Ivrea Carnival: “I will certainly be back next year to fully experience this party”

IVREA. «When I realized that I was coming to Ivrea, I immediately searched the internet for what to expect and I found Olivetti and Carnival. The Carnival above all, because it is truly the visiting card of the city in the world ». Jonas, 17, from Prague, is one of the student guests in the city thanks to Intercultura: on the eve of his departure he saw and reviewed the videos of the battle of the oranges, already anticipating the thrill of experiencing that somewhat crazy event live. he exuded adrenaline even through a computer screen. «And instead – he comments disconsolately – I am there, but the Carnival is not. I admit that finding out was a shock: my “host dad”, Giorgio Giachino wrote it to me, and he saddened me a lot, because the Ivrea Carnival is something unique in the world. However, this did not make me regret the destination that was assigned to me: I have only been here for a month, but I have already had the opportunity to discover many aspects of the city that I really appreciate: nature and cuisine, above all ».

Jonas is not at the first experience in our country and his very fluent Italian proves it: “I have already been often in Italy, for holidays or to study the language: most of the times I have been in Tuscany and it is the first time that I have discovered north. Knowing the language already helped me a lot in approaching this experience and is helping me to appreciate to the fullest the opportunities that this experience offers me. I love Italian history and culture, as well as the language: when I had the opportunity to experience a period abroad with Intercultura, I was undecided whether to choose the United States, attracted by the myth of the American dream or Italy. In the end I am very happy to be here, also because between Ivrea and my house there are a thousand kilometers and this will surely give me the opportunity to come back here again, to find my host family, my friends and learn more about what I have known. in these months. In a few weeks I had the opportunity to become very attached to the host family and I have created excellent relationships with schoolmates of the Botta high school. Even without Carnival Ivrea won my heart ».

During this weekend, Jonas experienced the city and breathed the Carnival atmosphere that animated it, becoming more and more convinced of how much the event is to be experienced in the round: “I will return next year to experience Carnival, because this year too in I couldn’t understand its importance: seeing the flags, the people wearing the colors of their teams, hearing how much people talk about this party, even if it isn’t there … lets me imagine what a fantastic manifestation when it is fully realized ». Jonas arrived at the end of January, together with Martin and Matilda, from Chile. “The families and schools in our area – the local Intercultura managers explain – are demonstrating that they have the ability to look beyond the emergency by opening their own doors to the world. Individual gestures of civil conscience which, added up between lgold, they help build bridges of dialogue between peoples at a time when the world is building and imposing walls between borders ”.