ENEWAY

We are energy

Piatra Neamt

Romania

Students Monique De Luna Cecilia Malgeri Giulia Rosina Elettra Zanzi Fabrizio Russo Yvonne Tettamanzi

The 3rd F Linguistic and the 4th C Linguistics High School Artemisia Gentileschi Milano 4^ Cl 4^ Cl 4^ Cl 4^ Cl 3^Fl 3^Fl Head Master Mr Agostino Miele Teachers Ms Annamaria Giurgola Ms Francesca Giorgetti Ms Anna Gagliano Ms Daniela Faganel Mr Stefano Gorla Ms Leigh Halstead Mr Paul Smith Ms Daniela Strano

Mr Marco Valtolina Mr Thomas Jurish The State High School for Tourism "Artemisia Gentileschi" was founded in 1982 to satisfy the growing demand for education and training in tourism and modern languages. Our school offers two courses: Tourism and an autonomous course in Modern Languages. The Tourism Course aims at the acquisition of knowledge and effective skills usable in the tourist industry: travel agents, the hotel sector, transport and territorial services. The curriculum of the Modern Languages course aims at the acquisition of a solid cultural base and three foreign languages. For both courses the school leaving certificate enables students to enroll in University faculties. Artemisia Gentileschi High School has always tried to be a multilingual school, that encourages the integration of different cultures. For this reason Artemisia Gentileschi High School thinks that European projects are an opportunity for growth for its students Participation in Paternariato Comenius's The energy way: a path connecting cultures. A link forging Europes stakes, a step to European sustainable citizenship allows it to continue this way: Italian students learn to compare themselves to foreign students, especially through student exchanges and visits to partnering schools. In this Parternariato Gentileschi students of the 3rd F Linguistics class Yvonne Tettamanzi and Fabrizio Russo, and the students of 4th C Linguistics class Monique De Luna, Cecilia Malgeri, Giulia Rosina and Elettra Zanzi have prepared a brochure on Piatra Neamt and also a report on: Piatra Neamts history, its geography, its monuments, and also a study on the use of renewable energy in Romania in general and Piatra Neamt in particular.

Self portraits Artemisia Gentileschi at the beginning of the 17th century. For a woman being a painter in that period was a difficult choice.

History

PIATRA NEAMT
Piatra Neamt is the capital city of Neam County, in the the historical region of Moldavia, located in the eastern part of Romania, 350 km away from Bucarest. It has a population of about 108,085 and an area of 77.47 km. Piatra Neam lies in the Bistria River Valley, surrounded by mountains at an average height of 345 m. Because of its privileged location in the Eastern Carpathian mountains, it is considered one of the most picturesque cities in Romania. The city is divided into 13 districts, the nearest airport is Bacu, situated 60 km to the south. The county name Neam (Neam = German) was added to the toponym piatra meaning rock in Romanian to distinguish it from towns in other counties with the same name. .

The area around Piatra Neam is one of the oldest inhabited areas in Romania. The oldest traces of human civilisation in the present territory date back to the upper Paleolithic, about 100,000 years BC. Artifacts of the Cucuteni culture have been uncovered in the territory of Neam county. Archaeologists have also discovered objects here dating back to the Neolithic Period and the Bronze Age (about 1900-1700 BC).

Excavations revealed the ruins of a large Dacian city, Petrodava, mentioned by Greek geographer Ptolemy in the 2nd century. The first urban settlements were founded under the rule of Peter I of Moldavia (13751391), while the princely court of Piatra Neamt was founded by Stefan III, Stephen the Great, named Stefan cel Mare, between 1468 and 1475. It became a political and commercial centre for several centuries, until the beginning of the First World War, when political instability of the region penalized it. The end of the war and the union with Romania allowed industrial activity to start up again.

Historical architecture
The most important monumental structure of Piatra Neamt is the Citadel complex, whose construction was begun by Stefan cel Mare in the second half of the fifteenth century. The complex, located in the centre of the city today, houses the Palace of the Court, the Court Church, dedicated to St. John the Baptist (1498) and the bell 3

tower, also called the Tower of tefan cel Mare which is 19 metres high and has become the symbol the city. The Neamt Fortress in Targu Neamt was built in two stages: at the end of the 14th century by Petru I Musat on a plateau that allowed the observation of the entire Moldavian Valley. It was an undefeated fortress during that period. The second building stage was done during the reign of Stephen the Great (1457-1504). A secondary interior court, 800 square metres, and a new set of walls, with 4 semicircular towers that could resist artillery fire were added. The age of Stephen the Great represented the period glory for the fortress. But there is a dramatic past; they suffered during difficult sieges by Sultan Mehmed II (1476), the Polish King loan Sobieski (1691).

The Cucuteni Culture Museum was inaugurated in the summer of 2005. Over 300 pieces from the Cucuteni and Precucuteni cultures are displayed in the museum these objects fall into the thesaurus object category for the national heritage.

The History & Archaeology Museum in Piatra Neam. The museum has the most important collection of Cucuteni culture artifacts and it is the home of the Cucuteni Research Centre.

The Neamt Monastery The church was built by Stefan cel Mare and finished when the Moldavian army won the battle against King John Albert of Poland (1497). The monastery shows the maturity of the Moldavian architectonic style, which matured during Stefan cel Mare's reign. The faade of the church is covered with the decorations characteristic of Stefan cel Mare's time: Gothic windows and friezes with enamelled disks, coloured in green, yellow and brown.

Biserica Sf. Ioan (St. John Church). It was founded in 1498-1499 by Stephen the Great and it includes the princely church of St. John the Baptist built in stone in the Moldavian style, the 19 m high tower and parts of the Princely Court.

Piatra Neam also has many cultural events: - the International Theatre Festival in the springtime, - the classical music event Vacane muzicale (musical holidays) in the summertime, - since January 2009, Piatra Neamt has hosted a national short film festival called "Filmul de Piatra".

The History Museum was founded in 1934 by archaeologist and priest Constantin Matasa, it has important archaeological collections from the Bronze Era and Geto-Dacian Era.

Culture and Education

The city's main attractions are: the natural beauty of the area: the mountains and the lakes, the historical buildings, the museums and the festivals. Today, there are several projects to transform Piatra Neam into an important touristic destination in Romania: the construction of a cable car and the winter sports facilities.

Economic Resources
1. Economic resources. Romania is traditionally an agricultural country: agriculture plays a major role in the economy contributing to the formation of the Gross Domestic Product at a rate of 19%, despite the backwardness of the techniques used compared to modern tools used in western-style farming. The main crops are corn, wheat, oats, barley, rye and rice. In some areas oil and natural gas is extracted and refined, while in others there is the extraction of lignite and coal. Even industry, despite contributing to the Gross Domestic Product at a rate of 27% and using 33.7% of the workforce, suffers from technological backwardness compared to the European standard. For this reason the sector was opened to foreign participation in order to encourage technological and managerial knowhow from abroad, especially in the field of consumer goods and some areas of arms and aviation. The industrial sector is characterised by a specialisation in the steel industry, in the production of metallurgical coke and in aluminum metallurgy. The chemical industry plays an important role thanks to the resources found in the country. 2. Renewable energy in Romania.

a) Wind energy production: Romania is becoming more attractive for investments in wind power because it has the greatest potential in southeastern Europe and is in second place in Europe in terms of developmental potential for wind farms. Since 2011 the Central region of Dobrogea Wind can count on as many as 240 turbines with a capacity of 600 megawatts, the equivalent of a nuclear reactor. In Romania, there is estimated to be a theoretical capacity of up to 4 Gwatt because of the constant winds

that blow from the north. - b) Hydroelectric power

Romania is present in the market for alternative energy production. The Ministry of Economy estimated that the consumption of electricity from renewable sources on a national level in Romania in 2010 would be approximately 11% of the total energy consumption. In 2009, the EU issued a new directive to encourage the development of renewable energy in Europe. Romania has set itself an objective to achieve 24% of the national production of electricity produced by plants to be fueled by renewable sources by 2020. The most promising renewable energy resources appear to be wind, hydroelectric power, biomass, solar and geothermal. 6

Electricity map in Romania Romania has a total of at least 767 hydroelectric power plants . The majority, 621, of these plants are small hydroelectric plants, with less than 10 MW of capacity. The small hydroelectric plants in Romania have a total capacity of 1,125 MW. The installed capacity of hydropower is 6,715 MW, representing a third of Romanias total installed electricity generating capacity. The

countrys hydropower potential is extremely large. Geographically, the hydroelectric reserves of Romania are concentrated along the Danube River and in the valleys of rivers emerging from the mountain core of the country. The most important water basins are: Olt, Lotru, Bistrita, Somes, Dragan, Arges, Dambovita, Raul Targului, Sebes, Raul Mare, Cerna, Bistra, Buzau, Motru, and Danube. Other hydrographic resources include the more than 2,500 lakes, ranging from the glacial lakes of the mountains to those of the plains and the marshes of the Danube delta region. The main effort since the 1940s, however, has been on the Arges, Bistrita, Lotru, Olt, Mare, Sebes, and Somes rivers as well as on the Danube at the Iron Gate. Bicaz-Stejaru Hydro Power Plant is a large power plant on the Bistria River situated in Romania. The project was started and finished in the 1950s and it was created through the construction of a reinforced concrete dam 127m high, which then formed the Izvorul Muntelui Lake. The dam was equipped with three hydro units, the hydropower plant having an installed capacity of 210 MW. The power plant generates 500 GWh of electricity per year.

producer. Hydroelectrica has 150 small hydro power plants, which Romania must sell as a commitment the country took on in negotiations for EU accession. - c) The production of energy from biomass There are also good opportunities for biomass development, the building off of a very large basis of existing capacity (over 4,000 MWth). By utilising an available biomass energy supply, the district heating systems represent the most immediate and low-cost biomass application especially for CHP (Combined heat and power) plants, industrial cogeneration and co-firing. - d) Solar energy in 1979 there was a wave of solar project development in the country, but due to the poor quality of equipment and inadequate installations there has been great dissatisfaction for solar projects. Regardless of this, due to previous experience with solar and relatively high solar insulation, Romania may still be opened to solar project development. The following figures display the solar insulation values for Romania. Romania has moderate solar potential throughout the whole country. Its best solar resource is located in the southern portion of the country. - e) Geothermal heat: the western region of Romania seems to be a good region for

Vidraru Dam, where the largest hydroelectric power plant is located. The Romanian government has encouraged foreign investment in hydropower through Hydroelectrica, the state-owned hydropower geothermal heat applications, although high enthalpy areas to support electric generation are limited.

Suceava City
It is the Suceava County seat in Bukovina, Moldavia region, in northeastern Romania. This city is the 22nd largest in Romania, with 105,865 inhabitants. The city was the capital of the Principality of Moldavia from 1388 to 1565. It is famous for its planetarium, the Orthodox Monastery of Saint John and the Castle of Targu Neamt.

of the most important universities the Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, which is the oldest higher education institution in Romania, founded one year after the establishment of the Romanian state by an 1860 decree of Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza. There is the Iai Botanical Garden which was established in 1856 by the founder of this garden, Anastasie Ftu. It is the oldest and largest botanical garden in Romania. It is also one of the largest gardens in the world; it contains more than 10,000 types of different plants.

Ceahlu Massif
It is one of the best known mountains in Romania. It is part of the Bistria Mountain range of the Eastern Carpathian division in Neam County in the Moldavia region. The two most important peaks are Toaca (1904 m in altitude) and Ocolaul Mare (1907 m in altitude). Mount Ceahlu is a popular hiking destination in Romania. There are seven main marked trails built for hikers and tourists.

Iai

It is the second most populous municipality in Romania, with 309,631 inhabitants. It is located in the historical Moldavia Region. Iai was the capital of the Principality of Moldavia from 1564 to 1859, then of the United Principalities from 1859 to 1862 and finally the capital of Romania from 1916 to 1918. It is the centre of social, cultural, academic and artistic life of Romania; now it is known as the Cultural Capital of Romania. It has one 8

A curiosity
Some of the most exciting Romanian legends refer to the strange stone shapes

Italy is located in southern Europe and comprises the long, boot-shaped Italian Peninsula, the land between the peninsula and the Alps, and a number of islands including Sicily and Sardinia. Its total area is 301,230 square km2 of which 294,020 km2 is land and 7,210 km2 is water.

The lakes
In the north of the country are a number of subalpine lakes, the largest of which is Garda, 370 km2. Other well known subalpine lakes are Lake Maggiore, 212.5 km2 whose most northern section is part of Switzerland, and Lake Como, 146 km2.

The Italian Geography

The borders
Italy borders with Switzerland, France, Austria and Slovenia. San Marino and Vatican city are both entirely surrounded by Italy. Including the islands, Italy has a coastline of 7,600 km on the Adriatic, Ionian, Tyrrhenian and Ligurian Sea.

The islands
The most important islands of Italy are: Sicily, Sardinia and Elba. The largest are Sicily 25,708 km2 and Sardinia 24,090 km2 and Elba is the largest island of the Tuscan Archipelago.

The volcanoes
There are also a few active volcanoes in Italy: Etna, the largest active volcano in Europe; Vulcano; Stromboli; and Vesuvius, the only active volcano on the European mainland.

The mountains
Italy is a mountainous country, with the Alps as the northern boundary and the Apennine Mountains forming the backbone of the peninsula; in addition, the highest peak in Italy is Mont Blanc (Monte Bianco), at 4,810 m. The other internationally-known mountains in Italy are the Matterhorn (Cervino), Monte Rosa, Gran Paradiso in the West Alps, and Bernina, Stelvio and the Dolomites along the eastern side of the Alps.

The climate
The Italian climate is Mediterranean: summer is usually quite stable, although the northern regions often have thunderstorms in the afternoon/night hours and some overcast and rainy days. Spring and autumn weather can be very changeable, with sunny and warm weeks, suddenly broken up by cold spells or followed by rainy and cloudy weeks. Winter is very cold in the north and mild in the south of Italy; the coldest month is January (it reaches -2 C in Rome).

The rivers
The longest river in Italy is the Po and it flows into the Adriatic Sea like the Piave, the Adige and the Reno. There are other rivers that flow into the Thyrrenian like the Arno, the Tiber and the Volturno. 10

A little Italian history

The origins of the name
The name Italy is the ancient name for the country and people of Southern Italy. Mythological roots of the name date back to a legendary ancient king called 'Italus', though a more likely origin may be from the ancient Oscan Viteliu, meaning "land of young cattle" because Italy had been a land rich in cattle since ancient times. The name Italia was imposed upon the Roman Republic by the conquering Italic tribes of the present-day Abruzzo region, concentrating in the area of Corfinium. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the Lombard invasions, "Italy" or "Italian" gradually became the collective name for different states appearing on the peninsula and their overseas properties. Pallotino claims that the name was originally derived from the Italy which settled in modernday Calabria. The Greeks gradually came to use the name for a greater region, but it was not until the time of the Roman conquests that the term was expanded to cover the entire peninsula.

Italy in Union

the

European

Italy has either been one of the founding nations, or has joined, different organizations, such as the European Union, the United Nations, NATO, UNESCO, the G7, which afterward became the G8, the G20, and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

The features nowadays

of

Italy

The birth of Italy

The birthday of Italy was on May 17th of this year; in fact, Italy was united in 1861 thanks to the hard work of worthy men whose leader was Giuseppe Garibaldi. For Italian people, the Unification of Italy was very important because: a country divided is weaker than a united one.

Capital: Our capital is Rome Language: Italian Government: Unitary parliamentary republic Population: 60,642,308 inhabitants Currency: Euro Energy for us: Italy is a country that takes care of energy and the environment. Depending on where we live, we can use clean power sources: from hydroelectric plants, wind power and solar energy. Unfortunately, nonrenewable energy, such as petrol energy and methane power is still being used. The last few years, the government has been discussing the use of nuclear energy but, fortunately a big part of the Italian people disagree with the construction of nuclear power plants.

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the Veneto region. This city is particular since it is situated on the water and the most comfortable means of transport are boats and for lovers the Gondole. One of most important squares is St. Marks Square.

A glimpse at our best cities

In the North:

Milano, the 21st September 2011

In the Middle:

Rome is the capital of Italy and the

country's largest and most populated city, with over 2.7 million inhabitants. The city is located in the centralwestern portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy. It is the cornerstone of Italian history.

Milan is the second-largest city in

Italy. Its the capital city of the region of Lombardy. The city was founded by the Insubres, a group of Celtic people. The population is made of 1,324,110 inhabitants. Milan is recognised as a world fashion and design capital, with a major influence in commerce, industry, music, sport, literature, art and media.

In the South:

Venice
is the capital of 12

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right by the Gulf of Palermo in the Tyrrhenian Sea. The city was founded by the Phoenicians. Palermo is the fatherland of two very brave and worthy magistrates who fought against the mafia: Giovanni Falcone e Paolo Borsellino.

Palermo is the capital of Sicily; it is

noted for its rich history, culture, and architecture. The city is over 2,700 years old and it is located in the northwest of the island,

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