Student mobility (C7) Viterbo, Italy 28/03-31/03 – 2023

Collaborative schools from Greece, Italy, Malta, Lithuania, Turkey and Norway.

Host school: Santa Rosa da Viterbo, Italy.

Participants from Metis were students from upper secondary school specializing in studies: Nora Herland, Amanda Bjærum, Agate Ødven and Emeli Eikeseth, together with their mentors Sara Berge Økland and Sten Are Edvardsen.

Collaboration theme: How to create inclusive communities in schools?

We spent five days in the Italian city of Viterbo. Viterbo is about 100 kilometers north of Rome. For several periods, Viterbo has been the residence of the Pope, including when threats such as plague and conflict have ravaged the country. Viterbo is one of the very few Italian cities that is still surrounded by city walls. Today, Viterbo is a quiet, safe and probably also a romantic place where tourism does not dominate the cityscape.

On the first day of activities, we were warmly welcomed by the host school. The students learned Italian songs that they performed for each other. This was extra fun as we were visiting a music school. All of the students at the music school in Italy could play at least two instruments. Afterwards, we had lunch together at a local restaurant and were given a tour of Viterbo.

The next day we went on a day trip to Rome. We walked via St. Peter's Basilica and stopped by the Vatican City. On this day the Pope was outside to meet crowds and bless newlyweds. We then continued in the direction of the Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon. The trip ended in the area of the ancient excavations. The students then had free time and the Metis students went to the Colosseum and then had lunch. We then did some shopping and ended our Rome trip at the Spanish Steps, before we traveled by train back to Viterbo.

During our trip we also visited Villa Lante in Bagnaia. This is a beautiful garden from the 16th century built for recreation and hunting, among other things. In recent times, Villa Lante is often used for filming films, such as the Netflix series The Young Pope.

For each student mobility in this POLIS project, students have come up with three rules or key points that encourage action for a better Europe. On the last day, our students voted on which rules were the best.

The students from Metis spent a lot of time together with the students from the other countries and we are all left with a positive impression, new acquaintances and memories that will last.