France - Italy

FRANCE-ITALY
“FROM THE TOSCAN RENAISSANCE TO PARIS, THE CITY OF LIGHT”
DESTINATION: ITALY-FRANCE (FLORENCE-VENICE-PARIS)
DURATION: 16 DAYS-15 NIGHTS
GRADE: ELEMENTARY-JR HIGH-HIGH SCHOOL
JUSTIFICATION:
Cradle of great artists and Renaissance thinkers, Tuscany is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful regions of Italy. Everything in this region invites us to discover it: landscapes, art, history, traditions and gastronomy.

Humanism and the Italian Renaissance (XV and XVI centuries) germinated in this region, revolutionizing the art and way of thinking in its day. As a living museum, Tuscany and its capital, Florence, are full of testimonies of that time that will make us understand the grandeur of the "Quattrocento" and the Italian "Cinquecento", the age of patrons, "The Medici", and of artistic geniuses, such as Leonardo da Vinci, Miguel Ángel Buonarroti and Felipe Brunelleschi, to name a few.

Touring Florence is a walk through the Renaissance, admiring the magnificent Piazza del Duomo, the Puerta del Paraíso, the Ponte vecchio, the Santa Croce, the Piazza della Signora, the Medici district, the Uffizi Gallery and the Academy so as to contemplate the genius of Michelangello and his masterpiece, "David".

We will also discover beautiful cities and towns of Tuscany, such as Siena, Vinci and San Gimignano, with its atmosphere of art that envelops us in that famous light of the region. This tour will bring us closer to the sources of inspiration of Renaissance painters. We will delve into centuries of traditions, customs and legends that will allow us to value and understand beautiful Italy, its people and its language.

Our adventure through Italy will also take us to the magical city of the dukes: the legendary Venice.

We will visit its typical medieval streets that end unexpectedly in magnificent squares of imposing medieval and Renaissance architecture. From its channels, we will be surprised by the miracle that constitutes the survival of this ancient lacustrine city, a World Heritage Site.

Some of its smaller squares will envelop us recreating for us the great Renaissance party that is Carnival, the greatest splendor in Venice.

We cannot help but admire the artisan aspect of the region of the islands of the lagoon, located "between the sky and the water": Murano, Torcello and Burano, with the great tradition of blown glass.

The second part of our trip will take us to Paris, one of the "great" cosmopolitan capitals of the world, the scene of important historical periods in the history of humanity.

To visit France is to be awed by historical and cultural greatness, a greatness much vaster than its territory of barely half a million square kilometers might indicate.

To be in France is to discover or rediscover its language. To discover french, as well as France s cultural importance, is to enter into the language of "des Grands Hommes", of the great writers, sages of the encyclopedia, philosophers who made history and poets who, like Victor Hugo, spoke to us of freedom and respect. It is the language of men who for the first time spoke to us about the rights of man as a universal statute. It is also one of the official languages of the United Nations to seek understanding and communication among the peoples of the world.

Wat better way to understand and value France and its people than through the French language?
An unforgettable and very enriching experience is to live France in close contact with its people. That is why CENTROS ECOCLUB includes in the discovery program of Paris activities that allow young people to practice French by communicating actively with the local population.

Thus, we will know Paris as regular explorers of knowledge. Walking, cycling, bus, subway, we will discover the Light City. From the "Ile de La Cité", origins of Paris, passing through "Le Quartier Latin" and "Le Marais", "Palais Royal", "La Concorde" and "Champs Elysées", "Trocadéro" and "Champs de Mars" , "Saint Germain" and countless squares, streets and corners. Paris will reveal to us that it is a city-museum, a city in constant movement, actively participating in world history.

Two emblematic historical figures will be our point of connection between Tuscany and the Parisian region: Leonardo da Vinci and Francois 1º, king of France (16th century), whose reign could not be understood without mentioning the Italian Renaissance.

The Louvre Museum will open the doors to the greatness of the art of antiquity; medieval imagery and Renaissance painting will captivate us with the unparalleled works of Leonardo da Vinci. We will learn to appreciate the work of this artist who defined himself as a researcher, scientist and painter.

We will know the magnificence of the "Ancien Régime", that is to say the time of the kings of France through fascinating playful-pedagogical activities in the Cháteau de Versailles, abode of Louis XIV, the "Sun King", and in the Castle of Chambord, the most sumptuous of the castles of the Loire river and summer residence of King Francois I º. And let us not forget Clos Lucé, residence where Leonardo da Vinci lived until the end of his life and where he enjoyed the privilege of being the first painter, engineer and architect of King Francois I.

Finally, in Auvers-sur-Oise and in the Orsay Museum, we will witness the "impressionist" genius initiating us as critics of modern art.
After this interdisciplinary trip, students will return to Mexico with a new vision of the world, based on tolerance and respect, and with greater cognitive tools to continue discovering and valuing different civilizations and cultures.

OBJECTIVES:
Discover in an interdisciplinary way two countries and two cultures different from ours: France and Italy

Provide the student with the possibility of discovering fundamental events of universal history in the places where they occurred, in order to facilitate the understanding of the importance of the Italian Renaissance and its influence in Europe.
Discover the Italian language
Practice the French language through a dynamic and fruitful cultural exchange
Stimulate and reinforce the importance of education and international awareness
Reinforce the importance of curiosity and research within the cognitive process
Discover, explore and question the historical and artistic process
Discover, explore and value cultural diversity
"Discovering French art and civilization"