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 Ciciu of the Villar

LEGEND

Main element: Earth

Language of the original: Italian

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

The regions of Italy close to the mountains are particularly full of legends and stories: they were imagined by people living there in order to give an explanation for natural phenomena.
The scientific explanation of the appearance of the big rocks was not known in ancient times. The rocks are shaped like men, with a head and body, and so villagers’ imagination combined with their religious beliefs to create this story.

Near the town of Cuneo, there is a beautiful bush where you can find some big stones that look like huge mushrooms. They are the Villar St. Constantius’ Ciciu. Today we know that they are a geological phenomenon, but a “non-scientific” explanation persists.

The legend tells us that the Roman army was on the march, but just near Cuneo the army split in two: one legion decided to cut themselves off from the rest of the army because they refused to renounce the Christian God. Among these soldiers was Constantius, who decided to become Jesus’ apostle and preach everywhere with generosity and love the Christian faith. Unfortunately, this wasn’t easy at all for Constantius because the people of that region were conservative and didn’t trust the new Christian faith coming from Palestine. Despite this, Constantius stuck to his purpose. In Villar he went from house to house talking about Jesus, but the people there were particularly pagan and very ready to fight. Constantius often had to hide in the woods. On one occasion the pagans decided to chase him and kill him. Constantius went into the woods to pray, ready to become a martyr, but at that moment a miracle happened! The pagans were turned into enormous stones and their large heads became the "hats" of these rocks.

Centuries later a church was built in honour of Constantius who had meanwhile become a saint.

I Ciciu del Villar

LEGGENDA

Elemento: Terra

Lingua originale: Italiano

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

Vicino alla cittadina di Cuneo, c’è un bellissimo bosco in cui si possono trovare dei pietroni con l’aspetto di enormi funghi. Sono i Ciciu di Villar San Costanzo. Oggi sappiamo che si tratta di un fenomeno geologico, ma esiste anche una spiegazione "non scientifica".

La leggenda narra che in quei territori passò l’esercito romano per riunirsi con altre truppe, ma proprio vicino a Cuneo l’esercito si sciolse per contrasti riguardo alla fede Cristiana: una legione decise di dividersi dall’esercito per non rinunciare a Dio. Tra questi soldati c’era Costanzo che decise di diventare apostolo di Gesù e di predicare ovunque con generosità e amore la fede cristiana. Purtroppo questo impegno non era per nulla facile per Costanzo perché le persone del territorio erano molto tradizionaliste e non si fidavano della nuova fede che veniva dalla Palestina. Nonostante questo, Costanzo perseverava nel suo obiettivo: anche a Villar passava di casa in casa a parlare di Gesù, ma lì la gente era particolarmente pagana e molto facile a venire alle mani, per questo motivo Costanzo si nascondeva spesso nel bosco. Successe che una volta i pagani decisero di inseguirlo e ucciderlo: lui si mise nel bosco a pregare, era pronto a diventare un martire, ma in quel momento si verificò il miracolo! I pagani si trasformarono in enormi pietre e i loro testoni diventarono i "cappelli" di questi massi.

Secoli dopo venne costruita una chiesa in onore di Costanzo che intanto divenne santo.

Dutto A. (curated by) (2002), ieranavolta, storie, leggende, favole della tradizione piemontese, ArabaFenice editore, Boves.