Students Explore Heritage through the Human Library at Balagne High School

On Monday, June 3rd, 2024, students from the High School of Balagne, guided by their history teacher Mr. Bertoncini, became attentive readers of the Human Library. This unique event allowed them to engage deeply with the rich cultural heritage of Corsica through personal stories and demonstrations.

Antoine Silvestri presented the book "Dry Stone Walls, Walls of Yesterday and Tomorrow," sharing his expertise in this ancient craft. He explained how the traditional dry stone construction, recognized by UNESCO since 2018, plays a vital role in preserving and protecting Corsican lands. This experience encouraged students to appreciate the stone walls that frame their rural paths, seeing them with newfound respect and interest.

Santu Massiani narrated "The Evening Gathering," a vivid recollection of communal life in Corsican villages before the advent of modern technology. Through engaging anecdotes, Santu highlighted the social and individual benefits of these gatherings, conveying the joy and sense of community they fostered.

Khava brought the story of "Weaving," imparting the traditional skills she learned from elderly women in a southern Corsican village. Students discovered the techniques, vocabulary, and daily life of traditional Corsican weaving, gaining insight into a practice that was previously unfamiliar to them.

Jean Saladini and Michel Frassati embodied "Corsica, a Singing Island," and shared their knowledge of Corsican sacred and secular polyphonic singing. The students learned about "U Cantu in paghjella," a distinctive style of polyphonic singing performed in three voices. They also witnessed a reenactment of wheat threshing accompanied by a secular polyphonic song, illustrating how music intertwined with everyday labor in Corsican villages.

These stories are now available as audio books on Spotify through the podcast "Memoria per l'Avvene," created for the European Human Library/Erasmus+ Project. This podcast aims to preserve and promote the valley's intangible heritage by sharing the collected stories with a broader audience.

Listen to the stories yourself on our dedicated Spotify podcast “Memoria per l'Avvene” : https://open.spotify.com/show/58erMG5lPo4vTeEmJ5s8S8