Monday 7th October 2019
Students on the Erasmus+ exchange began their week at Martin Luther King Middle School in Casoria, Naples attending a wonderful opening ceremony and festival concert given by the concert band of the southern division of the Italian Carabinieri (national police force). In his speech the Mayor of Casoria welcomed all of the visitors from across Europe and spoke of the dream of Martin Luther King for mutual harmony, respect and friendship of all peoples.
During the concert the band played a number of famous Neapolitan songs including Tu Vuò Fà L'Americano which the Italian students sang along with gusto.
All of the visiting students- from Finland, Romania, Spain, France and England were then treated to workshops focusing on aspects of Neapolitan culture including one on the commedia d’arte character Pulcinella.
After an enormous lunch cooked by the parents of the school, students headed out into the rain to tour the town of Casoria on foot and to see the house of Saint Ludovico of Casoria. A recent saint, Ludovico was a Franciscan priest and social reformer of the 19th century. He was canonised by Pope Francis in St Peter’s Rome in 2016.