The Bulgarian children in Rome opened the school year on September 15, as is their Bulgarian tradition, and were specially surprised by the Bulgarian Cultural Institute in Rome, which presented them with a wonderful gift - a performance of the Burgas puppet theater "Hen with a brooch".

Apart from the original musical programme prepared by the students, the leading line of the festive day was the presentation of the jointly published bilingual book "Fervent Hopes" by the Italian Catholic priest Father Angelo Gabriele Giorgetta. 

The book is dedicated to the 350th anniversary of the death of the Bulgarian National Revival period leaders Petar Parchevich, Petar Bogdan Baksic and Philip Stanislavov, as well as to the 400th anniversary of the establishment of the first Bulgarian humanitarian school in Chiprovtsi in 1624. The book's preface is authored by Lilia Ilieva, who discovered the historical work of Petar Bogdan Baksic - "On the antiquity of the fatherland and the Bulgarian affairs".

"From the pages of the book, we learn that the founder of the school was Bishop Ilija Marinov, and 60 Orthodox and Catholic children studied there, who would later become excellent merchants and craftsmen", we learn from cultural historian Veneta Nenkova, President of the Association "Parallel 43" in Rome. 

"The pupils in this school used to study Bulgarian, Latin and Turkish grammar, but also it was the birthplace of ideas of a free and peaceful society. The children studying there would later grow up to be yearning of the Freedom of their homeland and to be fighting for it. Because it was namely in Chiprovtsi that the idea of a national liberation movement was born, which would embrace several generations of active Bulgarians, seeking connections and help from the powerful European rulers and nations. The uprising would break out, but unfortunately in 1688 it would be drowned in bloodshed because of a treachery."

The members of the Bulgarian school "Asen and Iliya Peikov" have restored the coat of arms of the Bulgarian National Revival period school in Chiprovtsi, which depicts a crown with two lions and two goats, and provide it to all Bulgarian schools in the country and around the world who want to preserve the memory of the past and the history of the Bulgarian school, says Veneta Nenkova. 

"Lions are a symbol of the highest divine power, of nobility, prudence and justice. Goats are the embodiment of spiritual aspiration to new heights. These two symbols are depicted with their tongues out because of the 'evil tongues' that undermine and destroy spiritual aspirations," Nenkova explains, adding, "History turns out to be not an exact science and often new discoveries overturn old ideas and knowledge. We sincerely hope that history will be corrected regarding the establishment of the first school in Bulgaria, which predates the school in Gabrovo by 211 years. The round anniversary coincides with the 10th anniversary of the Bulgarian school in Rome."

The heads of the school express their gratitude to the Ministry of Education and Science in Bulgaria, who zealously support the school, as well as to Natalia Mihalevska and Vanya Balcheva for creating the programme "The Untold Stories of the Bulgarians", inspired by the work of the school in Rome.

Thanks to this programme, the students and teachers of the Assen and Ilija Peikov School will continue to translate documents they purchase from the Vatican archives, make films, translate books and write new ones.

In January, with the financial support of the Ministry of Education in Bulgaria and the European Erasmus+ programme, a film dedicated to the important anniversaries was made and will be presented in Rome for the Day of the Bulgarian Enlighteners.