domenica 8 maggio 2016

A DIDACTIC ACTIVITY: SANTA NINFA CAVE NATURE RESERVE

On 4th of April 2016 some  students from our school were involved in a very interesting activity at Santa Ninfa Cave Nature Reserve. Here is the result of their research...

 
 
 





martedì 3 maggio 2016

HOW TO DESIGN SMART BUSINESS EXPERIMENTS.....

Here are some business experiments by our students who are not specialized in business and economics...






giovedì 24 marzo 2016

CASTELVETRANO BLACK BREAD


An ancient and precious bread with unique characteristics that derive from recipes that get lost in time....











POLLUTION & SOLUTIONS





The pollution of the planet is only an outward reflection of an inner psychic pollution: millions of unconsious individuals not taking responsibility for their inner space. We as humans are literally going to eliminate our own species by pollution, like we have done with hundreds of animals worldwide. We are choosing not to save our world. The situation will not  improve unless we all do something positive to help. Change begins from small gestures. Here are four ways to save our earth. We can do all of them!



mercoledì 23 marzo 2016

POSTERS

Have a look at some posters created by our students!
 CLAUDIA CAIME

 DORIS DI NATALE

  GAIA BONO


 LUNA GABRIELE

 SERENA PRINZIVALLI

lunedì 21 marzo 2016

ARAB-NORMAN STYLE




The Arab-Norman style is incomparable and exclusive of Palermo, Cefalù and Monreale and is characterized by the union of two opposite worlds: the Arab - Muslim and Norman – and the Catholic. The Arab rule (from 827 to the end of the eleventh century) made the city one of the richest and most important of the time: wonderful palaces, mosques, minarets, gardens and fountains were erected. On July 3rd, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Bonn declared the Arab Norman itinerary a "World Heritage Site", then it was inserted into the World Heritage List. This itinerary is composed of 9 monuments: the Royal Palace with the Palatine Chapel, the Church of San Giovanni degli Eremiti and the Church of Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio (known as the Church of the Martorana), the Church of San Cataldo, Palermo   Cathedral, Zisa Palace and the Admiral bridge. 



Royal Palace: it was built in the 10thcentury by the Norman kings who chose it as house, but also as a residence of exceptional luxury and sophistication. 


Palatine Chapel: it is located on the first floor of the Norman Palace and it was built during Roger's reign, as a chapel of the Royal Palace. In 1132 it became a parish and it is dedicated to SS. Peter and Paul, in fact, the right hand aisle is decorated with scenes from the life of St. Paul and the left one with episodes from the life of St. Peter. In it we can see the aspiration of Norman kings to restore the Christian cultural world, combining it with the Muslim world, present in the magnificent decorations. 



Cathedral: It is considered the "history book of Palermo", because all the cultures that came one after the other over the centuries left their impressions. The cathedral dates back to 1184. 



Church of San Giovanni degli Eremiti: it is one of the most famous medieval buildings in Palermo and one of the symbolic monuments of the city. It was built during the Norman period, between 1130 and 1148, during the rule of Roger II and it was restored in 1882 by Giuseppe Patricolo. 



Church of Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio (Martorana): The Church of Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio was built in 1143. In the fifteenth century was granted to the convent of Benedictine nuns, founded in 1194 by Eloisa Martorana; since then the church was called "Martorana". 


Church of San Cataldo: It was built in 1154 during the reign of William I by order of Majone from Bari. It is the most distinctive example of the Arabic architectural culture of the Norman sovereigns with their typical surrounding red domes that characterize it.



 Zisa Palace: The palace, that was built in 1167 (more or less), was the favourite summer residence of  the kings and their court. Its name comes from the Arabic "beautiful”. 


Admiral Bridge: It was built during the XVIIth century by Giorgio D’Antiochia, king Ruggero’s admiral. The building consists of two flights of stairs that lay on four smaller flat arches. At this bridge, on May 27, 1860, at night  Garibaldi’s troops prevented Bourbon troops from invading the city.





domenica 20 marzo 2016

LOGO CONTEST



Here are some of the best logos our students created a few weeks ago  for the international logo contest that will take place from March 17th to April 15th. The winning logo will identify our project , Natural Spaces, by underlining its importance and main themes.
If you want to vote, this is the link: http://2epal-evosmou.gr/


                                             




 
 THE WINNING ITALIAN LOGO




Greek logo.

Spanish logo 


Let the best win!

venerdì 18 marzo 2016

NOCELLARA DEL BELICE OLIVES

Nocellara del Belice olives, which are collected by the end of September, are an Italian fruit and vegetable product. The Belice Valley oil is an extra virgin olive oil with a protected designation of origin (PDO). The olive produces an oil with a pleasant scent and a particularly intense and full-bodied taste. 

The traditional cultivation of the vine allows the production of excellent wines, both red and white, which are more and more known and appreciated around the world. In Sicily wine is made from the time of the Phoenicians and today Sicily is the Italian region with the greatest extension of vineyards in Italy. Most of the vineyards are in the province of Trapani. The first protagonist is the ‘’Nero d’Avola’’ wine. 

The pecorino is produced exclusively with raw whole sheep’s milk to which is added the rennet in a wooden vat. The production of sheep’s milk is typically Sicilian. It guarantees a finished product that is unique and excellent. With sheep’s milk ,after much work, you can also produce the sheep mozzarella, made only in Sicily. There are so many Sicilian cheeses , just like the ‘’pecorino DOP’’, worked with traditional methods. 


 Among the flowering species the first to color the landscape are the white clouds of almond trees and fragrant orange blossoms. These are some wild flowers that can be found in Sicily.
 

CANTINE SETTESOLI




The cooperative of Cantine Settesoli was founded in 1958 with 88 associate members and 256 ha of vineyards. Today, in 2016, it includes 2000 associate members and 6000 ha of vineyards. Cantine Settesoli is the biggest vineyard in Europe. There are two factories: one in Santa Margherita Belice and the other in Montevago. Grapes were harvested for the first time in 1965. The most important factory is located in Menfi because there is also a section for bottling. Associate members enter through this gate: *foto cancello entrata* The grape harvest starts on the first days of August. There are 28 grapes varieties (the widest choice in Sicily) such as Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay and Sauvignon blanc. Associate members enter their tractors and put a tank on a weigh station in order to get gross weight. Later on , one of the selectors picks the grapes up and analyzes their plant health for the first time. Then ,through a mechanical arm, a few samples are analyzed separately. PH, acidity and sugary degree are measured since they are very important elements for the selection of the wine of the highest quality.

INTERVIEW

1. Can you explain what are the environmentally-friendly projects that Cantine Settesoli realizes to respect the environment and our territory?
Environmentally-friendly means that Cantine Settesoli operate with social responsibility and particular attention to sustainability in order to increase the economic and cultural development, respecting the territory and the local community. We use water responsibly, minimizing treatments in the vineyards. We recycle 100% of our waste material, we avoid the use of non-wood fibre for all our packaging, and we use lighter botlles to minimize the Co2 emission. Another important aspect is the solar energy production, we have 1500 panels with 250 kWp energy performance and an estimated annual production of 370.000 Kwh.

 

2. What is the phrase "little winemakers of a big vineyard" that we find on the emblem referred to?
Cantine Settesoli is a cooperation of 2000 winegrowers with 6000 ha of vineyards concentrated in the same area, about 15 km. Our winegrowers are the owner of small vineyards that all toghether create the largest vineyard in Europe, that’s why “little winegrowers of a large vineyard”.


3. Why has Cantine Settesoli succeded in selling around the world?
Settesoli exports in more than 30 countries abroad thanks to a good work team that makes it possible and thanks to the quality of our wines which represents a new and different Sicily of wines. WE COMMERCIALIZE WORLDWIDE QUALITY WINES THAT DIVERSIFY THE MARKET AND HAVE DIFFERENT RANGES OF PRICE AND USE, CHARACTERIZED BY AN EXCELLENT QUALITY/PRICE RATIO.

4. What are the standards used for obtaining high quality wines?
Our vineyards are closely monitored by agronomists who select the finest grapes and keep every step of the process under control. Thanks to modern technology, we can determine the best time for harvesting. The grapes are harvested by hand and taken to the factory. Here every load is tested by one of the partners, to select the best bunches and to check the quality of the grapes. It is only then that the delicate process of winemaking starts, with the Settesoli winemakers carefully supervising every phase. Using advanced technologies and a refrigeration system, we go through the stages of destemming, crushing, fermentation and classification of each individual lot in order to create specific blends according to quality standards and organoleptic properties.
The goal of our company is to have quality in quantity, and to maintain this quality unchanged over time.

 
http://www.cantinesettesoli.it/ 

giovedì 17 marzo 2016

OLIVE OIL PRODUCTION



Sicily is the largest island in Italy. It is  rich in natural resources, highly developed breeding and agriculture. Here olive cultivations  predominate. Olive oil extraction is the process of extracting the oil present in olive drupes. It takes place in two basic stages: the grinding of the pulp and separation from other solid and liquid components. Olives are separated from branches and leaves. Olives are cleaned. The oil is put inside the bottles. The “nocciolino” virgin olive oil is obtained thanks to specific machines (Known as “separators”) exploiting  the centrifugal force. The “nocciolino” is an eco-friendly product. Olive oil is primarily used in cooking to flavor salad, to flavor various foods, store vegetables in jars. Owing to its antioxidants and general properties it can fight cholesterol. Olive oil is one of the main components of the Mediterranean diet, replacing food containing saturated animal fats. This oil is also used in cosmetics and for the production of soap. In the past it  was used as a drug and as fuel for oil lamps.





lunedì 14 marzo 2016

THE NATURE RESERVE TRAPANI AND PACECO SALTMARSHES"



The nature reserve “ Saline di Trapani e Paceco” is a regional nature reserve in Sicily. It was established in 1995 and  covers nearly 1000 hectares in the municipalities of the province of Trapani. The reserve, in which you can exercise the ancient salt mining activities, is an important wetland that offers shelter to many species of migratory birds. It is run by WWF Italy. Of Phoenician origin, the Arab geographer al-Idrisi documents the presence of the salt mines already in the period of Norman rule in Sicily. Under the reign of Frederick of Swabia, the state monopoly on salt production was established. It continued even during the Angevin rule. Later on, the Aragonese sanctioned the return of private property, but it was under the Spanish crown that the salt production reached its peak, transforming the port of Trapani in the most important European trade centre of the precious element. The salt pans of Trapani  came to the “Stagnone”, the largest lagoon in Italy, a few miles north of Marsala.  Since 1861 ,with the unification of Italy, these salt pans were not nationalized, and were the only ones to pass the salt monopoly by the state, by exporting in several countries. After World War II, with the competition of Cagliari industrialized saline, the decay of the Trapani salt pans began. It was  accentuated by the outbreak of the Second World war and from foreign competition with rock salt. Many of the salt mines were gradually decommissioned or abandoned. Today you can only see some of the characteristic  windmills once used for a dual function: either for the grinding of the salt or  for the pumping of salt water from one tank to another. But after the establishment of the Reserve and its reliance on management to WWF Italy, there has been a new boost production and processing of salt by the SOSALT, which is the main producer, with the approval of restoration and recovery of abandoned facilities. Trapani sea salt is now added to the list of traditional Sicilian food products recognized by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, which in April 2011 also recognized the IGP with the name "Sea Salt of Trapani". In 2011, salt pans of Trapani were recognized as Ramsar wetland, by the Ministry of the Environment.

Territory

The reserve covers  almost a thousand hectares, divided into zone A and zone B (Reserve and  Pre-Reserve), between the towns of Trapani and Paceco.  Much of the reserve consists of privately owned salt pans, where it is still practiced salt extraction using traditional techniques in use for centuries. Beyond this ethno-anthropological value, the site is characterized by being one of the most important coastal wetlands in western Sicily, staging environment for many species of migratory birds.

Flora


Salt mines are home to numerous herbaceous or shrubby species that have adapted to the extreme environmental conditions this area presents.  There are several species of Chenopodiaceae of Salicornia genres, Arthrocnemum, Halopeplis, Halocnemum, Suaeda, Salsola, Atriplex and Beta; special mention should be made of  Salicornia strobilacea (Halocnemum strobilaceum), suffruticosa species described in a few other stations in Sicily and Sardinia, and Salicornia amplessicaule (Halopeplis amplexicaulis). Among the other significant species are to be reported: the maritime field marigold (Calendula maritima), a rare endemic species whose range is restricted to the coastal area between the Lagoon of Marsala and Mount Hood; marine enula (golden samphire); the so-called mushroom of Malta (Cynomorium coccineum), a parasitic plant present in Italy, not only in this area, in narrow coastal areas of Sardinia and Basilicata. Others worthy of mention are the endemic species of sea lavenders: Myriolepis ferulacea, Balearic Euphorbia, Euphorbia pithyusa (subsp. Cupanii); various species of Limonium (L. densiflorum, L. lojaconoi,), the cressa (Cressa cretica ), the panocchina of saline (Aeluropus lagopoides), from the Chiozzi spiral grass (Ruppia cirrhosa) and bushy limoniastro (Limoniastrum monopetalum).

Fauna
  

The area of the reserve is of particular ornithological interest as it is a rest stop on the migration route to Africa. Considering both nesting species and wintering ones, 208 different species of birds have been counted like the avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta), chosen as the symbol of the Reserve, the flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus), spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia), white heron (Ardea alba), little egret (Egretta garzetta), the bittern (Botaurus stellaris), the rosy gull (Chroicocephalus genei), kingfisher (Alcedo atthis), the marsh harrier (Circus aeruginosus), the knight of Italy (Himantopus himantopus), the little tern (Sternula albifrons), the Kentish plover (Charadrius alexandrinus), the lark (toed lark) and various species of anatidi.
The insect fauna includes rare insect species such as Cephalota circumdata imperialis, Cephalota litorea goudoti, Pterolepis elymica, Teia dubia arcerii.
Finally, the small crustacean Artemia salina has been and is still the subject of great interest.






sabato 12 marzo 2016

THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARK OF SELINUNTE



Selinunte was one of the most important of the Greek colonies in Sicily, situated on the southwest coast of the island. It was founded by a colony from the Sicilian city of Megara Hyblea. The date of its foundation can be placed around 628 B.C. The colony  came into contact with the Phoenicians and the native Sicilians. Selinunte  achieved great power and prosperity but there is very little evidence of its history. By the first Punic war the city was under Carthaginian control, but before the end  of the war, the Carthaginians removed all the inhabitants and destroyed the city and it seems certain that it was never rebuilt. The city is beside the sea and contains the acropolis and many temples.
                                 THE ACROPOLIS

 The acropolis is a chalk massif, in the form of a massive trapezoid , surrounded by a wall. It had five towers and four gates. The urban plan is divided by two main streets. Once there were multiple altars and sanctuaries then replaced by temples.  There are six temples: A and O of which little remains, the temple B, the temple C that is the oldest, the temple D and the temple Y also known as the temple of the small methopes. Temple C is the oldest in this area, dating from 550 BC. Probably it  functioned as an archive and was dedicated to Apollo, according to epigraphic evidence or perhaps Heracles. Only the basements of the temples A, B, D, O and Y have remained after the earthquake. Between Temples C and D there are the ruins of a Byzantine village of the fifth century AD, built with recycled stone. Before the main area of habitation, there are the grandiose fortifications for the defence of the acropolis. Only a small part of the fortifications belongs to the old city.
                                             EAST HILL


In the East hill there are three temples: the temple E, the most recent, the temple F the oldest and smallest of the three and the temple G that was the largest. Temple E at Selinus in Sicily is a Greek temple of the Doric order. It is also known as the Temple of Hera. However, some scholars argue that it must have been dedicated to Aphrodite. It was built towards the middle of the sixth century BC and it is the best conserved of the temples of Selinus.
Temple G was the largest in Selinus and among the largest in the Greek world. It was not completed. Evidence suggests that it was dedicated to Apollo, though recent studies have suggested that it might be attributed to Zeus.  

GAGGERA HILL WITH THE SANCTUARY OF THE MALOPHOROS  

Demeter Malophoros was built in the sixth century BC on the slope of the hill and probably served as a station for funerary processions. The place was definitely free of buildings and provided an open area for cult practices at the altar. South of the propylaea, attached to the wall of the enclosure, there was another enclosure dedicated to Hecate. Fifteen metres north there was another square enclosure dedicated to Zeus and to Persephone. A little further up the slopes of Gaggera Hill there  is the spring from which the Sanctuary of the Malophoros gets its water. Fifty metres downstream of it there  is a building once believed to be a temple (the so-called “Temple M”), which is actually a monumental fountain.