Junior College students in the land of St Francis

This year a group of 21 students from the University of Malta's Junior College embarked on a remarkable experience to the land of St Francis in Assisi, Italy.

The occasion was an exchange project with the Liceo Scientifico "Principe di Napoli" from March 28 to April 10. The aim set by the organisers, Frank Boffa (director of the Eurocentre) and Joe Sciriha (vice-principal), was to assess the students' response to the different aspects of Italian culture, architecture and transitional elements within the structures themselves.

The Maltese group was taken round the many places where the saint used to sojourn and also to the Umbria region and its cities - Perugia, Spoleto, Foligno, Orvieto.

We were also taken to the exceptionally beautiful city of Florence where we were encouraged to admire the great works of art by Donatello, Michelangelo, Arnolfo di Cambio and many others.

One of the highlights of our stay in Umbria was a visit to the Cascate delle Marmore. The spectacle of the water falling down the cliffs will be difficult to forget.

Unfortunately, the visit to Rome had to be cancelled since it was practically impossible to take down a big group with all that was happening in the Eternal City due to the death of Pope John Paul II.

The alternative was a visit to the Republic of San Marino, which we really liked for its beautiful setting and fantastic views. We watched the production process of Deruta ceramics.

But visiting Assisi itself is a pleasure. The type of stone used for the buildings, the site on the slopes of the Subasio mountain, the many places related to St Francis, make this city unique.

The Basilica of St Francis is studded with works of art, especially Giotto's cycle on the life of St Francis. In Assisi one has to be prepared to put one's leg muscles to the test if the city is to be visited thoroughly.

Many students were staying with families living around the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli and Bastia, two suburbs of Assisi, who showed us great hospitality. The Italian families went out of their way to make us feel at home - it was interesting for us to see how well we could interact in a new and completely different society. Not only did we have to talk about immediate situations and everyday happenings but also about more complex issues about our island and culture.

One of the main objectives of these exchanges is to enable students to discuss various matters, among them problems concerning their island and their age in the presence of the foreign partners and their families. Such exchanges go far in preparing college students for semester studies abroad once they reach University level of education.