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Why Italy, why Dante?
Italian culture is rich and diverse and has rightfully earned love and appreciation all over the world. Music, cinema, painting, sculpture, science, food, wine, coffee, luxury cars, literature, fashion, design, architecture - in all of these Italy's name has come out over the generations. The Italian language is a wonderful and necessary bridge for deepening the enjoyment of Italian culture and its deep and different layers.
The core of activity in the DANTE Institute is the teaching of the Italian language. The lessons are given at several different levels of language knowledge: from beginners to very advanced.
In addition, there are special courses designed for those who plan to study in Italy, for those who are interested in Italian citizenship and for those who aspire to acquire in-depth knowledge in one of the fields that Italy is known for.
Dante Alighieri, who lived about 750 years ago, is considered the national poet of Italy, and his literary works (such as the "Divine Comedy") contributed to the fact that the Italian dialect of Florence became common and was finally established as the official language of all of Italy. The association named after him was established in Italy in 1889 and aims to spread the Italian language and culture around the world. The association, which is headquartered in Rome, has about 480 branches all over the world.
As a supplement to the language studies, The DANTE institue holds cultural events in Hebrew and Italian. These events present Italy on its various aspects in the fields of art, literature, music and cinema and are open to the general public.
Once a year The DANTE Institute holds a program of in-depth acquaintance with a city or district in Italy. At the end of the program, the participants are invited to go on a study trip to the selected district in an organized tour that combines an introduction to special and lesser-known aspects of the area, along with scenic trips, visits to historical sites, cultural events, and an encounter with customs and traditions that characterize the area.
About a year after the establishment of the State of Israel, on August 24, 1949, lovers of Italian culture united in Jerusalem and opened a branch of the Dante Alighieri Association in the capital city. Today the branch is located in Hillel Street, near Piazza Roma, in the building of the Italian sinagogue and the Italian Jewish Community Museum, in the center of Jerusalem.
The DANTE Institute has a library available to the public, with about 5,000 books in the Italian language - original Italian literature and translated literature.