A new initiative will allow foreigners attending Italian courses in Florence’s Quartiere 5 to receive free dictionaries.
The program is a collaboration among Federico Gianassi, president of the zone; the readers’ bookstore of Teatro della Pergola; and Florence councillor for education Cristina Giachi. One percent of the bookstore’s annual proceeds will be donated to support the project; the Associazione Pagine e Costole will do additional fund-raising.
Announcing the news, Giachi emphasized how the Palazzo Vecchio ‘has invested so much in [this initiative] and will continue to do so: each year we invest 670,000 euro in the three literacy centres—Giufà, Ulysse and Gandhi.’ All of the centres remain open from September 1 to June 30, and offer Italian-language workshops for groups of foreign students.
The project, Gianassi explained, is part of an array of initiatives and resources for immigrants in the area. ‘Our neighbourhood has a rich tapestry of associations and offerings available, which have been active in the area for years and have served as true assets to the community.’
