WHO WE ARE

The Dante Alighieri Society was founded in 1889 by a group of intellectuals led by Giosue Carducci. The aim was to support the knowledge of the Italian language especially among our emigrants divided between linguistic and dialectal varieties present in the peninsula. It was erected as Ente Morale by Royal Decree no. 347 of 18 July 1893; by legislative decree no. 186 of 27 July 2004 it was assimilated, in terms of structure and purpose, to ONLUS.

Board of directors:
Gianluca Olcese, Ewa Śmiechowska, Adam Kruk

NIP: 8992740401 | REGON: 022033229 | KRS: 0000429616
Account number in Zloty: 19 1750 0012 0000 3665 3248
IBAN in Euro: PL41 1750 0012 0000 3665 3337
BIC/SWIFT: PPABPLPK

The Wroclaw committee of the Dante Alighieri Society was formed in 2011, first as the PLIDA certifying centre, later as a branch centre: the official opening took place on 10 August 2012. The international network consists of around 500 independent local committees on five continents that are part of the EUNIC - National Institutes for Culture of the European Union. Favoured by the fact that Italy can be interpreted as a traditionally privileged geopolitical space for the exchange and dissemination of knowledge, the SDA draws energy from its roots to promote studies in close connection with the European and Mediterranean tradition and promotes the dissemination of science, deals with the analysis of Europe as a whole, with particular attention to the process of European integration in both its internal and external aspects.

The SDA encourages research as a main feature to foster active European citizenship and an important value whose results can highlight the position of the EU in a globalised world, thus increasing citizens' awareness of the European Union and promoting interaction and dialogue between people. The SDA also seeks to act as a diplomatic channel vis-à-vis third countries to promote EU principles and Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) by raising awareness in the five continents of what the European Union stands for and what it wants to achieve.

At the SDA in Wroclaw, most of the members are highly specialised experts in the promotion of communication, research, science and culture, from different countries and with different intercultural and multicultural skills who have been working together for years to promote values that are the result of a thousand years of inclusion and integration between people, resulting in a comparative approach to the history and traditions on which European and non-European heritage is based.

For this reason, the activities of the SDA in Wroclaw have led to improved debate and exchange of good practice, which is essential, given the demographic change taking place in Europe, in order to deal with a new type of citizen using the most suitable components.

In order to achieve these goals, SDA has created a centre of excellence in Wroclaw aimed at improving equal opportunities, as well as promoting respect for the environment and the study of cultural traditions. With the UNESCO Chair of the University of Genoa in Health Anthropology - Biosphere and Systems of Care (www.cattedraunesco.unige.it), SDA has been collaborating since 2012 on a project to foster active intergenerational citizenship.

EUROPEAN PROJECTS

The Dante Alighieri Society in Wroclaw is:
2021-25 Partner of the xFORMAL project "Informal and Non-Formal E-Learning for Cultural Heritage", Project H2020-MSCA-RISE-2020 no. 101008184
2021-24 Project partner of the HUMCORE project "Humanitarian Corridors Integration pathways: fostering better integration opportunities for people in need of protection through strengthened private sponsorship schemes", AMIF-2020-AG project no. 101038285
2021-22 Project coordinator of the project "Generations in Contact in Intercultural Education", Erasmus+ Project no. 2021-1-PL01-KA122-ADU-000019595
2019-22 Associate partner of the international project "European Arts and Traditions in Italian Language Learning" PASTILLE, Erasmus+ Project no. 2019-1-PL01-KA203-065078
2020-21 Project coordinator "Inclusive Language Education" ILE, Erasmus+ Project no. POWERAE-2020-1-PL01-KA104-079523
2018-21 Associate partner of the international project "Focus on Students with Mathematics Learning Disabilities" SMILD Erasmus+ Project No. 2018-1-IT02-KA201-048274

NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATIONS

The SDA in Wroclaw has strong cooperation with international universities and cultural institutions, in particular:

• in Poland with the University of Wroclaw (www.uni.wroc.pl) mainly with the Department of Classical, Mediterranean and Oriental Studies (www.isksio.uni.wroc.pl), the Polish Academy of Sciences (www.pan.pl ), the Eugeniusz Geppert Academy of Fine Arts (www.asp.wroc.pl), the University of Zielona Góra (www.uz.zgora.pl), the Jagiellonian University in Krakow (www.uj.edu.pl), the University of Warsaw (www.uw.edu.pl), Ateneum in Gdańsk (www.ateneum.edu.pl); strong cooperation with cultural institutions: the Jerzy Grotowski Institute in Wroclaw, which supports research and educational activities (www.grotowski-institute.art.pl), Institute of Culture in Wrocław (www.instytutkultury.pl) the House of Culture in Zabkowice (PKZ Dom Kultury Ząbkowice, www.palac.art.pl); cooperation with schools: Primary School no. 73 "Wladyslaw Anders" (www.sp73.wroc.pl), High School no. 8 "Boleslao Boccatorta" (www.lo8wroclaw.edupage.org); cooperation with libraries: Lower Silesian Public Library (www.wbp.wroc.pl), Spanish Bookshop in Wroclaw (www.ksiegarniahiszpanska.pl), institutions for inclusion and services for people with disabilities: Eudajmonia Foundation (www.eudajmonia.pl), also a member of the Federation of Lower Silesian NGOs (www.dfop.org.pl);
• in Italy with the University of Genoa (www.unige.it), University of Rome 'La Sapienza' (www.uniroma1.it), University of Catania (www.unict.it), University of Bologna 'Alma Mater' (www.unibo.it), University of Naples 'Orientale' (www.unior.it);
• in Europe and other continents: Gender Equality in Central and Eastern Europe Association (GEinCEE); Dresden Technological University (www.tu.dresden.de), Polytechnic University of Bragança (Portugal, www.ipb.pt); Macedonia University of Thessaloniki (Greece, www.uom.gr), Tomsk State Pedagogical University (Russia, www.tspu.edu.ru), Saint Petersburg State University (Russia, www.spbu.ru), Loyola University Maryland (USA, www.loyola.edu), University of Rochester (USA, www.rochester.edu).

The cultural promotion projects and initiatives, in which the Dante Alighieri of Wroclaw is involved, meet the need to increase and improve the services of the cultural facilities, to create a centre of excellence, which also allows for labour qualifications and skills necessary for the development of institutions and companies in the Lower Silesian region, of which Wroclaw is the capital.

In the city of Wroclaw, due to the strong cultural and commercial impetus, there is a constant demand for personnel both Italian and with advanced Italian language skills. This is why the Dante Alighieri Society offers an important meeting and integration place for Italians in the city, i.e. it provides a support point for those who decide to work here in Poland, and also gives those who are interested in the Italian language and tradition the opportunity to have a constant exchange of information with Italians and Italian speakers.

With the University of Wroclaw, SDA collaborates to offer scholarships, organise lectures and readings by inviting national and international guests, in particular at the Institute of Classical, Mediterranean and Oriental Studies, where the Italian tradition is placed in a broad context, in the degree course in Mediterranean Culture, in particular with the three-year specialisation 'Italica', similar to the courses in Classical Literature at Italian universities.

The awarding of the title of European Capital of Culture for 2016 to Wroclaw has confirmed the cultural promotion potential of each initiative as a shared place, to create strong links with other structures and long-lasting projects. Therefore, due to the strong cultural and commercial momentum, there is a constant demand for cultural promotion activities.

The services offered by the Dante Alighieri Society of Wroclaw are as follows:

• Italian library and video library
• Funding and distribution of scholarships for Italian courses or study trips, for low-income and more deserving students
• Italian and Polish language courses for Italians
• Deployment of staff and help in the implementation of work experience trips through European projects: Erasmus+, European Voluntary Service (EVS), etc.
• Organisation of cultural meetings in constant cooperation with the Universities of Breslau and Genoa
• Wine and food meetings for the tasting and promotion of local and artisanal products
• Cooperation with other national and international cultural institutions
• Cooperation with other facilities with similar characteristics to the Dante Alighieri in the city
• Invitation of lecturers and scholars from Italy or with interests in various aspects of Italian culture
• Film reviews of Italian-language films
• Poetry evenings
• Art and photo exhibitions
• Music events

From 2011 to 2013 we achieved the results listed below, the most recent ones are in the news section.

• PLIDA Certification Centre, up and running since the May 2011 session
• March-April 2011. Organisation of a week of conferences and events, including the "Italia Lirica" evening to highlight the cultural project "Italy yesterday and today" on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy in April 2011 (presence and participation of the president of the Dante Alighieri in Katowice, the director of the IIC in Krakow and lecturers from the Universities of Genoa, Wroclaw and Poznan)
• May 2011. Organisation of a week of meetings "Dante Alighieri Week" for the inauguration of the PLIDA certification centre in May 2011 (participation of lecturers from the University of Eastern Piedmont and experts in the field of BIO food production and quality certification)
• September 2011. Presentation of the PLIDA certificate during the European Day of Languages in September (organised in cooperation with the EU, IIC Krakow, Alliance Française, Instituto Cervantes, Oesterreichische Institut, et al).
• October 2011. Organisation of the "Homo-Peregrinus" conference held in October (in collaboration with the University of Genoa and the University of Wroclaw, with the participation of the scientific attaché of the Italian Embassy in Warsaw and the president of the Dante Alighieri in Katowice)
• December 2011. Organisation of a film festival dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the Unification of Italy in December 2011 (in cooperation with the IIC Cracow)
• March-April 2012. Organisation of a film festival dedicated to the director Paolo Sorrentino, on the occasion of the latest film released in theatres "This must be the place", and of the international conference "USURA", with a specific link to the figure of the usurer in the film "The Family Friend" (in collaboration with the Wrocław Film Foundation)
• March 2012. Award of a one-month scholarship at a language school in Camerino for a deserving student from the University of Wroclaw
• February 2013. Mediation role in the conclusion of the international cooperation contract between the University of Wrocław and the University of Genoa
• Close cooperation for the enhancement of cultural initiatives of mutual interest with the Department of Classical, Mediterranean and Oriental Studies and the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Wrocław