Anghiari si racconta

I was born on the 20th March 1971, in Anghiari where, at the time, there was still a maternity ward - I am one of the last born here, anghiarese Doc! My parents, now in heaven, were sharecroppers… later they became owners of some land in Torchiale, towards Tavernelle, near the sport centre, where Paolo and I and our son Pietro live.

After the death of my parents, I started some flowerbeds. We live in the country in an old farmhouse with a big yard. I grew up with chooks and rabbits, a vegetable garden and many flowers because my mother loved them deeply. In this yard, I set up 6 beds with flowers, plants, herbs and lavender, a hard job since the ground was full of stones and weed. Sinking my hands in the soil, taking care of it, seeing that what I have planted is growing is a cause of joy for me - I feel the presence of God continuing his free and generous act of creation. I feel myself part of it all.

I met Paolo 35 years ago, in Sansepolcro, in a group of friends. We got married in 2000 and have always lived in the house that my parents left us.

I went to the elementary school here, in via Bozzia, to intermediate school at the Leonardo da Vinci, and then to a teaching school in Città di Castello because l had always liked children and had a very clear idea that I wanted to enter their world. After attending for three years, I studied for another two to obtain the primary school teaching diploma, to which I added the last year of a classical high school qualification that enabled me to enrol in the Institute of Religious Studies in Arezzo.

There, I discovered a new world of theological studies, analysing the Bible in depth, but I still had the idea of entering the school system. Fortunately, while studying, I could temp at Chiusi della Verna, and at Corezzo which is half an hour from the Holy valley, Saint Francis valley…I was there for seven years. When I started in Corezzo, with very little practical experience, I found myself with 24-25 students, grouped in two levels, 1 to 3 and 4 and 5 and I found that rather difficult. There were foreign students, mainly Germans, and different religions, Hare Krishna, totally different cultures - a new world opened up for me. And I found exceptional colleagues whom I still remember now, 25 years later … special at a human and an educational level - they taught me a lot, ‘I stole with my eyes’ as my mother used to say. Then slowly I added more hours and went to Bibbiena, all around the Casentino region, then to Arezzo. All this time I was living in Anghiari.

I remember it as if it was today: 20 years ago, I was on holiday with Paolo and Pietro, and, while we were climbing, the phone rang. It was the secretary of the diocese: ‘There is a position in Anghiari for a teacher of religion - do you want to take it?’. Silence … because, away from Anghiari, I was happy, I felt mentally free. Well… in 2006-7 I became a permanent teacher of religion, in the school I’d gone to in via Bozzia.

I started to teach here even though I was happy where I was before, in upper Casentino.  It was an inevitable choice - my parents were getting old, and Pietro was little, so commuting every day for two-three hours was very tiring. At the beginning, it wasn’t a choice of the heart, it was more the thought of taking care of my family and Pietro.

When I worked away from Anghiari, I was simply the religion teacher, Catia Buzzichini; when you work in your home village you are also a friend, an acquaintance, and so, outside school, it is necessary to have some boundaries. I teach nine classes, lots of children, many parents … I need to be free to say: ‘we are not at school now’. On weekends I seek refuge in my home, I need to empty my mind.

I have always had a passion for teaching children, in particular, those from six to eleven years old - I believe it is in my DNA…. Children welcome you, they don’t have filters, they are totally free, good or bad, we hide a lot, children say if it is black or white …. I have a lot of fun. When I am with them, I feel like a child, I feel understood, every day I learn from them - they don’t wear masks, they teach you what is essential. Our job is about giving and receiving - it is not just us who are giving. I have special kids, even now after 30 years, they move me … perhaps they don’t talk, they speak even in silence, and also the families struggling every day, with a disarming dignity …. It’s a reciprocal relationship.

A teacher’s job is very similar to that of a farmer - there is the sun, affection, love that moves you, rain, tempests. I love my vegetable garden …children are like seedlings, all different.  The child already has within them a man, a woman … one has only to take a hoe, pull out weeds, water them, the plants will bear fruit. Our vocation is not to stuff heads, but let things emerge, hone those talents we all have… foster special talents, children with manual skills, with writing abilities, and the capacity for generosity, kindness. Really, a garden.

Sometimes I want to see a result immediately, often it isn’t there, but there is hope… sometimes we see results 10-15 years later. We need to be able to let go, a bit like a mother … not easy. We can’t control everything, only do our share, try our best. And, we need to encourage children to use their heads, critical thinking, to have ideas - now, more than ever, we need people who reflect, learn … not be a flock of sheep.

It is hard to talk about my faith, it is an important element in my life. When you look at yourself in a mirror, you see wrinkles, imperfections - to have faith requires a lot … I am searching.  It is clear I couldn’t teach religion if I didn’t have faith. Religion in schools is not catechism, absolutely not, it is the study of the catholic religion but also a dialogue with other religions - we must try to build peace bridges from a young age - children need to know about differences but I try to stress what unites us. So, I think we should maintain the identity of each religion, Islam, Judaism, Christianity, but stress the importance of helping the poor, thinking about peace, conflict avoidance - the concepts shared by all religions.

In recent years, I have noticed that many more children don’t know about god, Jesus, Allah … it should be the role of grandparents - it is more difficult to teach religion now because it is not connected to traditions, to the culture of the town. On the 3rd of May, the feast of the Cross, only those children who go to catechism or attend the parish know what it is. This Christmas only one child in 30 knew its connection with Jesus - they only thought about Father Christmas. It has been a rapid change.

Even when I worked away from Anghiari I was fascinated by the social side of this town - so many people of good will dedicated to serve others for free. I was a volunteer of the Misericordia for 10 years, then I got pregnant and had to stop. In the parish, I taught catechism for 20 years but then things changed - my mother had a serious stroke and needed assistance, my father was alone, it was important to dedicate all the time after school hours to him.

The school is a fundamental aspect of anghiarese society… but we have a Damocles sword hanging over our heads - with fewer children, the State tends to merge institutions…. We work very hard on a lot of projects, collaborating with the community - the Museo della Battaglia, the Misericordia, the parish, the blood donors, the library, and the bank gives us financial support. We are participating in the project called ‘Borgo della cultura’, [cultural village] …we do historical plays with children; year 3 went all over town with a show dedicated to the volunteer associations; last year we researched the wall gates of Anghiari. We also organized the ‘tourist guide for a day’: children were tourist guides, taking parents and tourists around the town explaining history as living history. We did a show on San Francesco - it gave me goosebumps, children are fantastic, they destroy you during rehearsals, but when they are on stage they give it all back.

Returning to ‘service’ – such an important word, linked to passion and patience. It is, of course, one of the key words for those working with and for others.

With thanks to Mirella for a very congenial collaboration.