Anno Scolastico 2009/2010

Key competencesDidactical Aims: Encourage the foreign language learning Improve linguistic competences: Improve listening skills concerning stories Encourage the cooperative work and learning; Offer occasions in order to help the others; Encourage reading, speaking and make analysis test and images; Understand and select the appropriate written tests; Offer an experience with historical, social and civil culture Be able to tell a story and to give details Have occasion to interact with the others and accept to other point of

views; Underline local dimension and the knowledge of the territory.How teachers and pupils realized the activities: Cultural researches in internet reading written tests, working in group

and in pairs. Use of computer, scannere and camera.Reached Aims: Pupils incresed the linguistic skills and the use new technologies; Pupils increased the knowledge of the local cultural stories; Pupils have been movitatded in making activities which should be sent to

European schools; Improving self- assessment and encouraging the creative thought.

I’m Gianduja I’m Giacometta

Gianduja The story of a Carnival Mask

His personality represents the various characteristics of the Piedmontese

character

The story of Gianduja refers not only to Piedmont’s famous chocolate but to

Piedmont’s famous carnival mask. Gianduja the carnival character made his debut at the start of the 1800's thanks to the imagination of puppeteers Sales and Bellone in Asti, and the tradition of the Gianduja mask soon became popular in Turin. The character’s name was originally Girolamo della Grigna and was later transformed into GiÙàn d’ la dÙja., to describe the fact that Gianduja always carries a container with him (the container, called the “dÙja” in the dialect of Asti, is of course used for wine). The Gianduja mask incarnates various characteristics of the Piedmontese character – Gianduja is conservative (bùgianèn) but good humored; he is clever and sophisticated although he can give the impression of being course and naïve.

Gianduja is cheerful, but he takes his duties and promises seriously. Gianduja has a ruddy complexion and his ponytail wig points up characteristically from under his hat. He wears a three-horned hat, a brown jacket with red trim, a yellow vest, short green knee-length pants, red socks and low-heeled shows with a brass buckle. His companion/girlfriend goes by the name Giacometta. Once upon a time Gianduja would ride around on an old donkey; today he makes his appearance at carnival on a fancy coach.

Gianduja’s clothes

Gianduja and his wife Giacometta

during a festival in town

– la maschera tipica del Piemonte - nasce al principio dell'800, per opera dei burattinai Sales e Bellone. Di origine astigiana, la tradizione continuò a Torino. Il nome, in origine Girolamo della Grigna, è stato poi trasformato in Giôàn d'la dôja, derivato dal recipiente che portava fedelmente con sè, pieno di buon vino, e che nel dialetto astigiano è chiamato dôja. La maschera riassume in sè il carattere piemontese, conservatore (bôgianèn), ma di ottimo umore, furbo e fine sotto l'apparenza di ingenuità e ruvidezza, allegro, ma fedele al dovere ed alla parola data.

Gianduja ha un viso rubicondo e la parrucca col codino volto all'insù, sotto un cappello tricorne, vestito con un giubbetto color marrone orlato di rosso, panciotto giallo, calzoni verdi e corti fino al ginocchio, calze rosse e scarpe basse con fibbia d'ottone. La sua compagna si chiama Giacometta. Nei giorni di carnevale, Gianduja appare oggi su una carrozza di gala, che

ha preso il posto del vecchio asinello.

In Carnival time there are many Giacometta-girls !

Pupils at work ! How many reserches in class…

The story of Piedmontes chocolates: The Gianduiotto

Gianduja gives his names and his image to the chocolates !

Gianduja: nut-Chocolate, an Italian

invention !

Gianduiotti: a long-lasting, passionate story! There is a long-lasting, passionate story between the

Piemonte region and chocolate. A story that, since the invention in Torino of the gianduiotto chocolate during this past century, leads to post World-War II and to Alba where master Pietro Ferrero patented a block of chocolate to be cut into slices. The mixture, resulting from the blending of cocoa and the tonda gentile (small and sweet) quality of hazelnut from the Alba area, is perfected in the 1960’s by his son Giovanni Ferrero – an Italian version of Willy Wonka known to the world as the inventor of the chocolate Kinder egg – who transforms it into a spreadable cream. This is the birth of Nutella, the yummy world famous object of worship.

A long story from the past time…

The Gianduiotto (Piem., Giandojòt) is a Piedmontese chocolate whose shape is similar to an upturned boat. Gianduiotti are individually wrapped in a tinfoil cover, usually gold or silver-colored. It is the speciality of Turin, and takes its name from Gianduja, a Carnival and marionette character who represents the archetypal Piedmontese.

Ingredients. Gianduiotti are produced from a paste of sugar, cocoa and the

hazelnut Tonda Gentile delle Langhe. The official “birth” of Gianduiotti is set at 1865, by a Michele Prochet, the first to completely grind hazelnuts to a paste before adding them to the cocoa and sugar mix.

Apparently, the idea of mixing hazelnut pieces to “standard” chocolates was born during Napoleon’s reign, when importing cocoa from South America became extremely difficult. “Raw” cocoa was extremely expensive, so local producers started incorporating bits of roasted hazelnuts (hazelnuts are locally grown and were easy to come by in Piedmont) to make the final product more affordable. (source)

A true hand-made product….

The story of the Gianduiotto began in 1852, when Pier Paul Caffarel introduced a new type of chocolate obtained by carefully mixing cocoa, sugar and the famous "Tonda Gentile delle Langhe" hazelnuts that were renowned for their particularly fine, tasty character.Using this sweet-smelling base, Caffarel began producing a chocolate specialty in 1865 that was unique in every way - even in its shape. A true hand-made product, it was originally given the name of "givù", a word taken from the traditional dialect spoken in Piedmont.

The name was soon replaced by "Gianduiotto", a term that is now famous among chocolate lovers and gourmands all over the world.The godfather of the new name was Gianduja, Gian d’la duja or Giovanni del Boccale - a local farmer who is reported to have invented the characteristic, delightful mask of Piedmont that features a little tail pointing upwards and a tricorn hat. The mask was the symbol of the battle for independence which was fought in Piedmont in 1799.