4 ELEMENTS

Project logo
Improve the foreign language learning and intercultural competences of adults through e-learning

The project

FOUR ELEMENTS is an initiative called to raise awareness and appreciation of the importance of culture and heritage as well as to train educators working with adult learners who want to improve their skills and competences necessary in today’s EU labour market.

The project will take advantage of the potential of the common European cultural values associated to the 4 elements earth, water, air and fire) to empower adults to improve their digital, foreign language and intercultural competences.

The partnership expects to develop and deliver innovative teaching materials presented in a culturally accessible E-book consisting of European legends and stories – giving visibility to the underlying common EU values and principles, especially adapted to learners with special needs.

To achieved such objectives, partners will develop:

An interactive map: a collection of legends and stories related to earth, water, air and fire, in different EU countries.

Digital Books with national legends and stories related to the four elements.

Methodological recommendations for adult educators.

To find more information, access the Four Elements platform here.

Digital books

The nations of Europe all have rich cultures of myth and folklore which give the different regions their particular individual flavour. Here we have grouped traditional stories from Belgium, Estonia, France, Greece, Italy, Slovenia and Spain according to the four elements: earth, air, wind and fire.

They are specially adapted to adult learners and can be used to develop language or ICT skills among your students while enhancing intercultural understanding.

Alongside the stories, this digital book contains interactive exercises and is in Easy Read format. All the material in it can be downloaded and printed. Teachers and trainers will find tips and suggestions for how to use it on the Recommendations section of this site.

European partnership

Four Elements is an Erasmus+ KA204 project designed to highlight the importance of culture and heritage at European Union level. It aims to train educators working with adult learners to enable them to acquire the skills and competences, including linguistic and digital skills and competences, required in the European labour market.

The project is coordinated by : CVO EduKempen (Belgium). The partnership also includes DomSpain Consulting (Spain), The Central Library of Võru County (Estonia), Les Apprimeurs (France), Istituto dei Sordi di Torino (Italy), Slovenian Third Age University (Slovenia), MyArtist (Greece).

Erasmus+ project

Erasmus logo The European Commission's support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

The beautiful Alda

LEGEND

Main element: Air

Language of the original: Italian

Date of origin: Difficult to know, maybe 17th century

To find more information about the legend, access the Four Elements platform here.

Saint Michael’s Abbey is really important in the Susa Valley not only because it is in a strategic place from where all the territory can be controlled, but also because it is a culturally rich area full of mystery.
According to the legend, Saint Michael killed the Devil and sent him back to Hell. The places of worship of the archangel can be found along the line going from Ireland to Israel. The three most important sites on this line are Mont Saint Michel in France, the Sacra di San Michele in the Susa Valley and the sanctuary of Monte Sant’Angelo in Gargano (Puglia, Italy) and they are all at the same distance from one other.

The Susa Valley is an alpine valley located west of Turin, on the border with France. At the head of this valley is Pirchiriano’s mountain with St. Michael’s abbey overlooking it.

Alda lived near the abbey. When she turned sixteen everybody called her the Beautiful Alda. She was innocent with harmonious features. Alda was very religious and every day she went to the abbey to pray to the Virgin and the archangel Michael, though the area was becoming quite dangerous: beside the abbey, in a castle, lived a terrifying and arrogant earl with his soldiers.

The earl noticed the Alda’s beauty and ordered two soldiers to arrest her and bring her to him. One day, when Alda was coming back from her usual visit to the abbey, the two soldiers began bothering and following her. So Alda escaped, but she found herself on a path leading to a cliff: the two soldiers giggled because they felt sure they would catch her. Alda saw that in front of her there was only a precipice. Alda decided to jump into the emptiness, calling upon the Virgin and the archangel Michael, and at that moment a miracle happened: the Beautiful Alda began falling slowly and softly and she reached the earth without getting hurt.

The entire valley heard about the miracle, and everyone wanted to meet Alda.

Unfortunately Alda became vain. She decided to jump again from the precipice; but, despite her prayers to the Virgin and the archangel Michael, her body miserably fell on the rocks and she died.

La bell'Alda

LEGGENDA

Elemento: Aria

Lingua originale: Italiano

Data di origine: XVII secolo

Per avere ulteriori informazioni sulla leggenda, accedi alla piattaforma 4elements da qui.

La Valle di Susa è una valle alpina situata a ovest di Torino, confinante con la Francia. All’inizio di questa valle, sul monte Pirchiriano, l’abbazia di San Michele domina il luogo.

Alda abitava vicino al convento dell’abbazia ed era chiamata da tutti “bell’Alda” proprio per il suo aspetto divenuto puro e armonioso in particolar modo all’età di 16 anni. Alda era molto religiosa e ogni giorno si recava all’abbazia per pregare la Vergine e l’arcangelo Michele, nonostante la zona fosse diventata pericolosa: di fianco all’abbazia, nel castello, stavano conte e i suoi soldati e spargevano ovunque il terrore con le loro prepotenze.

Il conte notò subito la bellezza di Alda e ordinò a due soldati di fermarla e portarla da lui. Andò così che un giorno, mentre Alda rientrava dall’abituale visita all’abbazia, i due soldati le iniziarono a dare fastidio e a inseguirla. Alda quindi scappò, ma si trovò su un sentiero che portava solamente a uno strapiombo: i due soldati ridacchiarono perché erano certi di riuscire a prenderla, mentre Alda vide davanti a sé solamente una voragine. Alda decise di lanciarsi nel vuoto invocando la Vergine e l’arcangelo Michele e in quel momento successe il miracolo: la bell’Alda iniziò a scendere dolcemente e arrivò a terra senza farsi male.

La notizia del miracolo si diffuse per tutta la valle, tutti volevano incontrare Alda.

La ragazza, spinta da vanità, decise di ripetere il salto, ma nonostante le preghiere alla Vergine e all’arcangelo Michele, il corpo cadde miseramente sulle rocce e Alda morì.

Gatto Chanu T. (2010), Leggende e racconti popolari del Piemonte, Newton Compton Editori, Roma.