Comenius Project The story of the Prancing Bull, symbol of Turin

Anno Scolastico 2009/2010
Key competences
Didactical 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’s clothes

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 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 Giacomettagirls !
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 WorldWar 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 handmade 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.