Liceo Classico Paolo Sarpi in Bergamo
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Liceo Classico Paolo Sarpi is a prominent public high school in
Bergamo Bergamo (; lmo, Bèrghem ; from the proto- Germanic elements *''berg +*heim'', the "mountain home") is a city in the alpine Lombardy region of northern Italy, approximately northeast of Milan, and about from Switzerland, the alpine lakes Como ...
,
Lombardy Lombardy ( it, Lombardia, Lombard language, Lombard: ''Lombardia'' or ''Lumbardia' '') is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in the northern-central part of the country and has a population of about 10 ...
, northern Italy, (ranked 2nd
nationally A nation is a community of people formed on the basis of a combination of shared features such as language, history, ethnicity, culture and/or society. A nation is thus the collective identity of a group of people understood as defined by those ...
by Eduscopio in 2016 and 2017) because of the methodology combining Ancient Greek language and culture, Latin language and culture, Scientific studies with
Philosophy Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some ...
and History. Every year, some 100 students graduate from Sarpi, that is one of Italy's oldest
humanistic Humanism is a philosophical stance that emphasizes the individual and social potential and agency of human beings. It considers human beings the starting point for serious moral and philosophical inquiry. The meaning of the term "humani ...
, scientific and social
high schools A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...
. Established in 1506 under the name of ''Accademia della Misericordia,'' the academy is named after
Venetian Venetian often means from or related to: * Venice, a city in Italy * Veneto, a region of Italy * Republic of Venice (697–1797), a historical nation in that area Venetian and the like may also refer to: * Venetian language, a Romance language s ...
polymath
Paolo Sarpi Paolo Sarpi (14 August 1552 – 15 January 1623) was a Venetian historian, prelate, scientist, canon lawyer, and statesman active on behalf of the Venetian Republic during the period of its successful defiance of the papal interdict (1605–16 ...
since 1803.


The documentary-film ''Gli anni e i giorni'' (2012)

Fifth-year Sarpi students share their last high school year in a documentary-film about the liceo classico and the Italian education system. While preparing for the Esame di Stato, students live the delicate moment of transition to adulthood and they seek to reconcile the uncertainties with the expectations about their future.


Excellence at Sarpi: the 2015 National Report

Sarpi is considered an elitist high school and a selective, harsh and competitive environment with the enrolment decreasing by 40% between 2015 and 2016. A 2015 report of the Italian Ministry of Education highlights that drop-outs and failures at Sarpi are too frequent and must be reduced significantly. To favour gifted students, 25% of students were not admitted to the next grade and 29.5% were conditionally allowed to advance to the next grade, only after re-taking failed exams over the summer (Italian average being 11,5%) in the year before ''Esame di Stato''. Students tend to enrol in other high schools, because of the higher chances to succeed. The school's policies too rarely allow teachers to assess students with top grades: bright pupils are rarely graded 9 and 10 out of 10 but more often middle band grades 7 and 8 (with 6 out of 10 being the passing grade). This grading policy disfavours Sarpi scholars as compared to students of other Italian high schools, where teachers abide by the national grading system, ranging from 3 to 10. In 2016, the average grade at Sarpi was 6.98 out of 10 and 1% of Sarpi students had a GPA higher or equal than 9. Although data show that grades awarded at Sarpi stand below the Italian average, the report highlights Sarpi students excellence. At the 2014 Ministerial National tests of Humanities and Scientific studies, the Institute performed far above Italian schools' average and Sarpi pupils were asked to re-take the tests, because results exceeded the expectations as compared to the
National National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...
situation (INVALSI National tests 2014). On the other hand, students in South Italy, who are less prepared but tend to get better grades as compared to
Northern Italy Northern Italy ( it, Italia settentrionale, it, Nord Italia, label=none, it, Alta Italia, label=none or just it, Nord, label=none) is a geographical and cultural region in the northern part of Italy. It consists of eight administrative regions ...
, finished last in the National tests. This phenomenon is also known as Italy's North-
South South is one of the cardinal directions or Points of the compass, compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Pro ...
divide in school grading
standards Standard may refer to: Symbols * Colours, standards and guidons, kinds of military signs * Standard (emblem), a type of a large symbol or emblem used for identification Norms, conventions or requirements * Standard (metrology), an object th ...
, and it was described in the Italian Journal of Sociology of Education in 2015. In 2016, no scholars at Sarpi graduated with honours. On the contrary,
Southern Italy Southern Italy ( it, Sud Italia or ) also known as ''Meridione'' or ''Mezzogiorno'' (), is a macroregion of the Italian Republic consisting of its southern half. The term ''Mezzogiorno'' today refers to regions that are associated with the peop ...
holds the record of students graduated with honours: 944 in
Apulia it, Pugliese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographic ...
, 802 in Campania and 516 in Sicily. About the competences, the report confirms that "the curriculum of this school does not address the world of work, rather it is meant to educate the future ruling class. Apprenticeships involving all students should be nonetheless implemented".


History and contribution to the Italian unification

The first public school of Grammar, Humanities, and Rhetorics was established by the Republic of Venice in 1506 under the name of ''Accademia della Misericordia.'' The modern school was established by Napoleonic decree in 1803, while the villa on the Rosate hill was erected between 1845 and 1852 under the auspices of the
Austrian Government The Government of Austria (german: Bundesregierung der Republik Österreich) is the executive cabinet of the Republic of Austria. It consists of the chancellor, who is the head of government, the vice chancellor and the ministers. Appointme ...
as "Regio Liceo". In 1860, the academy contributed to the
Italian Unification The unification of Italy ( it, Unità d'Italia ), also known as the ''Risorgimento'' (, ; ), was the 19th-century political and social movement that resulted in the consolidation of different states of the Italian Peninsula into a single ...
with seventy students out of 170 Bergamasque
Hunters of the Alps The Hunters of the Alps ( it, Cacciatori delle Alpi) were a military corps created by Giuseppe Garibaldi in Cuneo on 20 February 1859 to help the regular Sardinian army to free the northern part of Italy in the Second Italian War of Independen ...
taking part in Garibaldi's Expedition of the Thousand, aimed at invading the
Kingdom of the Two Sicilies The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies ( it, Regno delle Due Sicilie) was a kingdom in Southern Italy from 1816 to 1860. The kingdom was the largest sovereign state by population and size in Italy before Italian unification, comprising Sicily and a ...
and annexing its territory to the incipient Kingdom of Italy in 1861. In 2011, the academy took part in the celebration of the 150° anniversary of the Italian unification: for the occasion, the President of the Republic,
Giorgio Napolitano Giorgio Napolitano (; born 29 June 1925) is an Italian politician who served as president of Italy from 2006 to 2015, the first Italian president to be re-elected to the presidency. Due to his dominant position in Italian politics, some critics ...
, visited
Bergamo Bergamo (; lmo, Bèrghem ; from the proto- Germanic elements *''berg +*heim'', the "mountain home") is a city in the alpine Lombardy region of northern Italy, approximately northeast of Milan, and about from Switzerland, the alpine lakes Como ...
, a town that Garibaldi hailed as ''La'' ''Città dei Mille'', because of the major role the Alpine city played in the Expedition of the Thousandbr>
Recently, the school adopted the following modernization reforms: * in 1989 the ''Liceo'' adopted the continuation of foreign language learning in the triennium; * in 1990 the ''Liceo'' adhered to the National Plan for Computer Sciences Learning; * in 1996 it approved the experimentation of cultural heritage studies and history of art; * the Hermes project (1998) was an experiment of autonomous pedagogy, to find new ways to develop recovery activities. * Since 2014, the school has opened its cabinet of Physics, Biology, Arts and History, with Italy's second most ancient collection of scientific instruments dating back to 17th century.


Sport

In 1907, the ''Società Bergamasca di Ginnastica e Sports Atletici Atalanta'' was instituted in the gym of the academy by some Swiss students. It was renamed Atalanta B.C. after the mythological Greek athlete Atalanta in 1914 and competed for the first time in UEFA Champions League in the 2019–2020 season.


The palace as a filming location

The palace and the surrounding areas have been used as setting of several movies: * ''Call Me by Your Name'' (by Luca Guadagnino, 2017; screenplay by James Ivory). Piazza Rosate and the courtyard of Sarpi were filming locations of the
2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...
romantic-drama film, which was awarded the Oscar for the Best Adapted Screenplay in 2018. Among the other historical buildings,
Bergamo Cathedral Bergamo Cathedral ( it, Duomo di Bergamo, ''Cattedrale di Sant'Alessandro'') is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Bergamo, Italy, dedicated to Saint Alexander of Bergamo, patron saint of the city. It is the seat of the Bishop of Bergamo. History From ...
,
Santa Maria Maggiore The Basilica of Saint Mary Major ( it, Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, ; la, Basilica Sanctae Mariae Maioris), or church of Santa Maria Maggiore, is a Major papal basilica as well as one of the Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome and the larges ...
, and the University of Sciences, Letters and Arts were also used. * ''
Una grande famiglia Una grande famiglia'' (English: The family) is an Italian television TV series produced for Rai 1, the flagship television channel of RAI, Italy's national public service broadcaster, and the most watched television channel in the country. It ...
'' (''The Family'', 2012–2015, by
Riccardo Milani Riccardo Milani (born 15 April 1958) is an Italian film and television director and screenwriter. Life and career Born in Rome, Milani began his career in 1985, as assistant director of Mario Monicelli in '' Let's Hope It's a Girl''. After b ...
for Rai 1, flagship television channel of Italy's public broadcasting company Rai). *
Gli Anni e i Giorni
' (by Beppe Manzi, 2012).


School subjects and plan of study

In 2010, the Gelmini reform changed the traditional Italian school system, so now students follow this specific pattern of courses that covers a large range of disciplines. Sarpi offers (together with this programme of studies) courses in
music theory Music theory is the study of the practices and possibilities of music. ''The Oxford Companion to Music'' describes three interrelated uses of the term "music theory". The first is the "rudiments", that are needed to understand music notation (ke ...
and
history of music Although definitions of music vary wildly throughout the world, every known culture partakes in it, and it is thus considered a cultural universal. The origins of music remain highly contentious; commentators often relate it to the origin of ...
or an in-depth course in science or maths, for one or two hours a week every year. Upon the completion of the studies, students must pass the ''Esame di Stato'' (until 1999 denominated ''Esame di maturità'') to obtain their ''diploma di maturità''. * *with computer lab at first biennial Second Foreign Language and
History of Music Although definitions of music vary wildly throughout the world, every known culture partakes in it, and it is thus considered a cultural universal. The origins of music remain highly contentious; commentators often relate it to the origin of ...
(optional). Speciality of Maths offered as well during the final three years of Liceo.


Notable alumni (partial)

*
Giulio Terzi di Sant'Agata Giulio Terzi di Sant'Agata (; born 9 June 1946) is an Italian diplomat and politician. He was Italy's Minister of Foreign Affairs in Mario Monti's government from November 2011 until March 2013, Permanent Representative of Italy to the United N ...
, Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Italy's ambassador to the United States,
Permanent representative of Italy to the United Nations Permanent Representatives of Italy to the United Nations from October 1, 1947 References {{DEFAULTSORT:Italian Ambassador To The United Nations Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Ita ...
, where he led the Italian delegation to the United Nations Security Council. *
Filippo Maria Pandolfi Filippo Maria Pandolfi (born 1 November 1927 in Bergamo) is a former Italian politician, minister, and European commissioner. Pandolfi graduated in philosophy at the Università Cattolica Milano, taught for some years and then worked for a p ...
,
European commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science The Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation was a portfolio within the European Commission. In 2019, the portfolio was merged with the Commissioner for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture to form the role of European Commissioner for Inn ...
. Minister of Agriculture, European Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society, Minister of the Industry, twice Minister of Treasury. *
Roberto Calderoli Roberto Calderoli (born 18 April 1956) is an Italian politician and a member of the Senate of the Republic. He was a Minister without portfolio for Legislative Simplification in the Berlusconi IV Cabinet. He previously served as Minister without ...
, vice president of the Italian Senate of the Republic. *
Vittorio Feltri Vittorio Feltri ( Bergamo, born 25 June 1943) is an Italian journalist and editor in chief of daily ''Libero''. Biography Feltri was born in Bergamo, Italy. He graduated with a degree in Political Science and then started his career as journa ...
, Italian journalist, editor of Libero. *
Bortolo Belotti Bortolo Belotti (26 August 1877 – 24 July 1944) was an Italian politician of the first half of 20th century. Life Born in Zogno, son of a wealthy family, he studied law at the University of Pavia and then became a lawyer. In 1907, he joined ...
, Italian politician, historian and jurist, Minister for Industry and Commerce. *
Mirko Tremaglia Mirko Tremaglia (17 November 1926 – 30 December 2011) was an Italian politician and lawyer. Famous for his youth as a fascist soldier, he was one of the most important exponents of the Italian far-right politics during the "First Republic" Ital ...
, Italian politician and Minister for the Italians living abroad. *Claudia Ferrazzi, France's cultural advisor for National education, university, research and innovation, sport and culture. Former managing director of Louvre Museum in Paris.{{Cite news, url=http://www.lepoint.fr/politique/qui-est-claudia-ferrazzi-la-conseillere-culture-d-emmanuel-macron-26-05-2017-2130549_20.php, title=Qui est Claudia Ferrazzi, la conseillère culture d'Emmanuel Macron ?, last=magazine, first=Le Point, date=2017-05-26, work=Le Point, access-date=2017-10-03, language=fr-FR Secretary general of the French Academy in Rome, Villa Medici. Inspector at the French Ministry of Finance. * Giorgio Gori, entrepreneur, mayor of Bergamo and exponent of
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...
.


External links

* "Liceo Sarpi has to repeat the INVALSI tests: students are too smart" -
L'eco di Bergamo ''L'Eco di Bergamo'' is an Italian language daily newspaper published in Bergamo, Italy. The paper has been in circulation since 1880. History and profile ''L'Eco di Bergamo'' was established by the Sesa company in 1880. Its publisher is SESAA ...
26 September 2013. http://www.ecodibergamo.it/stories/Cronaca/395452_sei_bravo_nel_test_allora_bari_il_sarpi_penalizzato_allinvalsi/ * Liceo Sarpi opens its museum of physics and literature. http://milano.repubblica.it/cronaca/2012/09/13/foto/fisica-42466922/1/


Pictures

File:Città-alta.jpg, The skyline of the Upper City of
Bergamo Bergamo (; lmo, Bèrghem ; from the proto- Germanic elements *''berg +*heim'', the "mountain home") is a city in the alpine Lombardy region of northern Italy, approximately northeast of Milan, and about from Switzerland, the alpine lakes Como ...
. The Liceo Classico Paolo Sarpi palace is on the left of the picture. File:Liceo classico Paolo Sarpi - Bergamo - gabinetto di fisica.jpg, Physics Laboratory File:Gabinetto di fisica - Paolo Sarpi.jpg, Physics Laboratory File:Liceo classico Paolo Sarpi - Bergamo - Frontale - cartolina del 1924.jpg, The building in 1924 File:Liceo classico Paolo Sarpi - Bergamo - staircase.jpg, The staircase leading to the first floor


References

Schools in Italy