Viaggio Lib(e)ro triumphs at Caserta's Manzoni High School: 900 students take center stage with reading, legality, and civic engagement.

The Caserta leg of Viaggio Lib(e)ro , the educational and cultural project conceived by Angela Procaccini and promoted by Graus Edizioni for twelve consecutive years, concluded with a remarkable result . The recently concluded edition took place at the Manzoni High School in Caserta , where 900 students were involved in a program of reading, study, and discussion that transformed books into tools for knowledge, dialogue, and civic engagement.

The initiative once again confirmed its ability to introduce young people to reading, not just as a mere academic exercise, but as a living experience, capable of questioning reality and opening spaces for reflection on the major issues of our time. The numbers are significant: 900 students participated and 900 books read , a result that demonstrates the strength of a project built on collaboration between schools, publishers, teachers, authors, and the educational community.

At the Manzoni High School, a collective reading and critical discussion program

During the Caserta edition, the classes at Liceo Manzoni participated in a comprehensive collective reading program, accompanied by critical essays, in-depth materials, and preparatory discussions. The goal was not simply to read a text, but to understand it, analyze it, and place it within a broader context of history, current events, personal responsibility, and social awareness.

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The school played a central role in the initiative's success, thanks to the teachers who guided the students step by step, transforming each book into an opportunity for study and discussion. Reading thus became a shared experience, transcending the individual to become a collective practice, a public discussion, and a training ground for citizenship.

Mafia, legality, gender violence, and migration: the central themes of this edition

The volumes chosen for this stage followed a specific thread: civil and social narratives . The selected works addressed complex and pressing issues such as the fight against the Mafia , gender violence , migration , bullying , legality , and the building of critical awareness in new generations.

The titles featured in the Caserta edition include "Tramonti Occidentali" by Giuseppe Tecce, "Mafiosamente" by Raffaele Russo, "Il cenacolo delle donne" by Matilde Tortora, "Partita Vinta" by Giulia Galli, "Sulla pelle e nel cuore" by Vittoriana Abate and Cataldo Calabretta, "Nel profondo del mio stesso" by Livia Cipro, and "Due minuti di rumore" by Teresa Del Prete. These texts differ in style, perspective, and sensitivity, but they share the desire to reach young people through stories that leave an impact.

The meeting with the authors is the heart of the initiative

The highlight of the program was the one-on-one encounter between students and authors. After reading, analyzing, and discussing the texts in class, the students had the opportunity to engage with the authors, asking questions, sharing reflections, and expressing the emotions they had experienced while reading.

It is in this moment that Viaggio Lib(e)ro demonstrates its true strength: transforming the book from an object of study to a relational experience. The author no longer remains a distant figure, but becomes a direct interlocutor, capable of explaining the origins, intentions, and responsibilities of a narrative. The dialogue with the students thus gave substance to the themes addressed, making reading an opportunity for personal and civic growth.

Catello Maresca and Hilarry Sedu's contribution to the debate

Further enriching the discussion were the contributions of Magistrate Catello Maresca and Attorney Hilarry Sedu , authoritative speakers who further deepened the discussion. Their contributions helped connect the books' content to the social, judicial, and civil reality of the country, offering students deeper and more concrete reading tools.

The presence of committed voices on the front lines of legality, rights, and public responsibility strengthened the educational value of the initiative. It wasn't just about talking about books, but about reflecting on the world those books describe, the injustices they expose, and the possibilities for change that knowledge can generate.

Adele Vairo: "A little magic, every time."

The principal of the Manzoni High School, Adele Vairo , expressed great satisfaction with the project's outcome, emphasizing the broad and enthusiastic participation of the school community. " Viaggio Lib(e)ro was a huge success, and the numbers speak for themselves: 900 students were involved, 900 books were read ," she declared.

Vairo highlighted the crucial role of the teaching staff, who worked passionately to guide students through critical and monographic presentations, preparing them for the encounters with the authors. " And it's precisely that encounter that makes the difference: students who have already read, analyzed, and discussed a text, and then find themselves face-to-face with the author in person. A little magic, every time ," she added. According to the principal, the chosen topics deeply engaged the students, each with their own preferences and motivations, generating an enthusiasm that moved the school itself.

Pietro Graus: "The right books can change the way you look at the world."

Pietro Graus , publisher of Graus Edizioni, also saw the outcome of the Caserta stop as confirmation of the validity of a challenge launched twelve years ago. " Viaggio Lib(e)ro was born from the belief that the right books, read at the right time, can change the way a young person looks at the world ," he stated.

For Graus, the numbers achieved by Liceo Manzoni are a strong signal: civic literature continues to speak to young people, provided it is presented with care, skill, and trust in their ability to understand complexity. " Civic literature is not a burden to be brought into the classroom; it is a powerful tool, capable of raising awareness, stimulating questions, and breaking silences ," the publisher emphasized, reiterating his desire to continue the project with even greater energy.

The role of teachers in building the path

The success of the initiative at the Manzoni High School was also made possible by the coordination of teachers Angelica Vincenza Martuccio, Caterina Vagliviello, Angela Falardo, Rita Lombardi, Rossella Capogrosso, Maria D'Agostino, Raffaela Di Martino, Stefania Fabrizio, Anna Pasquariello, Simona Bizzocco, Enrichetta De Santis, Marianna Marsilio and Antonella Corvino.

Their collective work has allowed the curriculum to be both continuous and profound, building a bridge between the texts, the authors, and the students. In a project of this magnitude, the teachers' mediation becomes essential: they transform reading into a learning experience, guide questions, foster discussion, and create the conditions for each book to become an opportunity for growth.

From Caserta to Naples, Viaggio Lib(e)ro continues its journey

The Caserta experience does not represent a point of arrival, but rather a stage in a broader journey. On Tuesday, May 26th, at 10:30 a.m. , the final meeting for Neapolitan schools participating in the current edition will be held at the Maschio Angioino in Naples . It will be a new moment of discussion and celebration, designed to reiterate the message at the heart of the project: reading can still be a tool for individual and collective transformation.

With its stop at Liceo Manzoni, Viaggio Lib(e)ro confirms its ability to speak to new generations through books that don't simplify reality, but rather confront it with courage. In an era marked by educational fragility, social disorientation, and the need for reference, the project revitalizes the value of school as a place of critical thought and of literature as a free space in which to learn to recognize the world and imagine a better one.