FOR THOSE visitors to Cyprus who want a genuine sense of the history and culture of the island - even down to the way food tasted hundreds of years ago - help is now at hand.
An organised tour, initiated by the local Cornaro Institute (founded by the Cyprus College of Art) and the Distance Learning Centre in the School of English at the University of Sheffield, will allow visitors to dig deep into Cyprus’ Medieval and Renaissance past as experts guide them through the culture, food and history of Cyprus.
The project, ‘Othello’s Island’, is planned for this coming March and the programme is open to all - tourists and locals alike - with no previous experience or knowledge of the subject is necessary.
“While we’ll be learning about an exciting period in history we will also have plenty of fun with the subject,” says director of the Cyprus College of Art, Michael Paraskos. With the collage having founded the Cornaro Institute in 2010, it is aptly named after the last Venetian Queen of Cyprus, Caterina Cornaro. Based in Larnaca, it provides studio space for artists from around the world, while helping overseas institutions to organise study trips on the island through a variety of informal courses.
The upcoming occasion will involve classes at the Cornaro Institute with expeditions planned to towns and villages around the island.
The project is a collaboration between Paraskos and James Fitzmaurice, a professor within the School of English at Sheffield University specialising in literature and the works of Shakespeare.
With Shakespeare’s Othello set in Cyprus, connections were immediately drawn, and the idea for a rather unconventional trip initiated.
“We thought it would be a nice idea to offer people the opportunity to see just how very much the history of the island has to offer. Not many people realise that there was a time lasting almost 400 years when the island was ruled by the French and Venetians. They built gothic cathedrals, vast palaces and created a culture that had an effect all over Europe including foreign art and literature,” explains Paraskos.
“We aim to give visitors a really deep feel of the cultural history of the place. But rather than just worming through books to understand it all, this is about getting out and getting a feel of a place; its churches, its monuments, its people.”
In addition to talks and discussions, visitors will abandon the classroom to visit past centres of action, guided by experts from leading universities in Britain and America.
“And it’s not just about the looks of the place but the feel of the place,” emphasises Paraskos.
So-called material culture, or the relationship between artefacts and social relations, has become quite the buzzword of late. The idea is for people to understand that what they see affects cultural attitudes and social relations. “Fitzmaurice has a real vision for people to feel what’s out there, like going to Lefkara and touching the lace to see what sensations and ideas it evokes,” says Paraskos.
With sensory phenomena coming into play, the study tour will also be placing a great deal of emphasis on the food of the island and the history behind it. While the local cuisine is often revered for the use of delicious ingredients, few are actually acquainted with the tales and traditions behind a given dish. Part of the experience will involve tasting food in a similar fashion to the way it was enjoyed hundreds of years ago.
Then there’s a whole load of exciting trivia that the organisers wish people to become better acquainted with.
“Who would have known that the table fork was introduced to Europe by King of Cyprus Peter II? Or that Cyprus was the main producer of sugar in Medieval Europe?” says Paraskos.
With a trip that focuses on the riches of the island’s past, visitors are now given the chance to quite literally tuck right into its colourful historical flavours.
The occasion is also supported by the Cyprus Tourism Organisation and the Larnaca Municipality who have stepped in to lend a helping hand for this special expedition.
‘Othello’s Island’ costs 300 pounds sterling per person including tuition, study trips and site entrance fees. Participants coming from abroad are required to make their own travel and accommodation arrangements, but help will be available from project staff. Application by 15 January 2012. Tel: +44 114 235 1538. Email: j.fitzmaurice@sheffield.ac.uk
The making of Lefkara lace will be one of the attractions of the programme