The title of the evening was: THE MEMORY OF THE TERRITORY.

First of all, the large audience watched the film again or saw it for the first time ‘Faraway Lands – Bratta and Piazzeda’, a production by director Valentina Capone, who has worked with Ecomuseo for years, running various theatre workshops, some of which took place in the garden outside the Palazzetto Besta.

In the presence of some of the actors who took part in the making of the film, people who lived through those times, and relatives of those interviewed – most of whom are no longer with us but live on in our memories – those present embarked on a journey back in time to the first half of the last century. The footage from Don Cyril, parish priest of Bratta from 1939 to 1957 and a keen photographer, came to life through the stories of various residents of Bianzone, supplemented by dramatised scenes.

A number of topics relating to everyday life were discussed, such as the kitchen, the school and the games of yesteryear. Then, in the second part, specific historical events were recalled, such as smuggling, the war, with particular focus on the exodus of Jews from the Bianzone area as well, and the changes that took place after the Second World War, particularly the construction of the Bratta Road e Piazzeda Street and the arrival of electricity.

The following is a presentation of the PRIMARY SCHOOL WEBSITE along with the work carried out over the last two school years and the MAP OF THE CRAFTS COMMUNITY which was created thanks to research carried out by the children at Bianzone Primary School as part of the CAMBIAMENTI….STRADA FACENDO project. With the help of families and friends, they mapped out the shops and artisans that existed in the last century, discovering how the village was once self-sufficient and had all the services necessary for daily life. The map now needs the community’s help to be expanded. For this reason, an appeal was made to those present, which is also open to others:

LOOK FOR PHOTOS AND VIDEOS RELATED TO THESE PLACES AND BE WILLING TO SHARE INFORMATION

This material will also be used for another project that Ecomuseo has included in the three-year programme: WE ARE ALPI.

In this case, the first step is to identify the ISSUES that characterise the Bianzone community. To encourage public participation, an online and paper-based questionnaire will be shared shortly.

L'articolo CINEMA ESTATE A MADONNA DEL PIANO proviene da Ecomuseo Bianzone.

Bianzone Primary School, the only school within the Teglio Comprehensive School to operate on a full-time basis (40 hours per week, established in the’Academic Year 2010/2011), complements teaching with a range of educational activities that support it and engage “mind, heart and hands”, to foster the harmonious and well-rounded development of the child’s personality. The key objectives of Bianzone Primary School are: the well-being of the child, who must be able to learn in a calm and positive environment; and ensuring that, by the end of the primary school cycle, pupils have acquired the skills and preparation necessary for the transition to lower secondary school. The 2025–2026 school year was particularly dynamic, with a packed programme of initiatives ranging from sport to the promotion of reading, right through to an innovative language enrichment project. 

1. Language Development: “English Full Immersion”

The highlight of the new programme was undoubtedly the project “English Full Immersion”, organised and funded by the local council. This was not simply a series of lectures delivered during English lessons, but an immersive experience designed to improve speaking skills and understanding of the language in both educational and recreational contexts. For 18 hours a week, from December until the end of March, the pupils interacted with a native-speaking teacher from Australia who lives in the village, Breanna Bunter, who supported the teachers in physical, artistic, musical and technological activities and communicated with the children in the canteen and after lunch. The initiative involved all year groups, with levels of difficulty and timings tailored to the children’s ages. Despite the final interruption caused by the tutor’s injury, contact remained ongoing right up to the very end through video calls and personalised letters for each pupil.

The playful approach and the use of a token economy (involving reward stickers) have improved the motivation and participation of the
pupils. The teachers noted an expansion of their everyday vocabulary and, above all, that the children had overcome the “emotional barrier” that often holds them back when speaking a foreign language.

2. Identity and Territory: “Changes… along the way”

In collaboration with the Ecomuseo class at the Terrazze Retiche school in Bianzone, the primary school has carried out the school complex project “Changes… as we go along”, the true “unifying theme” of the year, which brought together various disciplines. As well as completing the study on urban changes in the districts of Bianzone, which had begun the previous year, the classes studied a number of agri-food supply chains and the current and past economic activities in the village, with a particular focus on local crafts. 

Year 1 explored the wine-making process; Year 2 followed the milk supply chain; Year 3 visited a carpenter and a luthier; the
Year 4 tried their hand at using a knife sharpener and building a dry-stone wall, and saw how pieces of metal and leather offcuts can be transformed into jewellery, finding a new purpose; Year 5 studied the processing of cereals.

The work led to the creation of a digital community map which will be presented during the screening of the documentary ‘LA MEMORIA DEL TERRITORIO, IL TERRITORIO DELLA MEMORIA’ – a film produced in 2010 by Ecomuseo with the participation of local residents – in Madonna del Piano on 24 July at 9.15 pm.

In addition, a school website where the children’s work and research carried out since last year is shared.

The outings in the local area proved to be a rich source of inspiration. The children were able to immerse themselves in new environments and reflect critically
on the historical and economic development of their country.

3. The Mind and Body Gym

The sports and problem-solving programme has been designed to develop key transferable skills: concentration, adherence to the rules and fair play.

• Chess – “At school with the kings”: Aimed at Years 3, 4 and 5 between February and April, this course did not just teach a game, but also helped to develop the metacognitive skills. Over the course of 10 lessons, the children learnt to manage their decision-making time, improve their memory, develop logical problem-solving skills, work on their attention span and concentration and, crucially, learn to accept defeat and internalise the rules.
• Active Sports: The Mini Rugby and Tennis courses, open to all year groups, have introduced the pupils to these two sports.

Rugby consisted of a course of six lessons, each lasting two hours, which encouraged controlled physical contact and team spirit, and is now well established as a sport at this school. Tennis, on the other hand, is part of the free ‘’Rackets in Class’ which was already carried out last year. Thanks to our partnership with the national tennis and table tennis federations, all pupils have had the chance to try out a fun approach to these sports, promoting inclusion and motor coordination.

4. Active Citizenship

The school has also responded to the challenges of the modern world and to the need for culture and education in citizenship.

• “Neoconnessi”: Recognising that many children already own smartphones or games consoles, the project – aimed at Years 3, 4 and 5 – focused on the responsible use of the internet. Through reading narrative texts and watching videos provided free of charge by Wind in collaboration with the State Police, the pupils reflected on the risks and opportunities of the digital world, eventually identifying a set of rules which were shared and agreed upon with their families at a public meeting on Wednesday. .
• “Read Me Again”: The promotion of reading was carried out throughout the year through teachers reading aloud, a daily activity designed to enrich pupils’ vocabulary and emotional skills and improve their attention spans. This was complemented by a weekly session where pupils listened to a story read by the librarian whilst borrowing books.
• “Opera tomorrow”: It has now been running for three years, with excellent results for the children thanks to the active involvement required both in the preparations and during the performance. This year, the story performed was ‘Little Bear and the Ice Mountain’, which addressed the topical issue of climate change.

The appointment of the deputy class councillors took place in October in the presence of the Mayor Christian Sertorio who, having observed the various stages leading up to the standard procedures for conducting local elections, has appointed the following as his assistants for the current school year: in the event of a tie for first place Liv Testi e Michela Gianotti, in second place Rebecca Rossi, in the third Edoardo Sertorio, in Year 4 Diego Trestini and in Year 5 Sara Polinelli. Throughout the year, representatives from the school will keep an eye on the town, report any issues to the Mayor and put forward proposals.

5. Expressiveness on display

At the end of the year, as is traditional, the Year 5 pupils took centre stage in a theatre production written and directed by Luciana Colombini, a teacher and head of the school complex. The theatre project was approached in an interdisciplinary way: starting from the pupils’ own ideas, an expressive programme was developed, which usually forms part of the wider project planned for the whole year. The main aim of the workshop was to help pupils overcome shyness, collaborate with their classmates towards a common goal and develop their expressive skills. The “Theatre” project culminated in the end-of-year performance entitled ‘When I grow up, I’ll… score a basket’, which, through its entertaining plot, succeeded in giving dignity, importance and value to all the different jobs in the world. The performance was enlivened by children from other classes who, through dancing, singing and magic spells, tried to free a classmate from a cage.

6. A school that promotes health

For several years now, the school complex has also been running a canteen project, which involves assigning service duties to children in Years 3, 4 and 5, with the aim of fostering a sense of community and service to the local area. The school canteen at Bianzone Primary School is a service available to all pupils as part of the school timetable; it is located 300 metres away at the nursery school and offers a varied menu, prepared by the AST dietitian and cooked on site using mainly locally sourced produce. 

The surrounding area offers a range of opportunities to combine indoor and outdoor learning. Outings into the village are organised to improve pupils’ sense of direction and their knowledge of the municipality, its services and its hidden corners steeped in history, but also to help preserve traditions such as the chestnut harvest or the Carnival parade.

7. Safety and Community:

The “Road Safety and More…” project, carried out in collaboration with the traffic police and the Civil Protection Agency, was greatly appreciated by the pupils for its perfect balance between theory and practical field exercises. In particular, the end of the school day coincided with an emergency situation that needed to be resolved. The Bianzone Civil Protection service, assisted by volunteers from Villa di Tirano, involved pupils in Years 4 and 5 in a drill to evacuate the town centre. The pupils, divided into six teams, had to evacuate and gather residents from Piazza Vanoni, Via Bario and certain house numbers on Via Stelvio and Via Roma at the assembly point in the school playground. They were joined by members of the public who happened to be passing by at that moment. In total, around twenty people. The simulated scenario was an earthquake that had rendered the buildings in the town centre unsafe and unstable. The ‘pink zone’ was evacuated by Team 1, which managed the south side, and Team 2, which was in charge of the north side. Team 3, meanwhile, was tasked with evacuating the children in Years 1, 2 and 3 via the designated emergency routes. A field tent was set up in the school playground to show the children and those involved where evacuees are accommodated in the event of an emergency. Team 4 welcomed people, reassuring them, asking for their personal details and address, and directing them to where they should go. Team 5 provided water, whilst Team 6 supplied food to the evacuees. Everything went according to plan and in accordance with the regulations.

L'articolo CAMBIAMENTI….STRADA FACENDO ALLA SCUOLA PRIMARIA proviene da Ecomuseo Bianzone.

Even weeds awaken in spring

Along with vines, weeds also awaken with spring, which is why cleaning the soil of weeds becomes crucial.
This practice not only improves the vines' access to water and nutrient resources in the soil, but also reduces the competition they would face with other plants, promoting the health and vitality of the vineyard.

Green pruning for the balance and growth of vines

A key aspect of spring care in the vineyard is green pruning, which includes suckering and chevroning.
La suckering aims to remove fruitless shoots, while the checkering takes care of excess shoots. These operations, carried out skilfully, allow the vines and grapes to get the right amount of light and air, preventing moisture stagnation and possible fungal attacks.
Green pruning is, therefore, a delicate activity necessary to manage the growth and vegetative-productive balance of vines.

The tying of vine shoots

With the rapid growth of branches in spring, it becomes essential to tie the shoots to the row structure. In addition to giving the vineyard an orderly appearance, this practice serves to protect the fragile shoots from the wind and the future weight of the bunches, ensuring a harmonious distribution of the plant.

Prevention from possible diseases

Spring also marks the start of preventive operations against fungal diseases. Farmers spray their vines with sulphur and copper products, creating a natural shield that protects the vines from potential threats. This proactive approach ensures a healthy, high-quality harvest.

History of the vine - taken from the book ‘When Fireflies Flew - Volume 1‘ by Vanda Cerveri

The vine is a very ancient plant that has been present in the temperate zones of the planet for millions of years; only a few millennia ago, however, did it begin to produce wine. The Sumerians began, then the Egyptians and Greeks, and then the Etruscans. Vine cultivation in Valtellina dates back to pre-Roman times and was almost certainly imported in 300 B.C. by the Ligurians or Etruscans. Viticulture has always been the pre-eminent agricultural activity of the people of Bianzone.

The terracing with dry-stone walls that still cover a large part of our territory attest to the ingenuity of our ancestors who were able with patient work to “bring on the bare rocks the soil for the vines to take root” and also to the tenacity of those who continue to work hard to continue the wine-growing tradition of the village. 

To continue reading, access the link to a article of 25 June 2013 published on the previous Ecomuseo website: the VIGNA.

On the vine cycle the Bianzone Primary School realised in the’A.S. 2001-2002 a project which resulted in the realisation of the Wine Museum. As a testimony to that work the master Igino Ronchi made a film that can be viewed at the following link: FROM VINEYARD TO WINE

Photos realised on 27 March 2026

L'articolo IL PIANTO DELLE VITI proviene da Ecomuseo Bianzone.

- School and family - 50 years together to educate

- Evolution of a community - Bianzone Nursery School from 1951 to 2008

Within the first volume is an article written by the then Don Bruno Rocca which explained the principles on which the school was founded and which inspire it even now:

• A benefactor who decides to leave a mark in memory of his father. “Not flowers but good works”....
• A Kindergarten that came into being because a population wanted it....to give them a suitable educational environment where through play they could learn to socialise and learn the rules of life.
• A kindergarten that works because the population is always active and participative......a community that wants to run its own kindergarten and is there to make it as beautiful and efficient as its own home.
• A very strong social sense, a pronounced sense of right but also of corresponding duty, a habit of personal commitment and dedication without delegating to the “boss” on duty, I would also dare say a local legislation that is particularly attentive to demanding free services in particular situations and moments: reading the old statutes of our countries from this point of view is particularly instructive.
• To whom do you entrust the kindergarten? To the Sisters and after them to the G. Mascioni Nursery School Foundation One entrusts one's children to those who are “experts in humanity” because they have made a gift of their lives. Education, but also School, is not first and foremost the fruit of increasingly sophisticated techniques and means, but first and foremost of testimonies. One educates by loving, by loving, by listening....

Sunday 22 March 2026 Once again the community will come together to celebrate the school and those who attend it on a daily basis.

At 10:00 it starts with the Holy Mass at the Church of St. Syrus.

At 12:00 lunch at the Omar and Pietro sports centre.

This is followed by children's entertainment and the traditional lottery.

L'articolo FESTA DELLA SCUOLA DELL’INFANZIA proviene da Ecomuseo Bianzone.

It is a veritable vocabulary, where the most curious tools of the various trades carried out in the past, were found and described by the pupils of the upper classes in words and pictures and placed in alphabetical order in three sections: the farmer, the artisans and the itinerant trades.

The book is part of the school project LEARN THE ART AND PUT IT ASIDE and the wider project in agreement with Ecomuseo WHITE APPEARS TO ME

L'articolo Vocabolario illustrato degli attrezzi dei mestieri proviene da Ecomuseo Bianzone.

The text evokes difficult times, marked by pandemics (such as cholera and Spanish flu) and the tragedies of world wars. It dwells in particular on the past century marked by profound changes with the advent of progress that facilitated people's lives and accessibility on the one hand, but disrupted the natural habitat of yesteryear on the other.

The book is enriched with numerous photographs that help to bear witness to the past.

The title and subtitle (“Lights and Shadows”) recall the alternation between dark and serene moments in people's lives; fireflies represent small lights that soften the darkness.

L'articolo LIBRO ‘QUANDO VOLAVANO LE LUCCIOLE’ proviene da Ecomuseo Bianzone.

Doing and work understood as direct interaction between man and nature expressed a sense of existence in which each person felt himself to be the creator and participant in his own world, unlike today, when we feel less and less like participants, responsible and “actors” in the reality that surrounds us, but only frequenters and users.

As part of the ecomuseum project: “Mapping Bianzone”schoolchildren, with the project “Learn art and put it aside” discovered the old trades that were carried out in the village in the past, they learnt the gestures and got to know the tools and processes, with the help of experts and people who made themselves available. The year-long work led to the creation of a “Vocabulary of tools of the trade”and, at the beginning of the school year following the organisation ofthe ‘crafts corners” in the garden of Palazzetto Besta. 

Luciana Colombini, a primary school teacher, writes as follows:

It was an open-air workshop where the children, appropriately disguised, individually or in groups, performed the ancient crafts that once characterised Bianzone.
The cobbler, the locksmith, the farrier, the carpenter, the farmer are the most classic, but there was no shortage of those who sharpened knives and scythes, those who made brooms, those who cut wood, those who raked the hay, who filava, who carded. There were also the hawkers such as the chimney-sweeper, the umbrella-sweeper, the ragman, the tinsmith, funny and curious characters who lent themselves well to being played and who once carried out their task by wandering around the villages. 

È status It was nice to see how passionately the children imitated the ancient gestures, and it was even nicer to see some parents or grandparents sitting nearby trying to teach the “tricks of the trade”. 
In fact, the message with this project is once again to recover the past in order to learn about our own traditions that are unfortunately disappearing.

With this image, which someone in the audience described as “a painting”, ends this pleasant day that exalted taste and art in its various forms and made the older participants relive pleasant moments from their past.

The illustrated vocabulary of old trades is available at the Ecomuseo office and the City Hall.

L'articolo IMPARA L’ARTE E METTILA DA PARTE proviene da Ecomuseo Bianzone.