On February 12, in the cosy space of the Bulgaria Gallery in the heart of Rome, compatriots and Italians will gather to commemorate a Bulgarian healer who with perseverance and dedication managed to change the lives of thousands of people. His achievements in the treatment of Parkinson's disease symptoms with belladonna are significant and this inspired Bulgarian children from the Sunday school "AzBuki" in Rome and Colleferro to create a documentary about Raev, who remained famous in Italy as the inventor of the "cura bulgara" (Bulgarian treatment).

The film is available on YouTube, as well as via a QR code in the promotional materials of the event at the Bulgaria Gallery, which also includes an exhibition, a book presentation, while visiting students from Plovdiv University will perform live Ivan Raev’s favourite Bulgarian folk song, we learned from Mariola Georgieva - principal of the Sunday school under the auspices of the "Assen and Iliya Peykovi" cultural association in Rome.

In an interview with Radio Bulgaria, Mariola Georgieva spoke about the stories part of Ivan Raev's life, which the Bulgarians from Italy are trying to link together, searching for archival documents in the villages near his birthplace, as well as in Italy. Their travels, as well as the film, were made possible thanks to two programs of the Ministry of Education supporting Bulgarian schools abroad: "The Untold Stories of Bulgarians" and "Bulgaria - Educational Routes".

"Our paths between the two projects crossed and going to Bulgaria on an excursion we visited the towns of Sopot and Shipka, as this is the place where Ivan Raev was born.

The same year, a book about him was republished in Italy, which provoked us to conduct a deeper study and so we delved into the libraries and archives together with the children," the school's principal says. Unfortunately, the documents and artifacts they came across are scarce, but the satisfaction from the work is great: "This is research by children for children. For us and our children, it is a great success and source of pride," Ms. Georgieva says.

The Bulgarian children's journey in the Stara Planina region brought them together with people who remember the herbalist Ivan Raev, as well as what people were grateful for.

"We came across an original letter from the Italian King Victor Emmanuel and gifts that were left and handed over to the house-museum in Shipka. Also the boxes which he distributed and sold the herbs to cure the sick with. There really isn't much information about him personally - one or two photos and that's it. There is definitely a lot more work to be done."

• Bulgarian treatment saves Europe from deadly epidemic

According to Mariola Georgieva, there is no specific place in Rome that Ivan Raev's stay in Italy could be linked to. She herself made an inquiry to the municipality with the idea of ​​subsequently placing a memorial plaque, but did not receive much information. It is assumed that being in Rome at the invitation of Queen Elena, the healer was probably accommodated in the palace.

Read also:

• 396 Bulgarian schools around the world open doors for the new school year

• Enthusiasm alone is not enough to sustain Bulgarian language teaching abroad

Publication in English: Al. Markov

Photos:Mariola Georgieva, Director of "AzBuki" in Rome and Colleferro