La Sorgiva People’s University with its programmes aims at giving a contribution to the fulfilment of the principles of equality and equal social dignity of the citizens and full development of the human being; at giving culture more value in its numerous aspects; at encouraging the relationship between different cultures according to the didactic methods of the permanent tuition.

The Grundtvig project is broadly in line with the aims and the activities of the Association, widening the range of interests and the operating horizons; therefore, together with a more participative didactic method, the enhanced programme will allow a deeper insight into a closer Europe, characterised by exchange of knowledge, experiences and friendship.

The 2012-2013 programme of the Grundtvig Project’ consists of courses, conferences, visits to art exhibitions and places, ateliers and other initiatives all intended to explore the subject of wildlife, introducing the knowledge of authors from different European countries. Each gathering is an opportunity to insert and highlight such initiatives in a European project scheme.

The ‘itinerary’ that, from the conference ‘’Myth, eternal present’’ to the History and Philosophy course ‘’What is the point of it?’’ has a critical approach to man-wildlife relationship in the light of the philosophical thought, is characterised by this intention in the first year of this project. With the conference ‘’Renewable resources that respect the environment’’ we exchanged views and asked ourselves questions on ecology, perhaps a contemporary ‘myth’; with the conference ‘’the Song of Brother Sun’’ we valued the sacredness of nature.

The Cinema series ‘’Filming nature’’ was a careful observation of nature seen as a protagonist of the film-script; the conference ‘’The image of Landscape’’ analysed the meaning of Nature and Landscape in the History of Art. The topic of the European project is also evident from the choice of visits to exhibitions and places of artistic interest: ‘Raffaello verso Picasso’ in Vicenza, a close encounter with the figures of myth reproduced in the Palladio palaces and on the canvases of the greatest European painters; ‘Gianbattista Tiepolo’ at Villa Manin in Udine, a full immersion into a glowing mythological tale narrated through frescoes, paintings, sculptures and elements in the vegetation of the park.
‘The Narcissus Festival in Lunigiana valley’, held by Professor Raffaele Giannetti, partner of the Tagliolini Foundation in S.Quirico d’Orcia.

Other scheduled events:

 APRIL 2013
‘’L’ERBAVOGLIO: secrets and virtues of herbs for our health, feeding and beauty’’ conferences, discussions and visits to herbal products producers;

 MAY 2013
‘’What is ‘garden’ – the concept of garden in history and art up to the 20th Century – Conferences photography itineraries in the gardens of Europe: Italy, Cornwall, Provence (South France), reading of mythological texts and poetry inspired by the world of plants , visits to historic gardens and palaces.

 JUNE 2013
Exhibition of the works and sharing of the projects carried out: conferences, lectures, DVD projections of the work done during the first year’s project.

 From OCTOBER 2012 to JUNE 2013
the more technical initiatives are combined with:
- Photography ateliers for the realization of DVD’s including images of the territory, activities, and visits to places of art and culture
- Research ateliers and reading of history and mythology texts, literature, poetry, art, botany, traditions, curiosities linked to the plants included in the project
- Embroidery atelier ‘’Ars Canusina’’ - retrieval of patters from a decorative floral motifs repertoire of the Romanesque style.

The whole programme of the project can be consulted on the Commune’s website of Montecchio Emilia, On the Commune’s magazine all the phases of the project are published; on the local papers you can find articles about the most outstanding activities related to the project.