Venezia, November 17th, 2021 – Wake up at 6 o’ clock, breakfast, flag raising ceremony and then straight to class for the first lessons of the day. Study, training, and sacrifice. Individual and teamwork. Studying at the Naval Military School Francesco Morosini means to be involved in an essential part of the modern history of the city of Venice that this year, celebrates 1600 years from its foundation. From teen-agers to cadet, from guys wearing jeans and t-shirt to little women and men in uniform. It takes courage, determination, and a great sense of duty to become a pupil here, at the Morosini of Venice and to keep on writing the story of one of the symbols of the city, underlying the ancient motto of Venice, the queen of the seas.
Originally part of the Arsenale of Venice, this school trains boys and girls, from 16 to 18 years old and it aims at teaching to its pupils the love for classic and scientific culture as well as athletic attitude, whilst enforcing their passion for the sea, the same passion that one day will make them the representants of this world at a local and national level.
This is how Venice, a city born in the sea keeps its essence alive, after 1600 years. “Our fate was and will always be the sea” says the Morosini moto. The school, as the city, keeps on pursuing the same goal, focused on the idea of sharing, coexistence, and love for the sea.
It is precisely for this reason that the venetian naval school located in Sant’Elena chose to open its doors to the public, with an event that aims at sensibilizing citizens by explaining them, through pupils’ experience, new aspects of an educational military path entirely dedicated to a life at sea.
Passing the torch as in a 40-minute relay race, Morosini pupils will show, in a short stage tour, their lives inside the school, their work of art guarder within the institute and the history of the place that will host them in their last three years of second grade school.
On Sunday November 20th, 2021, the Naval Military School Francesco Morosini organizes an open day from 14.30 to 17.30 for everyone who wants to discover the historical and artistic heritage of Sant’Elena.
Tiny groups of enthusiasts, would-be cadets or just curious, could live a thrilling experience that will take them to the discovery of a place that doesn’t open its doors to the public so often. Pupils will welcome visitors with short historical and artistic facts about the school in which they will attend their last three years of high school following two easy rules: training and study. From the story of the lion that protects the entrance of the institute, to the first brick of the school placed in 1935, taken as a symbol from the ancient Arsenale (dockyard) of Venice to underline the connection between the school and the dockyard to the bombings of the First World War. Moreover, Hugo Pratt drawings, precious mineral collections, unknown paintings of the 1700s representing the victories of Francesco Morosini, mosaics representing the Roman Empire and the Italian Empire are displayed. To these treasures, the fascinating story of women entrance in the institute, which dates to 2009, can also be admired.
The initiative was developed in partnership with the Committee for the valorisation of the historical-artistic heritage of the Naval School, supported by the Municipality of Venice.
People can book the entrance sending an email to snmfmorosini@gmail.com. To have access to the institute, the green pass is mandatory. Moreover, along the visit, face mask must be worn.