The many-facet personality of Ioannis Capodistrias

The objective of this educational programme was to allow the educators and the students to follow the life of I. Κapodistrias, the first Governor of the modern Greek state.This research started from Capo d’Istria (today Koper, in Slovenia), from where his family originated, continuing with his childhood years in Corfu and ended with his assassination in Nafplion. Ioannis Kapodistrias (Corfu, 1776 – Nafplion, 1831) was an exceptional person, having a extraordinary position not only in Greek history, but also in Russian and European history of the early 19th century. He was a scholar, a patriot, a European diplomat, a Greek politician. He was of noble descent and his family had a tradition in politics. He was Foreign Minister in the Russian Empire and later he was appointed as the first Governor of Greece, during the period Greece was under the protection of the Great Powers. As a Governor he took special measures regarding education. He created over a hundred schools, with about ten thousands students, during his short period of government – only three years – and took care for the foundation of agricultural schools and the development of public health care. The partners learned about the important personality of Ioannis Kapodistrias following the logic of solving a puzzle. The first puzzle piece was filled by the students of Koper, Slovenia, who had the opportunity to search the roots of this Byzantine family, back in time. The second puzzle piece was filled by students from Corfu, Greece, where I.Kapodistrias was born and raised, inside a purely patriarchic family, following a strong religious education. Starting from the Kapodistrias’ Mansion (the family’s winter house), the Capodistrias’ Museum (the family’s summer house) and Kapodistrias’ tomb, in the Holy Monastery of Platytera, the students searched for information regarding Kapodistrias’ childhood and young age, his education and his relation to the Greek-orthodox religion through Monk Symeon in the Monastery of Platytera. Subsequently, starting from the Latin (Romeo-catholic) church of Holy Mary of Tenedos, where the first public school, founded by Kapodistrias, as well as the newly founded Ionian Academy were active, the students l researched Kapodistrias’ work as educational inspector of the Ionian States (1803-1806). Subsequently, the students from Bucharest completed the third puzzle piece, following I. Kapodistrias visit to their town, starting May 20th, 1812, and stayed there for three months as chief and director of Admiral Tsitsagkoff’s Diplomatic section’s Secretariat. His stay in Bucharest made Kapodistrias come in touch with the Ottoman Diplomacy. The students from Ettal completed the puzzle with the piece regarding the actions Kapodistrias did in favor of solving the Greek question, while being the Foreign Minister of the Russian Empire, as well as his philhellenic actions, that were obvious in 1825 in Bavaria. This philhellenic movement, which was active throughout Europe, was in part secretly ignited by Kapodistrias and had a positive effect to the Greek Revolution. The puzzle finished with Kapodistrias’ work as the first Governor of the newly founded Greek state in its capital Nafplion. The students searched his presence in the buildings of this era. We believe that the students who participated, from all the partner schools learned more about the multi-facet personality of this “Saint of politics”. In addition in this journey they had the oportunity to make new friendships and exchange views on the historical period under study. Also, the partner students learned to cooperate with their peers from different countries, having different cultures and even a different view of the world. In this way, they proceeded in their effort of becoming active European citizens, citizens of a globalised new world, that is changing constantly and is full of challenges.