Dear European Friends!

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1 Christmas Tree Decoration Exchange 2009 Dear European Friends! We are the IVC from the Elementary School of Mezzolombardo (Trentino) Italy

2 We live in Mezzolombardo! Mezzolombardo is a big village: it is populated by 6500 people. It is situated in the Rotaliana land, on the right side of the torrent called Noce, where different kind of fish live and where you can go fishing. On the banks of the torrent you can find a fluvial park where you can walk, play and observe little animals. The town is surranded by mountains, that are not visible when it rains or snows. Fir trees and birch trees grow on these montains. There are several activities related to the territory in question. Mezzolombardo s land has lots of fields where aples and grapes grow. The grape becomes Teroldego wine and the aples are brought to the depot, where they are branded La Trentina and sold all over the world. THE COMMUNITY CELLAR It s a spettacular cellar where you can find old and modern machines, tools and objects. We like to see the machines in action. The Teroldego, a tipical red wine made in our town, is processed only in the Rotaliana land. The type of territory and the climate of this region makes it unique in its kind, so that it is sold throughaut the world. During the summer the farmers gather grapes and take them in containers to the cellar with the tractors. In the cellar they pick up the containers and put the grape in a machine that separates it from the stalk is taken to the distillery where it will be processed into grappa liquor. The juice produced by the grape is called must and they put it in big containers to ferment it. The workers controll the whole process and when the must becomes wine, it is bottled or put into barrek for ageing.

3 In the cellar you can also find the offices that controll the organisation and the sale of this wine. There is also a store where you can buy the products of our region: grape, ples, pears, wine Mezzolombardo is an important center of commerce. There are several stores where you can find all kinds of things and near these store you can find larger centers of commerce. In the industrial zone you can find sheet factorys. There are craftman stores: body repairman, carpenters, tinsmiths. THE CASTLE On the upper part of the town you can see the Spaur Tower castle. Once it was owned by a pince Bishop, but today it became private property. You must call an for appointment to visit the castle, that has a big yard, a big terrace and nearby you can visit the little Church of St. Apollonia. There was also another castle called St Peter s castle. They only saved the Toresela tower.

4 THE CHURCHES We can find several churches. The oldest one is situated on St. Peter s hill. where the cemetary is located. From this hill can see the whole Rotaliana land. The mother Church is in St. John s piazza, and the church was built in his memo r y, and run arround the tower. There is a church of monks, small but nice. Inside you can see a cloister with in the middle a well and two meridian lines, that the monks used to use, to know what time it was. The gym is a little far from the center of the town, but it s big and all the students and the teams frequent it. You can play Volleyball, soccer, basketball The Itas team was trained in this gym. It is our pro team and it has many fans. Same of us play in the junior teams and we participate in several tourniments and competitions.

5 Near the gym you can find two tennis courts that are enclosed during the winter. can play bowls. Behind the gym there is an area where are granfathers Next to the gym there is a soccer field, where the town s team, The Rotaliana, plays. Lots of children practice this sport. Twice a week they train and play against other teams. The teams are divided in 7 categorys: first kicks, chichens, beginners, youngest, students, juniors, excellence. Not far from this field, they are building a larger one. On the other side of the town we children can find a park to play and practice other sports. There is a big space, covered with a sheet of ice, and in winter season we go ice-skating. From the time we were in first grade, we went ice skating with our teachers and our parents, but now we go with our friends. We have so Next there is the tambourine field, a game that isn t nor known and practiced by children. Our town s team is number one in the country. There is a space to play basketball and nearby you can find a nice playground, with lots of trees. We like to play a game called funivia. The playground is full of pastimes for every age: swings, trains, slides, castles constructed of wood or iron, rocking horses In the middle of the park there is a fountain where we can get some water, when we are thirsty. When we are in first grade, we adopted a cherry tree to study its alternations thru the seasons. We go to the park to meet are friends and make new ones. We like to play at: hide and go seek. We decice who counts and who hides.

6 PATRON SAINT S DAY The patron Saint s day is held every year at the end of June, on St. Peter s day. There are many street stalls and lotterys. It s a real holiday and the whole family has fun together. You can find: toys, food, sweets, clothes and particular objects. There are also rides for the children, like the air castle where you can jump like a kangaroo. The Christmas-time time At Christmas-time the streets of the village are decorated with coloured lights and little angels. The Christmas songs spread over the village. On the streets of the city many local associations prepare beautiful cribs with different materials. The most beautiful crib receives an important award. The children of the Church association performa a christmas recital with the collaboration of their parents and the Osanna Chorus. In the main square of Mezzolombardo you can find little cottages with handicraft that are also to buy. The streets are full of people. The 25 windows of the Municipality are hand-decorated with an Advent-calender. We and one another class of our school will decorate this year one oof the windows of the Town-hall with the Nativity-scene. This decoration is made of thousands of little balls made from paper and coloured one by one and after glued to a rigid cardboard. It became beautiful!

7 RECIPE: the Zelten It s a sweet bread stuffed with dried fruit and candid fruit.in the past it was the most important Christmas cake in Trentino. It was usual to eat it after the midnight mess, in the Christmas night. Every family has its particular recipe to cook the best zelten. Ingredients: butter (100 g) sugar (150 g) meal (300 g) eggs (4) leaven milk (0,25 l) a pinch of salt shelled walnuts (150 g) dried figs (250 g) pine seeds 850 g) currants (50 g) almonds Preparation: Dissolve butter in a bain-marie in the same food container where we are preparing the short pastry and mix it with sugar. Add flour, eggs, leaven and mix it. To add milk and mix it for more or less 15 minutes. Short pastry had to be a little bit hard. Then add the shelled walnuts, the dried figs cutted in little pieces, the currants and mix well. Pour all together in a floured baking-tin. Garnish with the peeled and breaked almonds and put it in the oven at 180 C for 45 minutes.

8 Our Christmas Decoration is a GNOMO We prepared them together with our teacher Mrs. Spagolla and with our Mummy s! We wish you MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!