Complementary ticket for two teachers for each class. Teachers over and above that number will pay € 5 each.

CHOOSE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING GUIDED TOURS (each teacher chooses tour A, B, C, D or E most appropriate for the class).

Guided tour of the castle,
in the form of a fairy-tale.

Suitable for children at nursery and primary schools (new Ministry programmes).

a bambini di scuola materna e scuola elementare (nuovi programmi ministeriali).

The guide will be a character in costume (e.g. knight, gentlewoman, minstrel or pilgrim).

The customs and habits of medieval life will be told in each room: from the organisation of meals to the court, with musicians, the stories of knights and ladies and battles waged to defend the castle.

Cost: € 4.50 per child.

The tour allows medieval history to be explored by learning about the castle and its functions. From an architectural and defensive point of view, Gropparello Castle is a typical example of a military stronghold in the medieval period.

Costs: PRIMARY – MIDDLE SCHOOL I: € 4.50 per child; MIDDLE SCHOOL II and III: € 5 per boy and girl; HIGH SCHOOLS and ADULTS: € 6 per person.

 

Suitable for pupils from primary (new Ministry programmes), lower and higher middle schools.

Nursery school:

Magical tour during which the guide teaches the boys and girls around 30 terms connected to the castle and its inhabitants and helps them to memorise them through question and answer games in which they need to use the new terms.

Lower and higher middle schools:

The guide, after introducing him / herself and establishing cordial relations with the boys and girls, will go with them into the castle, always speaking in English.

The tour, flavoured with expressions and witty remarks typical of the British sense of humour, is an excellent exercise for those studying English. When they reach the end of the route, the boys and girls will hold a conversation with the guide to help them overcome their shyness in expressing themselves.

Cost: € 8.00 per child / boy or girl.

 

Suitable for boys and girls from primary (new Ministry programmes) and lower middle schools.

An ophiolitic complex of immense grandeur rises in the wild Val Vezzeno. Here the ancient Celts carved their sacrificial altar. Thousands of years later, Charlemagne gave permission to Bishop Julian II to build his castrum (fort), now known as Gropparello Castle.

A steep path falls along the ravine by the stream. It is immersed in a flourishing vegetation of considerable botanical significance. Thanks to the particular micro-climate offered by the combination of the “warm” green rock and the humidity of the Vezzeno stream, the Iceland lichen, carob tree and Scots pine share this environment.

Here, in the company of a nature guide, the children can follow the tracks and trails of wild animals. Immersed in the intense greenery, they can further their knowledge of Creation and the evolution of plants and animals in territory that featured in the shifting of the Earth’s plates and the withdrawal of the oceans. Fossil remains were left behind, as well as a panorama still to this day unspoiled and rich in “Adamitic” atmosphere able to re-wake in all of us a strong sensation of equilibrium between Man and Nature. The setting favours environmental education, with the introduction of the first concepts associated with “sustainable development”.

POSSIBLE SCIENTIFIC OBSERVATIONS DURING THE ROUTE:

• The ophiolite sequence: the shifting of the earth plates.
• Mosses and lichens: biological indicators.
• Environment with high biodiversity: carob tree and Scots pine in the same wood.
• “Humid” woodland environment: micro-particles of water and their influence on the woodland plants.
• Mixed woodland: mutual habitation and integration of plants with different characteristics and requirements.
• The sub-woodland stratum, with species protected by the Emilia Romagna Region: Gropparello is a secret treasure-trove of threatened plants.
• The water cycle: from rainfall, to rivulets and to the stream.
• Tracks denoting the movement of wild animals: every day we discover who has slept here.
• The cave: first refuge of pre-historic man.   
• Piacentian fossils.
• Evolution of algae: ferns – algae that walk on land.
• Plants and their legends.
• Interaction between animals and the vegetal environment in daily life.

Although the level of difficulty of the route is low, it is advisable to wear mountaineering boots and comfortable clothes suitable for an excursion and to carry binoculars and, eventually, a compass and camera. A waterproof jacket should be worn in the event of rain.

Cost: € 8.00 per child / adult.

Suitable for boys and girls of primary school (new Ministry programmes), middle school and schools with a musical orientation.

The tour covers the history of man, with use and customs through musical instruments and their function in family life, Court festivities, processions of the nobility and youngsters’ games in the woods. The instruments can be viewed in the music room and the studio in the castle.   

This guided tour is suitable for primary and middle schools and also for pupils of schools with a musical orientation. Obviously, the level of in-depth study will depend on the age and preparation of the boys and girls.

Cost: € 6.00 per person.
Maximum of 25 participants per group.

Suitable for boys and girls from primary (new Ministry programmes) and lower middle schools.

An ophiolitic complex of immense grandeur rises in the wild Val Vezzeno. Here the ancient Celts carved their sacrificial altar. Thousands of years later, Charlemagne gave permission to Bishop Julian II to build his castrum (fort), now known as Gropparello Castle.

A steep path falls along the ravine by the stream. It is immersed in a flourishing vegetation of considerable botanical significance. Thanks to the particular micro-climate offered by the combination of the “warm” green rock and the humidity of the Vezzeno stream, the Iceland lichen, carob tree and Scots pine share this environment.

Here, in the company of a nature guide, the children can follow the tracks and trails of wild animals. Immersed in the intense greenery, they can further their knowledge of Creation and the evolution of plants and animals in territory that featured in the shifting of the Earth’s plates and the withdrawal of the oceans. Fossil remains were left behind, as well as a panorama still to this day unspoiled and rich in “Adamitic” atmosphere able to re-wake in all of us a strong sensation of equilibrium between Man and Nature. The setting favours environmental education, with the introduction of the first concepts associated with “sustainable development”.

POSSIBLE SCIENTIFIC OBSERVATIONS DURING THE ROUTE:

• The ophiolite sequence: the shifting of the earth plates.
• Mosses and lichens: biological indicators.
• Environment with high biodiversity: carob tree and Scots pine in the same wood.
• “Humid” woodland environment: micro-particles of water and their influence on the woodland plants.
• Mixed woodland: mutual habitation and integration of plants with different characteristics and requirements.
• The sub-woodland stratum, with species protected by the Emilia Romagna Region: Gropparello is a secret treasure-trove of threatened plants.
• The water cycle: from rainfall, to rivulets and to the stream.
• Tracks denoting the movement of wild animals: every day we discover who has slept here.
• The cave: first refuge of pre-historic man.   
• Piacentian fossils.
• Evolution of algae: ferns – algae that walk on land.
• Plants and their legends.
• Interaction between animals and the vegetal environment in daily life.

Although the level of difficulty of the route is low, it is advisable to wear mountaineering boots and comfortable clothes suitable for an excursion and to carry binoculars and, eventually, a compass and camera. A waterproof jacket should be worn in the event of rain.

Cost: € 8.00 per child / adult.

The tour allows an exploration of medieval history through familiarity with the castle and its functions. From an architectural and defensive point of view, Gropparello Castle is a typical example of a medieval military stronghold.

Costs: PRIMARY – MIDDLE SCHOOL 1: € 4.50 per child; MIDDLE SCHOOL II and III: € 5 per boy and girl; HIGH SCHOOL AND ADULTS: € 6 per person.

 

Lower and higher middle school:

The guide, after introducing him / herself and establishing cordial relations with the boys and girls, will go with them into the castle, always speaking in English.

The tour, flavoured with expressions and witty remarks typical of the British sense of humour, is an excellent exercise for those studying English. When they reach the end of the route, the boys and girls will hold a conversation with the guide to help them overcome their shyness in expressing themselves.

 

Theatrical activity suitable for primary and middle schools.

Rosania Fulgosio, a young mistress of Gropparello Castle, was buried in the walls alive in 1258 AD by her husband, Pietrone da Cagnano. From her fate originated a legend nourished by continual appearances experienced by the proprietors, guests and visiting tourists.

The instructor illustrates the social and private life in the medieval period, with particular emphasis on the feudal vassal and the status of women. He / she will give the boys and girls the notions they need to progress with their work.

By dramatising the events at the site of the occurrence, the boys and girls perceive the mentality, customs and habits of the medieval age. They learn to develop a theatrical activity that envisages the use of dialogue, costumes, a script and choreography.

All the boys and girls will be allocated a costume.

Cost: € 3.50 per child.

The background is the story of the mythical Camelot, where the boys and girls represent King Arthur, Guinevere and all the Court. The objective is to keep the peace in the kingdom and combat the forces of evil. The teaching goal is to instil in the boys and girls sentiments of courage, love and justice.

The boys and girls will relive adventures, battles and acts of heroism which in the past determined the destiny of their city. For these activities, the boys and girls choose a episode from medieval times that is significant in local history. The secretary’s office at Gropparello Castle will send a questionnaire that should be completed in order to dramatise the chosen story. Those wishing to book this activity for the 2004 – 2005 academic year should book by September 20, 2004 (limited availability).

The Fairy-Tale Park is the first “emotive” park in Italy. There it is possible to enjoy a magical experience beyond the confines of time while immersed in a natural setting of millenary rocks and centuries old trees. Who lived in the wood? Fairies, sprites, elves and Druids .. and then the Tree-Man and perhaps the Animal-Man. And surely witches and wizards passed by, in their constant search for herbs to concoct their potions.

Suitable for boys and girls from primary and middle schools.

… the field of musical instruments and ancient music. The activities have been conceived to stimulate boys and girls to take up a musical instrument. They teach them to play about with music and experience it actively – the relationship with the instruments is characterised by play.

All the activities consist in two phases: one is a preparation for the other. One part is prepared in class and the other concluded in the music room at the castle, on the paths in the park or in the party room, as appropriate.

All the boys and girls will be given a costume.

 

The Fairy-Tale Park is the first “emotive” park in Italy, where it is possible to enjoy a magical experience beyond the confines of time while immersed in a natural setting of millenary rocks and centuries-old trees. Who lived in the wood? Fairies, sprites, elves and Druids... and then the Tree-Man and perhaps the Animal-Man. And surely witches and wizards passed by, in their constant search for herbs to concoct their potions.

The background is the story of the mythical Camelot where the boys and girls represent King Arthur, Guinevere and all the Court. The objective is to keep the peace in the kingdom and combat the forces of evil. The teaching goal is to instil in the boys and girls sentiments of courage, love and justice.

In the 6th Century B.C., the Boii, a Celtic people, came down from the Alps and settled in our lands, attracted by a warm climate and two particular products: the grape for making wine and figs. Dressed and with faces painted like archaic warriors, the boys and girls will confront magic and battles. They will also derive pleasure from dancing and singing, accompanied by percussion musical instruments.

The boys and girls will relive adventures, battles and acts of heroism which in the past determined the destiny of their city. For these activities, the boys and girls choose a episode from medieval times that is significant in local history. The secretary’s office at Gropparello Castle will send a questionnaire that should be completed in order to dramatise the chosen story. Those wishing to reserve this activity for the 2004 – 2005 academic year should book by September 20, 2004 (limited availability).

 

Suitable for pupils from primary (new Ministry programmes) and lower and higher middle schools.

Nursery school:

Magical tour during which the guide teaches the boys and girls around 30 terms connected to the castle and its inhabitants and helps them to memorise them through question and answer games in which they need to use the new terms.

Lower and higher middle school:

The guide, after introducing him / herself and establishing cordial relations with the boys and girls, will go with them into the castle, always speaking in English.

The tour, flavoured with expressions and witty remarks typical of the British sense of humour, is an excellent exercise for those studying English. When they reach the end of the route, the boys and girls will hold a conversation with the guide to help them overcome their shyness in expressing themselves.

Cost: € 8.00 per child / boy / girl.

Theatrical activity suitable for primary and middle schools.

Rosania Fulgosio, a young mistress of Gropparello Castle, was buried in the walls alive in 1258 AD by her husband, Pietrone da Cagnano. From her fate originated a legend nourished by continual appearances experienced by the proprietors, guests and visiting tourists.

The instructor illustrates the social and private life in the medieval period, with particular emphasis on the feudal vassal and the status of women. He / she will give the boys and girls the notions they need to progress with their work.

By dramatising the events at the site of the occurrence, the boys and girls perceive the mentality, customs and habits of the medieval age. They learn to develop a theatrical activity that envisages the use of dialogue, costumes, a script and choreography.

All the boys and girls will be given a costume.

Cost: € 3.50 per child.