European tale of C.A.S.T.L.E.S. by donatella.altini@gmail.com donatella

European tale of C.A.S.T.L.E.S. Culture, Art, Story, Tales, Love and Equality in European Inclusive Schools

Erasmus+ Programme â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Strategic Partnership Project Nr: 2017-1-EL01-KA219-036345_2

This book is one result of Erasmus plus project KA2, a Strategic Schools Partnerships supporting exchange of good practices. The schools in project are:  Primary School of Ormilia Halkidiki Ormilia Poligiros, Halikidiki-Greece (Coordinator),  I Circolo Didattico “G. Falcone” Scuola dell’Infanzia, Conversano-Italy,  Szkoła Podstawowa Nr5 im. Henryka Sienkiewicza, Leszno-Poland  Ventspils pirmsskolas izglitibas iestade "Pasaka" ,Ventspils-Latvia Contributing to raising awareness of the importance of Europe's cultural heritage through education, the project involved European tradition, castles and tales connected with them instilling into children’s values such as respect to the national culture, heritage, national symbols and to promote the respect to foreign cultures and traditions, the equality of humans, disregarding the age, sex and background. All the schools have discussed and negotiated the overall objectives and impact that we wish to obtain from this as follows:  to learn about the castles in participating countries and the tales connected,  to learn about the history of the period connected with the castle,  to improve the progress and development of the schools,  to introduce the Index of Inclusion and inclusive practices in all schools,  to reduce learners’ fail and eliminate the prejudice and xenophobia,  to introduce informal methods of teaching in all the schools,  to build strong connections and friendship between the participating countries,  to establish our European identity and manage the schools improvement.  Study and reproduction of traditional music, songs, dances, feasts and food of the countries  Study of the history and geomorphology of the countries  Creating a common story with real casting heroes who bring the history and legends of the castles from country to country during teacher movements  Study of the costumes of the inhabitants of the castles. Children also wear similar costumes  Creating puppets related to the castles  Organizing a Carnival event on castles  Writing stories with words related to the castles and presenting them to the community  Presenting theatrical plays in the school and the wider community  Creating multiple Erasmus corners in classrooms and a central corner where gifts and creations by the partner countries are placed there  Organizing games and creations related to castles during breaks, involving all the students of the school. eTwinning is part of this Erasmus + project, it promoted and facilitated contact, exchange ideas and collaborative work between teachers and students of the countries participating through ICTs and video-conferences between partners.

The methodology: the students discovered the history and the structure of their partners’ castles, their histories the legends about their characters (made as puppets) and the life in the castles during the Medieval and Renaissance (through books, videos, activities with local cultural associations, ...). The tale of this book is the final result of a story written step by step, after each transnational meeting of the schools’ staffs. The pictures are the photos of hand-made books, made by children: they have painted, cut and glued different pictures and materials, developing their creativity. All activities of our project, developing basic skills and key competences, involved all pupils, especially those with special needs, through innovative and integrated approaches. This booklet is the final result of the project: the students discovered and learned he history and structures of the European Partners’ castles in project, the legends, the life in castles (by book, video, activities with local cultural associations, ...) and invented and illustrated, step by step, a tale:

European tale of C.A.S.T.L.E.S. The pictures are photos of hand-made books, made by students: they have painted, cut and glued different pictures and materials or used the tools of computers (in primary school) developing their creativity. Project on web: https://castles4erasmus.webnode.gr/ http://culturalheritage.erasmusplus.it/projects/culture-art-story-tales-love-andequality-in-pre-primary-castle/ http://castlesfalcone.blogspot.com/

Nikita Panagiota Donata Altini Katarzyna Michnikowska Linda Pūpola 3

nce upon a time there was a castle in Conversano, in the Apulia region of southeast Italy. ’era una volta un castello nella città di Conversano, nella regione Puglia a Sud -Est dell’Italia 4

was located on the highest point of the hill in a position able to dominate the whole surrounding territory to the sea, and borders the Largo della Corte, a large irregularly shaped square always at the heart of the city. castello sorgeva nel punto piĂš alto della collina in una posizione utile a dominare il territorio circostante sino al mare e confinava con il Largo della Corte, una grande piazza di forma irregolare sempre nel cuore della cittĂ . 5

he castle was the residence of the Counts of Conversano: Giangirolamo II Acquaviva of Aragon and his wife Isabella Filomarino. l castello era la residenza dei Conti di Conversano: Giangirolamo II Acquaviva dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Aragona e sua moglie Isabella Filomarino. 6

iangirolamo nicknamed the Guercio of Puglia (“oneeyed” or “squinter”) was keen on horses, in particular on the lipizzans of the dynasty of Conversano. iangirolamo soprannominato il Guercio di Puglia ("con un occhio solo" o "guercio") era appassionato di cavalli, in particolare dei lipizzani della dinastia di Conversano.

e commissioned the painter Paolo Finoglio to design and decorate churches and castles of his county with paintings and tapestries depicting him in war scenes.

gli incaricĂ˛ il pittore Paolo Finoglio di progettare e decorare chiese e castelli della sua contea con dipinti e arazzi che lo raffigurano in scene di guerra.

e instructed his farmers to construct temporary buildings using only dry limestone. a incaricato i suoi agricoltori di costruire edifici temporanei usando solo pietre a secco.

he buildings were dismantled before the arrival of the King’s inspector, hence he saw no houses and the infamous tax did not have to be paid. li edifici erano smantellati prima dell'arrivo dell'ispettore del re che non vedeva case e quindi la famigerata tassa non doveva essere pagata. rom this stroke of genius and thanks to the brave farmers the “castedde” became what are known throughout the world today as trulli. a questo colpo di genio e grazie ai coraggiosi contadini i "castedde" divennero ciò che oggi sono conosciuti in tutto il mondo come trulli.

e was courageous and severe and vengeful!!!! during his government, Giangirolamo faced different rebellions, one of the most famous was that of the noble men and the priests of Nardò. The earl promised to forgive all the rebels if they surrendered to his troops, but as they did it he imprisoned them all and tortured, beheaded and skinned the priests, whose bodies were exposed to the population in the street “Strettola delle Forche” and whose skin was used to make the chairs of the castle.

ra coraggioso, severo e vendicativo !!!! Durante il suo governo, Giangirolamo affrontò diverse ribellioni, una delle più famose fu quella dei nobili e dei sacerdoti di Nardò. Il conte promise di perdonare tutti i ribelli qualora si fossero arresi alle sue truppe, ma appena lo fecero li imprigionò tutti e torturò, decapitò e spellò i sacerdoti i cui corpi furono esposti alla popolazione nella strada "Strettola delle Forche" e la usò la loro pelle per tappezzare le sedie del castello. 10

he squinter used to play archery and he enjoyed himself trying to hit with his arrows the jars of the women who drew the water from the wells. Anyway it was supposed he didn’t see from one eye and instead of the jars, he hit the women whose blood turned the earth red. That place was called “Red land”. l Guercio era solito tirare con l’arco e si divertiva a cercare di colpire con le sue frecce i vasi a delle donne che attingevano l'acqua dai pozzi. Talvolta, non vedendo da un occhio , invece dei vasi, colpìva le donne il cui sangue colorava di rosso la terra. Questo luogo fu chiamato Terra Rossa.

ut one day a green dragon captured Giangirolamo during his walk, outside the castle, and flying they arrived to a big Polish castleâ&#x20AC;Ś.

a un giorno un drago verde catturĂ˛ Giangirolamo durante la sua passeggiata, fuori del castello e volando arrivarono ad un grande castello polaccoâ&#x20AC;Ś. 12

he dragon flew to the Polish castle in Rydzyna. He dropped the Count and flew off. Giangirolamo was not happy about the fact that he did not know where he was. Fortunately, he met a talking potato who was calling for help in all the languages of the world. The confused Count came uncertainly to the vegetable and asked: ”What's happened?" The Potato replied: “A bad green dragon pulled me out of my garden!" The Count was confused and asked: "How did you learn to speak?" The Potato replied: "Badger Stefan taught me!” The Count continued his series of questions: “What’s your name?" "Janusz" the Potato replied. “If you want, I can show you around the castle”. The count nodded. He gave his hand to the vegetable and they moved ahead. mok doleciał do Polskiego zamku w Rydzynie. Zrzucił Hrabigo i odleciał. Giangirolamo nie był zadowolony z tego faktu, iż nie wiedział gdzie się znajduje. Na szczęście spotkał gadającego ziemniaka, który wołał o pomoc we wszystkich językach świata. Zdezorientowany hrabia podszedł niepewnie do owego warzywa i zapytał się: ”Co się stało?”. Ziemniak odpowiedział, Zły zielony smok wyrwał mnie z mojego ogródka’’. Hrabia zmieszany zapytał się: ,”Jak się nauczyłeś mówić?” Ziemniak odparł: “Borsuk Stefan mnie nauczył’’. Hrabia kontynuował serie pytań: “Jak masz na imię?’’. “Janusz’’ ziemniak odpowiedział. –Jeśli chcesz mogę cię oprowadzić po zamku Hrabia przytaknął. Wziął warzywo za rękę i ruszyli na przód.

anusz began to talk about the history of the castle in Rydzyna. Giangirolamo was very interested in the Potato’s story. It was getting dark. On the way, they came across a king's maid. The woman got scared because the King left the castle and she did not expect any guests. She asked: “What are you doing here?” Unfortunately, the Count did not understand what she was saying, but thankfully the Potato explained everything to him. The maid, who had a good heart, allowed them to spend the night in one of the royal chambers. anusz zaczął opowiadać o historii zamku w Rydzynie. Giangirolamo był bardzo zaciekawiony opowieścią Kartofla. Zbliżał się wieczór. Po drodze natknęli się na pokojówkę króla. Kobieta się wystraszyła, ponieważ Król wyjechał z zamku i nie spodziewała się gości. Zapytała się co tu robią. Hrabia niestety nie rozumiał co mówiła, ale na szczęście ziemniak wytłumaczył mu wszystko. Pokojówka jako, że miała dobre serce pozwoliła im przenocować w jednej z komnat królewskich.

iangirolamo was getting ready to sleep when suddenly a White Lady came out of the wall! “What are you doing in my Castle?”- shouted the irritated ghost. “I’m here for one night only, I didn’t want to make any trouble”- replied the frightened Count. “All right. I will let you stay for one night, however tomorrow at 7.00 I don’t want to see you here, otherwise I will send a horde of rats to you” - answered the White Lady and disappeared.

iangirolamo szykował się już do snu, gdy nagle Biała Dama wyszła ze ściany. Co robisz w moim zamku?- Wykrzyczała zdenerwowana zjawa. Ja tu tylko na jedną noc, nie chciałem sprawiać kłopotów- Odparł wystraszony Hrabia. “Niech będzie. Pozwolę ci zostać tutaj na jedną noc, jednakże jutro o 7,00 rano nie chcę ciebie tu zobaczyć, inaczej naślę na ciebie hordę szczurów.– odpowiedziała Biała Dama i zniknęła.

iangirolamo couldn’t sleep for the rest of the night. As soon as the sun started to rise he began to prepare to leave the castle. At 7.00 sharp he set off. After a few weeks of wandering he arrived in Latvia.

iangirolamo nie mógł zmrużyć oka przez resztę nocy. Gdy tylko słońce zaczęło wschodzić, zaczął się szykować do opuszczenia zamku. Punkt 7.00 wyruszył w podróż. Po kilku tygodniach tułaczki dotarł do Łotwy.

n a sunny spring day, Princess Zeltite walked around the town. Unexpectedly, she met the Italian Count Giangirolamo. Giangirolamo told her that he had already travelled with the Polish dragon to Italy and Poland and would also like to know about Latvia and Ventspils’ Castle of Livonian Order. Thanks to Princess Zeltite, he learned a lot of interesting facts about Latvia. ādā saulainā pavasara dienā, princese Zeltīte pastaigājās pa pilsētu. Negaidīti viņa satika Itālijas grāfu Giangirolamo. Giangirolamo viņai pastāstīja, ka viņš kopā ar Polijas pūķi jau ir apceļojis Itāliju un Poliju un vēlētos uzzināt arī par Latviju un Ventspils Livonijas ordeņa pili. Pateicoties princesei Zeltītei, viņš uzzināja daudz interesanta par Latviju. 17

he Republic of Latvia is a country in Northern Europe, along the coast of the Baltic Sea. It is one of the three Baltic States and is a member of the European Union. The state capital is Riga. Princess Zeltite lives in Ventspils. Ventspils is a city in Latvia, one of the largest port cities in the country on the coast of the Baltic Sea. atvijas Republika ir valsts Ziemeļeiropā, Baltijas jūras krastā. Tā ir viena no trijām Baltijas valstīm un ir Eiropas Savienības dalībvalsts. Valsts galvaspilsēta ir Rīga. Zeltīte dzīvo Ventspilī. Ventspils ir pilsēta Latvijā, viena no lielākajām ostas pilsētām valstī, kura atrodas Baltijas jūras krastā.

eltite likes Ventspils very much because it is clean, beautiful and a lot of her friends are living in it. One of Zeltite's friends is the Ghost of the Palace Black Piglet. He lives in a beautiful castle. And this legend will be about Black Piglet.

eltītei ļoti patīk Ventspils, jo tā ir tīra, skaista un tajā dzīvo daudz draugu. Viens no Zeltītes draugiem ir Pils spociņš - Melnais sivēns. Viņš dzīvo skaistā pilī. Par Melno sivēnu būs šī leģenda.

years ago, there was no city nor castle in this place. There was a sea and a river Vinda (now Venta). On the banks of the river lived the ancient Kurshi. One day the monks-knights arrived on the shore of Vinda. They decided to settle down there and build a port city with a fortress. They built the tower first and then settled in the second story because it was safer. irms 700 gadiem, šajā vietā nebija ne pilsētas, ne pils. Šeit bija jūra, tecēja upe Vinda ( tagad Venta). Tās krastā dzīvoja senie kurši. Kādu dienu krastā ieradās mūki- bruņinieki. Viņi nolēma apmesties šeit uz dzīvi un būvēt ostas pilsētu ar savu cietoksni. Pirmo uzcēla torni, un apmetās uz dzīvi otrajā stāvā, jo tā bija drošāk.

mall, narrow windows were built in the tower for the surveillance of surroundings. After that came the turn to build the fortress with 2 m thick walls for protection. On the first floor of the fortress, a fireplace was built. For it was necessary to feed the people building the fortress. There was also a place for stables on the first floor. ornī izbūvēja mazus, šaurus lodziņus, apkārtnes novērošanai. Pēc tam pienāca kārta arī cietokšņa būvēšanai ar 2 metru biezām sienām, aizsardzības nolūkos. Cietokšņa pirmajā stāvā iekārtoja pavardu, jo vajadzēja barot cilvēkus, kuri to cēla. Pirmajā stāvā atradās arī vieta zirgu stallim.

onks had to pray seven times per day so a church was built inside the fortress. 200 years passed by and the castle-fortress was finally ready. A ruler – commander, seven knights and their servants lived in the castle. Each knight had its own horse. Back then, a rooster woke up the inhabitants of the castle in the morning. It was forbidden for women to enter the castle. On the second floor of the castle were the chamber of commander, bedrooms, dining hall and a church. ūkiem bija jālūdzas7 reizes dienā , tādēļ cietokšņa mūros tika uzcelta arī baznīca. Pagāja 200 gadi un pils bija uzcelta. Pilī dzīvoja pils valdnieks - komturs, 7 bruņinieki, un viņu palīgi. Katram bruņiniekam bija savs zirgs. Tajā laikā pils iemītniekus modināja gailis. Sievietēm bija aizliegts ienākt pilī. Pils otrajā stāvā atradās komtura istaba, dzīvojamās istabas, ēdamzāle un baznīca.

o survive and feed all the inhabitants of the castle, chickens, ducks, pigs and goats were kept in the castle. So it happened, that one day a sow had many piglets but one of them was black. Everyone believed it was an unseen wonder, so the piglet was very loved by everyone. ai varētu izdzīvot un pabarot pils iemītniekus, pilī turēja vistas, pīles, cūkas un kazas. Un gadījās, ka kādu dienu vienai sivēnmātei piedzima daudz sivēnu, bet viens no viņiem bija melns. Visiem likās tāds neredzēts brīnums, un melno sivēnu visi ļoti iemīlēja.

e was allowed to do more than his brothers and sisters. Black Piglet was allowed to run through the whole castle which was very fun and brought him a lot of surprises. iņam tika atļauts vairāk nekā viņa brāļiem un māsām. Melnais sivēns drīkstēja skraidīt gandrīz pa visu pili, kas arī viņam sagādāja daudz pārsteigumus. Melnais sivēns drīkstēja ielūkoties gan pavarda telpā, gan istabās. 24

verything seemed very interesting to him – the boilers and also the view of knights taking off and putting on their armour because it was not at all easy. Under the armour were a special gown and a second layer made of chains for protection. As he ran through the castle, he watched how the Knights' weapon carriers were working. Each of the knights had one helper who carried his weapons. Black piglet was a very curious piglet. Everything seemed interesting to him. He could not understand why the knights were putting pots on their heads. Black piglet saw also the luxurious swords that belonged to his knight friends. One sword was very expensive, it cost seven cows, but it was very necessary. ss viņam šķita saistošs gan pavarda katli, gan tas, ka katru dienu varēja vērot bruņiniekus un to, kā tiem palīgi palīdzēja vilkt bruņas, jo tas nemaz nebija vienkārši. Zem bruņām bija jāvelk speciāls tērps un vēl otrs tērps, kas bija ar ķēdēm klāts aizsargtērps. Skraidot pa pili, viņš vēroja kā rosījās bruņinieku ieroču nesēji. Katram bruņiniekam bija savs ieroču nesējs. Melnais sivēns bija ziņkārīgs sivēns. Viss viņu interesēja. Viņš nevarēja saprast, kāpēc viņa draugi velk galvā „katlus”? Melnais sivēns redzēja arī dārgos zobenus, kuri piederēja viņa draugiem bruņiniekiem kā jau īstiem bruņiniekiem. Viens zobens maksāja ļoti dārgi, tikpat cik septiņas govis, bet tas bija nepieciešams. 25

here was only one place that was forbidden to black piglet and it was the church. Every day the commander called the monks-knights together to pray. Piglet had to wait outside because he did not know the prayers. So Black piglet got bored and mad. ija tikai viena vieta, kur sivēnam bija aizliegts iet, un tā bija baznīca. Katru dienu, komturs sauca visus mūkus- bruņiniekus kopā uz lūgšanām. Sivēnam bija jāgaida, jo viņš nemācēja lūgšanas. Viņam kļuva garlaicīgi. Melnais sivēns sadusmojās.

e was intrigued to see what is happening outside of the walls of the castle. He sneaked out through the gate of the castle. Blach piglet was surprised to see that there is so much interesting and new on the other side of the castle walls. ivēnam šķita vilinoši paskatīties, kas gan notiek ārpus pils sienām. Viņš izmuka pa pils vārtiem. Melnais sivēns bija pārsteigts ieraugot, ka aiz pils mūriem ir tik daudz jauna un interesanta. 27

e saw that during these years a town had developed outside of the castle named Vindava (now Ventspils). There are celebration and music playing. ņš ieraudzīja, ka pa šiem gadiem ir izveidojusies pilsēta Vindava (tagad Ventspils), šeit skan mūzika, notiek svētki.

e met the local people.

ņš iepazinās ar cilvēkiem.

nd so every day, when the monks were praying, he went to the town. ā katru dienu, kamēr mūki bija lūgšanās, sivēns devās uz pilsētu.

ne day an accident happened. The town was attacked by intruders. Black piglet got scared and run back to the castle where his mother, brothers and sisters and knights were because he thought it will be a safe shelter. However, the second floor of the castle was caught on fire and collapsed over the inhabitants of the castle due to the attack.

ādu dienu notika nelaime. Pilsētai uzbruka ienaidnieki. Melnais sivēns nobijies skrēja atpakaļ uz pili, kur bija viņa māmiņa, brāļi un māsas, un bruņinieki, jo domāja, ka tur būs drošs patvērums. Taču uzbrukumā pils otrais stāvs bija aizdedzies un sabrucis pār pils iemītniekiem.

nd so the family of Black piglet passed, but he himself became the ghost of the castle. He is still running around the castle and he is very happy because he thinks that the castle is his safe place. ā Melnā sivēna ģimene nokļuva mūžībā, bet pats Melnais sivēns kļuva par pils spociņu. Viņš vēl tagad skraida pa pili un jūtas laimīgs, jo uzskata pili par savu drošo vietu.

hips are still entering the port and the castle has been restored since the accident. Giangirolamo thanked Zeltīte for the beautiful adventure. All sincerely say goodbye. Count of the Italia went to Greece.

stā joprojām ienāk kuģi un pils ir atjaunota. Giangirolamo pateicās Zeltītei par skaisto piedzīvojumu. Visi sirsnīgi atvadījās. Itālijas grāfs devās tālāk uz Grieķiju. 31

Latvian legend in Russian Легенда замка Ливонского ордена г. Вентспилс «Легенда о черном поросёнке» В каждом замке живёт своё привидение. Есть оно и в замке Ливонского ордена в городе Вентспилсе. Было это давным–давно. Тогда Балтийское море называлось Варяжским, а река Вента – Виндава. На месте, где Виндава впадала в море, жил древний народ – курши. Хорошо жили курши на своей земле! Однажды сюда пришли рыцари-монахи. И так им понравились здешние места, что решили они на этой земле построить свой замок. Сначала рыцари построили башню, с которой было видно далеко вокруг. Затем стали закладывать крепостные стены. Они будут защищать от врагов. А так как рыцари были монахами, то им необходимо было молиться. Для этого, как известно, нужна церковь. И её построили. 200 лет трудились рыцари-монахи. И построили крепкий замок. В замке жил комтур и 7 рыцарей-монахов со своими помощниками. Они жили все вместе, спали на твёрдых ложах и ели скудную пищу. Рыцарям запрещалось выходить за ворота замка без разрешения, получать и писать письма. Каждое утро начиналось с Литургии, ведь они были монахами. А всего богослужений в течение дня было 7. У рыцарей было и своё хозяйство. Вместе с домашней птицей на дворе жила свинья, у которой родились поросята. Один из них был совершенно черный. Вот его-то и полюбили суровые рыцари. Многое позволяли они своему любимцу: бегать по всему двору, заглядывать во все уголки замка. Одного не разрешалось чёрному поросёнку – заходить в церковь. Поэтому несколько раз в день, пока шла служба, он скучал. Но любопытство взяло верх, и маленький поросёнок в один день выбежал за ворота замка. Ах, сколько всего необычного и интересного было в новом мире, который назывался - город! Люди в незнакомой одежде, множество странных предметов, даже весёлые праздники! С тех пор, как только обитатели замка отправлялись на молитву, чёрный поросёнок убегал в город. Но однажды, во время очередной прогулки по Городу, поросёнок увидел незнакомых людей. Они показались ему не похожими на обычных дружелюбных горожан. У незнакомцев было оружие (похожее он видел в замке). И вели они себя не как простые жители. Они скакали на своих конях по улицам города и распугивали людей. Некоторых убивали. Поджигали дома. Куда же бежать? Где искать укрытия? Домой, в замок! Чёрный поросёнок со всего духу помчался в обратный путь. Но что такое? Ворота открыты, рыцарей нет, а внутри бушует пожар! Обежав весь двор, поросёнок не нашел ни одной живой души. Да и сам не смог уйти от опасности. Так он и остался в замке, только уже не любимцем рыцарей, а добрым хранителем – привидением замка Ливонского ордена. Сотрудники музея утверждают, что поздно ночью иногда можно увидеть тень и услышать стук маленьких копыт чёрного поросёнка в замке. Хотите – верьте, хотите – нет, но и отрицать этого мы тоже не можем, пока сами не убедимся.

he Count Giangirolamo left Ventspils and on a coach, -gift of the beautiful princess Zeltite-, drawn by four white horses, headed for Greece. The trip was long and tiring. He went past unknown countries and high mountains. Finally he reached his destination and there he was welcomed by a young witch named Broomless. Giangirolamo, stunned by her beauty, decided to call her Aphrodite, after the ancient Greek goddess of beauty! Aphrodite welcomed him in Chalkidiki, the homeland of the Giants, her own homeland. Ο Κόντε Giangirolamo άφησε πίσω του την πόλη Ventspils και με μια άμαξα που την έσερναν τέσσερα λευκά άλογα, δώρο της όμορφης πριγκίπισσας, Zeltite, ξεκίνησε για την Ελλάδα. Το ταξίδι ήταν

μακρύ και κουραστικό. Πέρασε από χώρες άγνωστες και ψηλά

βουνά.Έφτασε τελικά στον προορισμό του κι εκεί τον υποδέχτηκε η νεαρή μάγισσα Broomless. O Giangirolamo θαμπώθηκε απ’ την ομορφιά της κι αποφάσισε να την αποκαλεί Αφροδίτη, όπως την αρχαία θεά της ομορφιάς! Τον καλωσόρισε στην χώρα των γιγάντων, τη Χαλκιδική, τη πατρίδα της μάγισσας.

halkidiki is known as the battlefield of the legendary battle between the Giants and the Gods, -the Gigantomachy. Here Enceladus, the son of Gaia, was born. Later the Greek goddess Athena killed him and buried him under Etna’s volcano, in Sicily. Here also, Alcyoneus, the older among the giants whose seven daughters, -the Alcyonides-, were transformed into birds, was killed by Hercules who was hidden in Petralona’s cave. Η Χαλκιδική είναι γνωστή για την περίφημη μάχη ανάμεσα στους Θεούς και τους γίγαντες. Εδώ γεννήθηκε ο Εγκέλαδος, ο γιος της Γαίας, που αργότερα σκότωσε η Θεά Αθηνά, και τον έθαψε στη Σικελία, κάτω από την Αίτνα. Τον γηραιότερο όμως γίγαντα, Αλκυονεύς, του οποίου οι επτά κόρες μεταμορφώθηκαν σε πουλιά, τις Αλκυονίδες, σκότωσε ο Ηρακλής που ήταν κρυμμένος στο σπήλαιο των Πετραλώνων.

In this same cave, full of stalag-

mites and stalactites, found by accident in recent years by a hunter, lived almost 800,000 years ago the first man in Europe, the Homo Neanderthal. Σ’ αυτό λοιπόν το σπήλαιο, που είναι γεμάτο σταλακτίτες και σταλαγμίτες, και ανακάλυψε κατά λάθος ένας κυνηγός, έζησε πριν από περίπου οχτακόσιες χιλιάδες χρόνια, ο πρώτος άνθρωπος της Ευρώπης, ο Homo Neanderthal.

nchanted by her fascinating stories, Giangirolamo followed the witch. They took a stone pathway decorated on both sides with wild peanut trees and found themselves in front of the huge walls of Callipolis. Callipolis was first mentioned in the Athenian League’s tax records dating from 434 to 426 BC and continued its existence throughout the byzantine era. Μαγεμένος ο Giangirolamo, από τις όμορφες ιστορίες που άκουγε, ακολούθησε την μάγισσα. Πήραν ένα πέτρινο μονοπάτι που αριστερά και δεξιά στεφανώνονταν με άγριες φυστικές, και βρέθηκαν μπροστά στα πελώρια τείχη της Καλλίπολης. Μιας πόλης που αναφέρεται για πρώτη φορά στους φορολογικούς καταλόγους της Αθηναϊκής Συμμαχίας των ετών 434 – 426 π.Χ. Η ζωή στην πόλη συνεχίστηκε και κατά την βυζαντινή περίοδο.

he witch took Giangirolamo by the hand and guided him to a secret pathway that only she and the residents of the ancient city knew about. Every time they were in danger, they followed this path and managed to escape without being noticed. This pathway led them to the entrance of a cave hidden by rose trees and blackberry bushes. Leaving the cave behind, they went past the river Chavrias, named after a brave general of ancient times and after walking for hours they finally heard the sound of sea waves. Η μάγισσα πήρε από το χέρι τον Giangirolamo και τον οδήγησε σε ένα μυστικό μονοπάτι που μόνο αυτή και οι κάτοικοι της αρχαίας πόλης γνώριζαν. Κάθε φορά που κινδύνευαν το ακολουθούσαν και κατάφερναν να διαφύγουν χωρίς να τους αντιληφτεί κανείς. Το μονοπάτι αυτό τους οδήγησε στην είσοδο μιας σπηλιάς που την έκρυβαν άγριες τριανταφυλλιές και βατομουριές. Περπάτησαν αρκετή ώρα, πέρασαν κάτω από τον ποταμό Χαβρία, που πήρε το όνομά του από έναν γενναίο στρατηγό της αρχαιότητας, ώσπου στο τέλος άκουσαν τον ήχο των κυμάτων της θάλασσας.

t last they set foot on the holy land of ancient Sermyli. Back in the 13th century BC, Greeks from Chalkida came to the region and built a colony named “Sermyli” which in the Thracian Greek dialect means “lots of water”. “Once there was a queen named Sermyli weaving all day long on her golden loom and singing, waiting for the prince of her dreams”, said the witch and her cheeks reddened. Sermili was one of the greatest city-states in the region. Independent in action, Sermili was a maritime power, had its own currency and was known for its regal horses. In 348 BC the city-state met the rage for vengeance of King Philip II of Macedon which put an end to its civil life and political existence. The city-state became “royal land” and most of its inhabitants became slaves-farmers of the “royal lands” and the large estates of the Macedonian nobles. The rest who managed to save themselves withdrew to inland areas. Centuries later, in 1345 AD, in order to avoid the pirate raids the people of Sermili were forced once more to leave their homeland, move to inland areas and build a new settlement called Ormylia. Επιτέλους πατούσαν στα ιερά χώματα της αρχαίας Σερμύλης. Τον 13ο αι. π.Χ. Έλληνες από τη Χαλκίδα ήλθαν στην περιοχή κι έχτισαν αποικία η οποία διατήρησε το όνομα «Σερμύλη» που στα θρακικά θα πει «πολλά νερά». -Υπήρξε και βασίλισσα με το όνομα Σερμύλη, είπε η μάγισσα, η οποία όλη μέρα ύφαινε στον χρυσό αργαλειό της και τραγουδούσε περιμένοντας τον πρίγκιπα των ονείρων της και τα μάγουλά της κοκκίνισαν… Ήταν μια από τις αξιολογότερες πόλεις – κράτη της περιοχής, με ανεξαρτησία δράσης, ναυτική δύναμη, δικό της νόμισμα και φημισμένη επίσης για τα περήφανα άλογά της. Το 348 π.Χ. γνώρισε την εκδικητική μανία του Βασιλιά της Μακεδονίας Φιλίππου του Β’ κι έτσι δόθηκε τέλος στην πολιτειακή της ζωή και την πολιτική της υπόσταση. Η πόλη μετατράπηκε σε «βασιλική γη” και οι περισσότεροι κάτοικοί της μετατράπηκαν σε δούλους – καλλιεργητές των «βασιλικών γαιών» και των μεγαλοκτημάτων των Μακεδόνων ευγενών. Όσοι κατάφεραν να σωθούν αποτραβήχτηκαν στο εσωτερικό. Το 1345 μ.Χ. για να γλυτώσουν από τις επιδρομές των κουρσάρων πειρατών αναγκάστηκαν για μια ακόμα φορά να εγκαταλείψουν τα σπίτια, να μετακινηθούν στην ενδοχώρα και να χτίσουν έναν νέο οικισμό που αργότερα ονομάστηκε Ορμύλια.

n conti nu i n g t h e i r exploration, they got on the coach and the witch, as a new queen Sermyli, together with Giangirolamo crossed the olive-green valley towards to Ormylia.

Ανέβηκαν στην άμαξα, και η μάγισσα, σαν μια νέα βασίλισσα Σερμύλη, μαζί με τον Κόντε διέσχισαν τον καταπράσινο κάμπο προς την Ορμύλια. On a hill, not far from the sea, they saw the mighty stoned windmill built in the 19th century AD by the monks of the Docheiariou monastery of the Holy Mount Athos. Σε μικρή απόσταση από τη θάλασσα, πάνω σε έναν λόφο, διέκριναν τον αγέρωχο, πέτρινο ανεμόμυλο που χτίστηκε το 19ο αι. από μοναχούς της μονής Δοχειαρίου του Αγίου Όρους. It was a magnificent day! The sun was shining! They got off the coach and continued on foot. They strolled through the beautiful alleys of Ormylia, entered the only grocery shop of the area, founded in the early 20th century and admired the Goutzamani’s old mansion with the partly ruined, stone built silkworm workshop. General William Leake, who travelled in the region in 1806, mentions the existence of 200-300 silk looms. 38

They

went past the Holy Church of Saint Georgios with the impressive 17-metre -high clock tower built in 1818. A bit farther towards the end of the cobblestone road, they saw the Town Hall. It was built in 1909 by the architect Xenophon Paionides and served for more than 80 years as a Primary School. Its construction permit was signed by the Sultan Abdul Hamid II, the last sultan of

Thessaloniki.

Η ημέρα ήταν υπέροχη! Ο ήλιος έλαμπε! Κατέβηκαν απ’ την άμαξα και συνέχισαν με τα πόδια. Περπάτησαν στα όμορφα σοκάκια του χωριού, μπήκαν στο μοναδικό μπακάλικο, που ιδρύθηκε στις αρχές του 20 ου αι. και θαύμασαν το αρχοντικό του Γκουτζαμάνη με το μισογκρεμισμένο, πετρόχτιστο εργαστήριο μεταξιού. Ο συνταγματάρχης William Leake, που πέρασε από την περιοχή το 1806, αναφέρει την ύπαρξη 200-300 αργαλειών για μετάξι. Πέρασαν μπροστά από τον Ιερό Ναό του Αγίου Γεωργίου με το επιβλητικό καμπαναριό των 17 μέτρων, κτισμένο το 1818. Λίγο πιο πάνω, στο τέλος του πλακόστρωτου δρόμου, είδαν το Δημαρχείο. Χτίστηκε το 1909 από τον αρχιτέκτονα Ξενοφών Παιονίδη και λειτούργησε για περισσότερα από 80 χρόνια σαν Δημοτικό Σχολείο. Την άδεια κατασκευής του, υπέγραψε ο Αμπντούλ Χαμίτ, ο τελευταίος πασάς της Θεσσαλονίκης. Their last stop was the pine covered top of Ormylia’s mountain. They sat on a rock and the witch showed Giangirolamo the snowy mount Olympus, the highest mountain in Greece and the residence of the 12 Ancient Greek gods according to the Greek mythology. Τελευταία στάση η πευκόφυτη κορφή του βουνού. Κάθισαν πάνω σε έναν βράχο κι η μάγισσα έδειξε στον Giangirolamo τον χιονισμένο Όλυμπο, το ψηλότερο βουνό της Ελλάδας, αλλά και κατοικία των 12 θεών σύμφωνα με την Ελληνική Μυθολογία.

Chalkidiki, Athos.

From the top, they also saw covered with snow the third peninsula of the peninsula of Χιονισμένη όμως είναι και η τρίτη χερσόνησος, του Άθω.

ccording to the myth, during the Gigantomachy, the giant Athos barricaded himself in the peninsula named after him and made it his base in his battle against the Gods. Athos was defending himself there when Poseidon threw a huge rock against him which he had previously cut off from the Canastrean cape of the peninsula of Pallene and buried him under. Since then, the mountain bears its name, Athos. In 906 AD the byzantine Emperor Nikephorus II Phocas founded the first monastery in the peninsula. Soon the number of monasteries reached 58, thus creating a whole castletown. In 1046 AD the ban on entry for women, called “avaton” in Greek, was proclaimed. Σύμφωνα με το μύθο, κατά την διάρκεια της Γιγαντομαχίας, ο Άθως οχυρώθηκε στην ομώνυμη χερσόνησο και την έκανε ορμητήριό του στη μάχη κατά των Θεών. Ο Άθως αμυνόταν εκεί όταν ο Ποσειδώνας έριξε εναντίον του ένα όρος που προηγουμένως απέκοψε από την Καναστραία άκρα της Παλλήνης και τον καταπλάκωσε. Από τότε το όρος φέρει το όνομα του. Το 960 μ.Χ. ο βυζαντινός Αυτοκράτορας Νικηφόρος Φωκάς ίδρυσε το πρώτο μοναστήρι στη χερσόνησο. Σιγά- σιγά ο αριθμός των μοναστηριών θα φτάσει τα 58 δημιουργώντας έτσι μια ολόκληρη καστροπολιτεία. Το 1046 μ.Χ. θα ισχύσει το «Άβατο» θα απαγορευτεί δηλαδή η είσοδος των γυναικών στο Άγιον Όρος. It was getting dark. From the top of the mountain, the witch and the Count could see the well-lit peninsula of Kassandra, known in ancient years as Phlerga. According to the Greek mythology, during the third theogony, Kassandra was home to the Giants who had the privilege to be immortal. Είχε πλέον βραδιάσει. Η μάγισσα και ο κόντες έβλεπαν τώρα φωτισμένη την Κασσάνδρα, γνωστή από την αρχαιότητα ως Φλέγρα. Σύμφωνα με τη μυθολογία, κατά την τρίτη θεογονία, ήταν η γενέτειρα των Γιγάντων που είχαν το προνόμιο να μένουν άτρωτοι. Meanwhile up in the sky the planet Aphrodite appeared along with the Pleiades, named after Pleioni, one of the Oceanid nymphs, who according to the Greek mythology bore on her shoulders the Celestial dome, and they are the brightest stars visible from Earth. Εν τω μεταξύ στον ουρανό εμφανίστηκε ο πλανήτης Αφροδίτη μαζί με τις Πλειάδες, που το όνομά τους προέρχεται από την Πλειόνη, μια από τις Ωκεανίδες νύμφες, που κατά την ελληνική μυθολογία έφερε στους ώμους του τον Ουράνιο θόλο και εκπέμπουν το δυνατότερο ορατό από τη γη φως.

It was breaking dawn. The witch Broomless waved goodbye to the Count. Giangirolamo stepped onto the boat, waved back and said, “ci vediamo Aphrodite”. And he took the road back home. Άρχισε σιγάσιγά να ξημερώνει. Η μάγισσα Broomless αποχαιρέτησε τον Κόντε. Ο Giangirolamo ανέβηκε στo καράβι, σήκωσε το χέρι του και φώναξε: «ci vediamo Afrodite» και πήρε το δρόμο της επιστροφής…

Suddenly, in the blue sky, shining little stars appear. The Count retreated out of his luggage of the stones he had taken from every visited castle, looked at them and happily said:

Questo libro è stato realizzato nell’ambito del Progetto Europeo Erasmus+ KA 2 “CASTLES” nel biennio 2017-2019 nella Scuola dell’Infanzia del I Circolo Didattico “G.Falcone” di Conversano grazie all’impegno della Dirigente Scolastica Prof.ssa Anna Maria De Donato, della Coordinatrice di Progetto Ins. Donata Altini, delle Docenti del Team Pedagogico Emma Giannuzzi, Francesca Forleo, Lucia Citarella, Vita Cupertino, Stefania Caramia, Micaela Fantasia, Anastasia Schettini, delle Insegnanti e degli Alunni dei Plessi “A. Seveso”, “Via Giotto” e “Via De Amicis”, di tutto il Personale Scolastico.

Si ringraziano : il Comune di Conversano per il Patrocinio Gratuito