tuscany, and San Gimignano. Connects well
with Esplora! 2 which is set in some of these locations.
Percorso Italia : corso multimediale di
lingua italiana per stranieri : livello A1-
A2 by Giuseppe Patota & Norma
Romanelli, Garzanti Linguistica, Italy,
2011
This kit comprises a text book plus interactive
CD Rom for students studying Italian as a
second language. Includes the following
topics : greetings, family, work, school,
leisure, at the restaurant, holidays, a trip to
Siena, a weekend in Rome and house hunting
in Venice. Contemporary images, authentic
language.
Explore Italy and its Regions,
Long Bridge Publishing, Italy, 2013
This is a bi-lingual edition and provides
an introduction to Italy’s geography and its
twenty regions, with activities and answer keys
for Italian language students. The parallel text
in Italian and English is especially useful when
students engage in the language tasks, maps,
games and tests.
Il Centro – Co.As.It Resource Centre Newsletter Volume 21, Issue 2

The Transumanza
“Tourism should not mean big new hotels...it could mean walking up a mountain with sheep.
Walking with sheep should not be confused with hiking.”
Information relating to the transumanza, only recently came to our attention via Andrea Breen, a
truly adventurous and passionate student of the Italian language, who had recently returned from
Abruzzo. Her personal photographs accompany the article.
The transumanza is the Italian term for transhumance,
the traditional twice yearly migration of sheep and cows
from the highlands to the lowlands, and vice versa.
The word literally means “crossing the land.”
It is an ancient Italian custom, today scarcely in existence
which involves the movement of large flocks of sheep in
the mid fall which need to be driven south from the hilly
and mountainous regions of the Apennines over to the
more southern coastal plains of Puglia and, less commonly,
Lazio. A much more limited version of these migrations took place
in the Alpine and Prealpine areas of Valle d’Aosta,
Photograph courtesy Andrea Breen
Lombardy and Piedmont. In the mid spring of
each year this migratory pattern was reversed as the herds travelled to the fresher and greener
pastures of the higher apennine elevations in the Abruzzo region of Italy. Over the years the
transumanza affected the entire economy of Puglia, strongly favouring the clearing of land for sheep
grazing at the expense of agriculture and forestry.
In past centuries, the transumanza had a great impact on the lives of the sheepherders whose job
was made all the more difficult by the lack of modern agricultural machinery, enclosed pens for
grazing and refrigeration of the sheeps’ milk that was gathered along the way. Economic concerns
were established at the grazing sites, these dealing with the production and sale of cheese,
sheepskins, and perhaps most importantly, wool. Much of the work was carried out by men with
women remaining behind in Abruzzo. The well worn paths along which the sheep travelled during
their migrations were referred to as “tratturi”. The three main pathways included those between
L’Aquila and Foggia (called The King’s Pathway), Celano and Foggia, and Pescasseroli and Candela.
The migrations many times, lasted up to two weeks with stops at locations known as “stazioni di
posta” (post stations).
Follow the Flock : a personal recount of a transumanza
http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2010/feb/07/walkingholidays-italy
“To get off the beaten track in the mountains of Abruzzo, it pays to get onto one that has been trodden
for centuries, not by tourists or even pilgrims, but by sheep. The tracks are not on any map, so to avoid
getting lost you need to get in with a flock of your own and climb through gorges to abandoned villages,
lonely lakes and high pastures where bears roam and the sheep head for summer grazing.
Il Centro – Co.As.It Resource Centre Newsletter Volume 21, Issue 2

The man who can arrange all this is handing out warm ricotta and coffee at 6 a.m. as the sun seeps
through the mist in the valleys below the village of Anversa. Around him five sheepdogs are marshalling a
few hundred sheep for the climb.
Nunzio Marcelli is a diehard advocate of the transumanza, the fast-disappearing practice of shepherding
flocks up mountains in the summer and back into the valleys when the snows come.
"There used to be three million sheep in Abruzzo, now there are 200,000 and they are trucked to summer
pastures if they go at all," says Marcelli, local boy, economics graduate and now sheep farmer. "I am
trying to reverse that."
To find Marcelli and his flock means heading east out of Rome on the L'Aquila highway, a ribbon of
asphalt on stilts that twists through tunnels and past fairytale villages clinging to the side of canyons.
Turning off before L'Aquila, the city devastated by an
earthquake in April 2009, the road winds up to Marcelli's farm.
There, wannabe shepherds get a simple room for a night and
an evening meal that is worth the journey alone, starting
with an antipasto of Marcelli's pecorino – hard sheep's cheese
– and his dark, sweet salami made from sheep's liver, honey
and stewed grapes, followed by gnocchi with ricotta and roast lamb,
topped with a liver ragù, and chased down by a shot of
Genziana, a bitter digestivo made from local herbs.
Photograph courtesy Andrea Breen
After supper, two teenage lads turn up with piano-accordians to play for the handful of curious Italians
who have arrived for the transumanza and are smoking under nearby fig trees. Marcelli pays the boys
off with hunks of pecorino and suggests an early night to his new shepherds. By 6.30 a.m. next morning
the group is under way, led by two of Marcelli's regular shepherds, whose whistling guides the retrievers
and maremmano sheepdogs over the sound of the sheeps' bells.
Behind Anversa, the sheep are steered down a narrow road clinging to the side of the gorge of the
Sagittario River, which roars unseen hundreds of metres below. The flock courses across bridges and
through tunnels hewn out of the rock, pausing only when Marcelli stops to chat with a local bus driver.
Once out of the gorge, the sheep insist on devouring a bank of mint, which combines with their muttony
smell to give off a disconcerting whiff of Sunday lunch, just as the sun hits the village of Castrovalva,
clinging to the rocks above.
“In the 13th century, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II started the restoration and safeguarding of three
pre-Roman transhumance routes from Abruzzo down into Puglia," says Marcelli. "Right now we are on a
smaller feeder route, and the flock owners who got rich thanks to Frederick, came to Castrovalva to build."
Past the village, the wilderness opens up, valleys unfold behind and hot sun glints off the slate path.
Roberta, who is originally from Naples but now lives locally, belts out an Abruzzo folk song in dialect. After
an hour, the group stops for a rest in a meadow filled with yellow daisies and liquorice, where Mario, a
teacher, divvies up chunks of his bread and cheese. "The problem is that people up here think tourism
should mean big new hotels, not walking up a mountain with sheep," says Roberta.
Walking with sheep should not be confused with hiking, and should be avoided by people who like to get a
brisk rhythm going. But anyone who likes to wander up stunning mountains – pausing frequently to chat,
snooze and admire the view – will appreciate the company of animals who dawdle, drift off and stop for
anything green and edible. The job in hand – getting the sheep to their grazing grounds – is a bonus for
anyone who thinks there is something pointless about just hiking from A to B.
When the dogs have had their heads scratched and got their breath back, the sheep scramble up through
a line of firs to the top of a rise, and distant Anversa disappears for good. Ahead, scudding clouds and
even bigger mountains rear up above Scanno Lake, which blinks from sunlit green to black shadow far
below.
Il Centro – Co.As.It Resource Centre Newsletter Volume 21, Issue 2

Somewhere in the middle sits the village of Frattura Vecchia, 1,300m above sea level, 15km from Anversa
and the half-way point in the transhumance. As we enter the village, it's clear why the people of Abruzzo
were so stoical about the L'Aquila earthquake. Frattura crumbled in its own quake in 1915, sending locals
fleeing down the hill to build a new village, leaving their roofless stone cottages to fill with lizards and
butterflies. We set up camp by a stream under a willow tree in the ghostly square. Mario trades cheese for
a bottle of wine with a local who arrives to tend the kitchen garden he keeps among the ruins.
Having left us at Castrovalva, Marcelli arrives in Frattura by car to deliver a huge tub of pasta and a
choice: pitch a tent under the willow or get a lift back to the farm. "Either way," he says, "we push on
from here first thing tomorrow."
The two-day transhumance saves the best for last – a 20km push up through woods, meadows and over
2,170m Monte Genzana, where Abruzzo spreads out as far as the sea. Marcelli doesn't say much but he
has an evangelical glint in his eye when he describes the links between the transhumance and the land.
"Without us, the villages will empty and no one will keep an eye on the countryside," he says.
His zeal has taken him as far as Afghanistan, where he
taught nomadic shepherds from the Kuchi tribe to make
longer-lasting sheep's cheese. "Theirs only lasted 15-20
days," he says. "We showed them fermenting techniques
which allow the cheese to be formed faster and stored for a
year or more. They are the same methods we have used
since the Roman empire."
At home, Marcelli is winning awards for his ricotta smoked over juniper wood, as well as orders from
Manhattan restaurants. He is also dreaming up ingenious plans to stay solvent, such as an adopt-a-sheep
scheme, where subscribers are sent a photo of their lamb, then cheese, then woolly socks and then,
inevitably, a kilo of salami at the end of the season.
The pens come into view at Chiarano, a secret stretch of green surrounded by mountains at 1,600m,
where Marcelli's shepherds will keep the sheep until the return trip to the farm in November. "Don't be
fooled by the idyllic scene: we need the pens at night to keep out the bears and wolves," he says.
A van arrives from the farm and everyone piles in, squeezing between boxes of smoked ricotta destined
for restaurants such as Robert De Niro's Locanda Verde in New York, where it is served in a salad with
tomato, watermelon and basil.
"It is great to build a name," says Marcelli, "but mothers round here used to tell their kids, 'You'd better
study or you'll end up a shepherd.' That is the mentality we have to change to keep this land as it has
been for thousands of years."
Several well-known and highly regarded books and poems have been inspired by the “butteri” (the Italian
version of the well-known American cowboy, the raw and unspoit beauty of the Maremma salt marshes,
and the life fo the shepherds. Perhaps most notable is the poem “I pastori” (The Shepherd) by
Gabriele D’Annunzio.
Photo courtesy Andrea Breen
The Shepherds
September, let’s go. It’s time to migrate.
Now in the land of Abruzzi my shepherds
leave the folds and go towards the sea :
they go down in the wild Adriatic
that is green like mountain pastures.
They’ve drunk deeply from the Alpine fonts,
So that the taste of their native water
may stay in their exiled hearts for comfort
to deceive their thirst along the way.
They’ve renewed their hazelnut sticks.
Il Centro – Co.As.It Resource Centre Newsletter Volume 21, Issue 2

And they go along the ancient bridleway,
That is almost like a silent grassy river
In traces of the ancient ancestors.
Oh voice of the one who first
discerns the shimmering of the sea!
Now along this coast moves the flock.
Without movement is the air.
The sun bleaches the loving wool so that
it almost blends into the sand.
Swishing, stamping, sweet sounds.
Ah why am I not with my shepherds
I Pastori
Settembre, andiamo. È tempo di migrare.
Ora in terra d’Abruzzi i miei pastori
Lascian gli stazzi e vanno verso il mare:
Scendono all’Adriatico selvaggio
che verde è come i pascoli dei monti.
Han bevuto profondamente ai fonti
Alpestri, che sapor d’acqua natia
rimanga ne’cuori esuli a conforto
che lungo illuda la lor sete in via.
Rinnovato hanno verga d’avellano.
E vanno pel tratturo natico al piano,
Quasi per un erbal fiume silente
su le vestigia degli antich padri.
O voce di colui che primamente
Conosce il tremolar della marina!
Ora lungh’esso il litoral cammina
La greggia. Senza mutamento è l’aria.
Il sole imbionda sì la viva lana
Che quasi dall sabbia non divaria.
Isciacquio, calpestio, dolci rumori.
Ah perchè non son io co’miei pastori
Gabriele d’Annunzio was born in Pescara (Abruzzi) in 1863. In this poem D’Annunzio (who by the
time that he wrote this famous poem had moved to the north of Italy where he died in 1938)
describes, with a sense of nostalgia, the seasonal migration of the Abruzzesi shepherds from the
summer Alpine meadows down to the winter pastures on the coast of the Adriatic sea. I Pastori was
published in 1903 in Alcyone, a colleciton of verses written between 1899 and 1903.
For more information http://www.abruzzomoliseheritagesociety.org/TRATTURIeTRANSUMANZA.pdf
http://www.absolutelyabruzzo.com/tours/display/tour/id/3
Andrea Breen’s email
breen.andrea12@gmail.com
La Porta Dei Parchi (Marcello)
info@laportadeiparchi.it
Related Websites :
http://www.lifeinabruzzo.com/ricotta-the-best-organic-italian-cheese-at-porta-dei-parchi/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2010/feb/07/walkingholidays-italy
Photograph courtesy Andrea Breen.
Il Centro – Co.As.It Resource Centre Newsletter Volume 21, Issue 2

Tax Invoice
Co.As.It. Italian Assistance Association
Italian Resource Centre
(Postal Address) Level 1, 189 Faraday Street,
Carlton, 3053
ABN 85 005 596 485 Tel:( 03) 9349 9022
Fax:(03) 9349 9091
Contact Person :___________________________________________________
Name of School : _________________________________________________
School Postal Address : _____________________________________________
________________________________________________Postcode_________
Telephone : ___________________Email :_____________________________
Tick each CD Pack Title required clearly & specify number of copies required at $5.00 each.For Non
Subscribers cost is $22.00 each :
CD Pack Title Story Book Titles included No.ofcopies Cost
Pinocchio CD: Ecco Pinocchio $
C’era una volta La festa di Pollicino $
CD:
Il sole e vento
Giacco e il fagiolo
La gallinella rossa
Facciamo Festa Alla festa $
CD:
Buona Pasqua CD: La colomba $
La sorpresa
Fra Martino
Buon Natale CD: L’albero di Natale $
Il presepio
La Befana
Andiamo in Italia Il piccolo capitano $
CD:
Sulla neve
La macchinetta rossa
La famiglia CD : Mangia, mangia $
Il mio fratellino
Il pappagallo
Sogni d’oro
Aiuto! Un topo
Divertiamoci CD: Songs / Canzoni / Plays / Recite $
Total cost of CDs $
Plus $6.00 Postage $6.00
Total cost $
Payment Details – Cheques and money orders should be made payable to Co.As.It and
stapled to this form (Please tick method of payment)
- - -
Expiry Date / Total $
.
Visa Mastercard Money Order Cheque Cash
Card Holder’s Name (please print)________________Card Holder’s Signature______________
Il Centro – Co.As.It Resource Centre Newsletter Volume 21, Issue 2

The following are free advertisements which does not imply any endorsement
by Co.As.It. Teachers are advised to make their own enquiries regarding
suitability.
La Comica Variety Productions
Melbourne’s funniest Italian show performers...
Your students will love ...
New show in 2013!
From Term 2 : Primary School
La Festa
This year Mario and his Nonno spend the day at La Festa Italiana being held at their local park.
Mario will participate in a Scopa card game, a soccer match with Del Piero, an unforgettable
Carnevale experience and a cruise in the latest Ferrari. But will Mario win his very own Vespa in
the Italian raffle Another fun filled comedy show with wonderful characters and audience
participation.
Still on offer in 2013...
Le Vacanze : Primary and Secondary
Ristorante Mangiabanane : Primary and Secondary
Un’avventura Romana : Primary
For Bookings and more information
Contact :James Liotta
Phone : 0409 932 014
Email : jliotta@telstra.come completed by
_----
6pm on Sunday 27 Saturday evening 26
Spectacular Spettacolo Shows For 2013!
“Time Warp Part 1” may be finished, but Spectacular Spettacolo will be back in 2013 with
the fabulous sequel, “Part 2 – Dammi il Cinque” and the much anticipated “Part 3 – Vacanze
Romane” (this is the FINAL YEAR for “Part 2 – Dammi il Cinque”, so get in quickly if you
wish to book for this show). These shows are relevant for students Prep – 6 and are from
our very popular “Time Warp” series (more information on our shows including sample songs
are available on our website at www.leaporcaro.com.au/spectacular-spettacolo/). We also
Il Centro – Co.As.It Resource Centre Newsletter Volume 21, Issue 2

have a brand new cast this year and we are so pleased to have some of the most sought
after English/Italian actresses in Melbourne come on board (details also available on the
website). 2013 is set to be our most exciting year yet!!!
These shows have been written by Lea and Corrado Porcaro. Corrado has been teaching
Italian for almost 30 years in the Primary sector, as well as having developed many
programs for the Department of Education over the years. Many teachers already use
resources that he has created in their classrooms. Corrado knows the curriculum like the
back of his hand and he has written these shows knowing what teachers (and students) not
only need, but want. This is why we have had 100% positive feedback so far!
Our shows are not only dynamic, fun, engaging, interactive and contain fresh, new, popular
songs relevant for the students of today, they also cover different areas of Italy as well
as topics that relate back to the current curriculum. Every booking will also include the
fantastic teachers’ pack which contains over a semester’s worth of material, the lyrics to
all the songs sung throughout the show and a copy of the CD. The pack has also been put
together by Corrado. Feedback from teachers in regards to this pack has been
extraordinary!
For all booking enquiries, you can do one of the following:
- log onto our website at www.leaporcaro.com.au/spectacular-spettacolo/ and fill in
the booking form on the ‘contact us’ page
- email Lea at info@leaporcaro.com.au
or
- call Lea on 0432 388 032
I look forward to hearing from you all soon. Please keep an eye on the website for special
offers throughout the year!
***************************************
Il Centro – Co.As.It Resource Centre Newsletter Volume 21, Issue 2

Make a Scene Theatre Arts Education
Commedia dell’Arte Workshops and Performances
cover maschere (masks), tipi fisi (stock characters) and
place this important Italian theatre style in a cultural and
historical context.
This program is a great way to consolidate or introduce a unit
on Commedia dell’Arte or Carnevale.
It is suitable and adaptable for primary (prep) to VCE students of Italian
and/or Drama.
Rosa Campagnaro (Director) is a qualified teacher and together with Fabio Motta (Actor) has trained
in Commedia dell’Arte in Venice,Italy.
Contact :
Rosa Campagnaro (Director)
Phone : (03) 9495 1980
info@makeascene.com.au
www.makeascene.com.au
Italian Dance Workshops
THE MOST FUN FILLED, EDUCATIONAL & CULTURAL EXPERIENCE EVER!
Vince Di Mitro and his team have been educating and entertaining school communities
across Australia since 1989 with their accessible blend of practical activities, high energy and
humour.
In our workshops, students learn traditional or contemporary Italian dances in which we
infuse our own creative moves. All our lessons are specially designed to cater for students in
each year level. We are committed to providing your school with a cultural, educational and
fun experience for all ages P-12.
Contact Vince at Performing Arts Workshop for bookings or a copy of our brochure.
Contact : Vince Di Mitro
Performing Arts Workshops
PO Box 2250 St Kilda West 3182
Phone : 03 9525 5550 / Fax : 03 9525 5996
Mobile : 0419 335 556
Email : paworkshops@tpg.com.au
Il Centro – Co.As.It Resource Centre Newsletter Volume 21, Issue 2

CARROUSEL THEATRE
presents a new production for
2013
LA BELLA ADDORMENTATA
Sleeping Beauty
Carrousel Theatre would like to advise Italian Language Teachers of their bilingual puppetry
performances specifically tailored for Primary and Secondary students.
For more information visit : www.carrousel.com.au
Telephone : (03) 9376 5527
Email : enquiries@carrousel.com.au
Il Centro – Co.As.It Resource Centre Newsletter Volume 21, Issue 2