As part of the 731st edition of the Perdonanza Celestiniana\u2014a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity since 2019\u2014the traditional welcoming ceremony for delegations from L\u2019Aquila\u2019s sister cities took place this morning in the \u201cTullio De Rubeis\u201d Council Chamber of Palazzo Margherita, the traditional welcoming ceremony for delegations from L\u2019Aquila\u2019s sister cities.<\/p>\n
The event, organized by the Department of Tourism, International Relations, and Sister Cities of the City of L\u2019Aquila, was enhanced this year by a roundtable discussion dedicated to \u201cL\u2019Aquila, Italian Capital of Culture 2026,\u201d included in the official program of the Perdonanza, which provided an opportunity to reflect on the role of the capital of Abruzzo in its journey toward this prestigious goal.<\/p>\n
The mayor of L’Aquila, Pierluigi Biondi, delivered the official remarks.<\/p>\n
Speakers included: Ersilia Lancia, Councilor for Tourism, International Relations, and Sister Cities for the City of L\u2019Aquila, and Alessandro Crociata, director of L\u2019Aquila\u2019s bid to become the 2026 Italian Capital of Culture, who outlined the strategic guidelines and projects that will involve institutions, associations, and citizens in a shared vision of cultural and social growth.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn the occasion of the Perdonanza, we are once again hosting our institutional meeting with delegations from our sister cities, which this year features an explicitly intercultural dialogue, as we wanted to use this occasion to reflect on the 2026 Italian Capital of Culture,\u201d said Ersilia Lancia, Councilor for Tourism, International Relations, and Sister City Partnerships for the City of L\u2019Aquila. \u201cI believe that the thematic link to culture and the idea of a culture-based development model can inspire the diplomacy of local governments, which is necessarily underpinning sister city partnerships. Through culture, we can strengthen the values of friendship, cooperation, identity, and mutual understanding that characterize our relationships with our sister cities, and we must continue to work toward this,\u201d concluded Councilor Lancia. <\/p>\n
The following sister cities were represented: Rottweil (Germany), represented by Marc Schaffert, Councilor for Culture; Zielona G\u00f3ra (Poland), represented by Joanna Malon, Vice President of the City Council, and Iwona Burchardt, Director of the European Funds Department; Bistrita (Romania), represented by Deputy Mayor Stefania Stere; Erba (Italy), represented by Maria Francesca Frigerio, Councilor for Social Policies; Sant\u2019Angelo D\u2019Alife (Italy), represented by Mayor Michele Caporaso; City Councilor for Urban Affairs Angelo Rossolino; twin city delegate Maria Gilardi, City Councilor; Micaela Bucci, City Councilor; Rosalba Marino, City Councilor; and Elisabetta Simonelli, City Councilor.<\/p>\n
Also present was the city of Assisi (Italy), represented by Mayor Valter Stoppini\u2014a city that is not a sister city but with which we maintain ties based on faith and popular devotion to Saints Francis and Celestine, as well as on the common ground found in their messages of peace and forgiveness. Moreover, just yesterday, the City of Assisi was awarded the 2025 Prize for Forgiveness, an honor that the Perdonanza Committee bestows upon organizations and individuals of the highest caliber. The award, presented to Mayor Stoppini, was given to the entire community of Assisi \u201cfor its commitment as peacemakers, following the path laid out by Saint Francis, a messenger of brotherhood, a champion of the universal value of forgiveness, and an apostle of respect for all creatures.\u201d <\/p>\n
The presence of foreign and Italian delegations reaffirmed L\u2019Aquila\u2019s role as a hub for dialogue, exchange, and cooperation. The meeting concluded with a joint commitment to strengthen the value of sister-city relationships in anticipation of the major challenge and opportunity of 2026. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
As part of the 731st edition of the Perdonanza Celestiniana\u2014a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity since 2019\u2014the traditional welcoming ceremony for delegations from L\u2019Aquila\u2019s sister cities took place this…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5950,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[63],"tags":[],"post_series":[],"class_list":["post-5949","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-laquila-2026","entry","has-media"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n