SU Bergamo 2023: “See the beauty of Italy’s Capital of Culture”
Bergamo in the North of Italy has it all: great culture, rich history, fantastic lifestyle and ecological landmarks. Find out more about it during AEGEE-Bergamo’s Summer University “BiG Culture 2 tast3”, which takes place from 21st to 30th of July 2023.
GT: What is the main topic of your SU?
AEGEE-Bergamo: The main topic of our SU “BiG Culture 2 tast3” is local culture, especially related to the food and heritage of Bergamo. The theme of culture refers to discovery of the hidden landscapes and historical sites that the city preserves, local traditions related to food and folklore.
GT: Why did you choose the topic?
AEGEE-Bergamo: This year Bergamo, together with Brescia, obtained the title of Italian Capital of Culture 2023. This is an important opportunity to revitalise our antenna, as well as the entire territory of the two cities heavily affected by the first wave of Covid-19 in 2020. We want to show you our city in its greatest beauty.
GT: What will be the thematic highlights?
AEGEE-Bergamo: The SU will deal with large aspects of today’s lifestyle. The main topic of the training part is social equity and social responsibility, also in relation to food in order to grow awareness on the issues that impact our global system. For each discussion topic we prepare practical experiences related to the spirit of local culture, such as cooking, dialect and folk music.
GT: Which cities and landmarks will you visit?
AEGEE-Bergamo: Among others, we will visit Unesco heritage sites such as Città Alta and Crespi d’Adda, and the green panorama of the Astino Valley, winner of the Europe Landscape Award in 2021.
GT: What else will you do for fun?
AEGEE-Bergamo: We will discover the city in group games such as a treasure hunt and we will create unbreakable relations singing and dancing together. We will have unforgettable parties in discos and a local festival, we will have drinking experiences during a pubcrawl and in a local brewery, and we will have the BiGgest European Night ever!
GT: How much is the fee and what is included in it?
AEGEE-Bergamo: 128 Euro. We have respected the SU rule of 14 Euro per day, with two meals included. It gives the participants the opportunity to visit the city’s main cultural venues, take trips to sites in the city and province of Bergamo, taste the delicacies of gastronomy and become an expert in local traditions and dialect.
GT: How much is the optional fee and what is included in it?
AEGEE-Bergamo: The 50 Euro optional fee includes a guided tour of the village of Crespi d’Adda and its hydroelectric power plant. The Village of Crespi d’Adda is a modern workers’ village built at the end of the 19th century by the Crespi family of industrialists next to their textile factory, along the Bergamo side of the River Adda. It is a complete town built from scratch by the factory owner for his employees and their families, who received a house with a garden and all the necessary facilities. The site is on the Unesco World Heritage List and is an outstanding example of the workers’ village phenomenon, the most complete and best preserved in Southern Europe.
GT: Who is the ideal participant?
AEGEE-Bergamo: Our ideal participants are open minded and easy-going persons. They love culture and nature and like to share with people like them! They want to learn and discover the world without harming it. They have energy to use in outdoor activities and group games, or cooking. They want to have fun, sing and dance at sunset.
GT: What can you tell us about AEGEE-Bergamo, what makes it special or famous?
AEGEE-Bergamo: AEGEE-Bergamo has a long history of local events, such as Aperasmus that makes people have fun on Thursday since 2010, and also European events: in 2016 AEGEE-Bergamo hosted the Spring Agora Bergamo, “Agora of the 1000”, as well as many Summer Universities, two Europe on Track stops and a Network Meeting in 2022! Our Orio al Serio airport is famous for the most popular low cost flights in Northern Italy. We are perfectly connected with all of Europe and a transit point for more and more AEGEEans.
GT: Where can interested people find out more about your SU?
AEGEE-Bergamo: On our Instagram page, don’t miss a reel, there you can already start tasting how BiG our Summer will be. Contact us to ask any further questions or curiosity. Our mascot Pirù will reply to you! You can apply for our Summer University here.
GT: Do you have a message to potential applicants?
AEGEE-Bergamo: Do you want to discover what pirù means? Carpe diem! Don’t miss a unique opportunity for a well-rounded experience: dips into the taste, eats like only Italy can, very BiG style social programme. Don’t be shy… Polenta e osei is not that evil!
