Franco-Provençal language

Franco-Provençal (Francoprovençal), Arpitan or Romand (in Switzerland) (Vernacular: francoprovençâl, arpetan, patouès; Italian: francoprovenzale, arpitano; French: francoprovençal, arpitan, patois) is a Gallo-Romance language spoken in east-central France, western Switzerland, northwestern Italy, and in enclaves in the Province of Foggia in Apulia, Italy. Franco-Provençal has several distinct dialects and is separate from but closely related to neighboring Romance languages: Oïl languages, Occitan, Gallo-Italian, and Romansh. The name Franco-Provençal was given to the language by G.I. Ascoli in the 19th century because it shared features with French and Provençal without belonging to either. Arpitan, a neologism, is becoming a popular name for the language and the people who speak it.

Today, the largest number of Franco-Provençal speakers reside in the Aosta Valley, an autonomous region of Italy. The language is also spoken in alpine valleys in the province of Turin, two isolated towns in Foggia, and rural areas of the Romandie region of Switzerland. It is one of the three Gallo-Romance language families of France and is officially recognized as a regional language of France, but its use is marginal. Organizations are attempting to preserve it through cultural events, education, scholarly research, and publishing.

Bressan (footballer)

Matheus Simonete Bressaneli (born 15 January 1993), commonly known as Bressan, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a central defender for Grêmio.

Club career

Born in Caxias do Sul, Bressan joined Juventude's youth setup in 2005, aged 12. In 2010 he was promoted to the first team for the 2010 Campeonato Gaúcho, and made his professional debut on 21 March 2010, in a 1-3 away loss against Novo Hamburgo. However, does not stand in starting XI of the Juventude.

In the second half of 2011, Bressan won his first professional title, the Copa FGF, acting as a backup, however. In April 2012, he went on a trial period at Ligue 1 side Lille, but nothing came of it; he was also a part of the squad which won the Copa FGF for the second time of the club's history.

In December 2012 Bressan signed with Grêmio, after a partnership between the Porto Alegre's club and Juventude was established. He made his debut for the new club on 3 February 2013, in a 2-1 away loss against Internacional.