L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JULY 25, 2019 www.italoamericano.org 26 L'Italo-Americano F ifty years have gone by since Mayor Joseph Alioto got a call from the Consiglio Comunale di Assisi announcing that the proposal to make San Francisco and Assisi Sister Cities had been approved. That decision marked a crucial moment in the history of the two towns: Assisi, the Città della Pace, (as locals always un- derline) is in fact Sister City with all places on Earth. However, an exception for San Francisco and Jerusalem has been made, giving both cities an exclusive status as well as a special pride. The history of the San Fran- cisco-Assisi relationship, which be- came indeed official through the constitution of the San Francisco Sister City Committee, was marked by different moments, yet the mes- sage has never changed: while the uniqueness of Assisi is undoubted, the Spanish explorers' mission, that occurred in the 18th century in Cal- ifornia, was named after Saint Fran- cis of Assisi, the founder of the Franciscan Order, and still reminds the way people in Assisi spend their life, upon Francesco's words. Half a century later, the connec- tion was honored by an official del- egation's visit led by Angela Alioto, Joe's daughter, and Super- visor Catherine Stefani, represent- ing San Francisco's Mayor London Breed, as well as some members of the Sister Cities Committee. They visited Assisi and Perugia and attended events and meetings with the idea of strengthening the al- ready tight relationship and with the purpose of running more new initiatives. The three day program started on July 9th, when the committee gathered for traditional Italian cof- fee and cappuccino in the cozy, sunny Piazza del Municipio. That was right before the Cantori di As- sisi welcomed the group and played the "Coprifuoco" music at the en- trance of the Palazzo Comunale, already set up for the opening re- marks. Mayor of Assisi, Stefania Proietti, greeted the delegation and reminded how her interest in the program had begun even before she got elected as Mayor. It was 2016 when she met with former San Francisco Mayor, Ed Lee, who was eager on moving the Sister Cities' Program forward. Historical im- ages of the collaboration played during the gifts exchange, bringing back memories of former Mayor Alioto on the phone during the Sis- ter Cities' announcement; the visit of Mr William Armanino and his wife in Assisi; and the stay of the Italian delegation in San Francisco last September. On her hand, Mrs Angela Alioto couldn't hold back all emotions every time her father's name was mentioned and she ex- pressed her gratitude towards the people who have been working hard to make the program a reality. SERENA PERFETTO world, got under way in Perugia. The opening night featured a band from San Francisco, Con Brio, bringing the California's vibe to the heart of Umbria. Once all meetings are over and it's time to go back to daily com- mitments, what will the future bring? Mayor Proietti believes the collaboration will be crucial for the future Sister Cities Program: "We will create a committee in Assisi that involves near towns, as well as cultural and business organiza- tions that represent our territory as a whole. We foresee the local com- mittee fully invested in the project, because it will represent our voice when working with American stakeholders, and will exchange ideas from different industries and about a variety of themes — for instance tech, innovation, tourism, food, and much more." On the same note, the Italian Consul General in San Francisco, Lorenzo Ortona, who virtually joined the group via video-call: "This moment represents an im- portant milestone as it strengthens a historic relationship and puts new foundations for travel and eco- nomic opportunities between the two realities. The Consulate Gen- eral also contributed to helping the exchange of best practices between entrepreneurs of both sides, espe- cially for the travel and food in- dustries and for small businesses. We are now getting ready to host Umbrian cultural events in San Francisco between 2019 and 2020 in order to continue celebrating this fantastic friendship." One of the things that most make her proud is the Porziuncola, whose scaled replica was built in San Francisco thanks to the local Committee, to recall the connec- tion with the religious centre for the Order of the "Frati Minori" (Minor Friars) in Assisi. The first day kept going with a visit to the Basilica di San Francesco, where friars hosted a lunch in their Refet- torio Sacro Convento, followed by time spent at the Porziuncola, in- side the large Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli. A Gala dinner, with traditional Umbrian food and wine, while listening to medieval music and songs, was the success- ful completion of a day full of his- tory and memories. Mrs Alioto well served the voice of the con- nection with the past, whereas Su- pervisor Stefani was determined to take the partnership beyond the his- torical agreements: "it is incredibly special to be in Italy, where my family is from, to celebrate a half- century of friendship with Assisi, the birthplace of our namesake, San Francisco. I am looking for- ward to continuing to strengthen the relationship between our two cities." The kick off on day two in- cluded meetings between the del- egation and local stakeholders: the room welcomed Mayors from nearby towns, as well as local busi- ness and cultural organizations, all addressing the need of making the San Francisco-Assisi network ben- eficial to the rest of the territory and to ensure that economic and social opportunities are created for and from both sides. In fact, al- though the main attraction for tourists in Umbria is the town where St Francis' legacy unfolds, a common effort is necessary to promote other areas, whose his- tory, culture, and traditions are surely worth a visit during a stay in the region. In the last few years, Umbria has been building up the so-called "slow tourism," however, more and more visitors nowadays choose to spend just enough time in the same place, in order to quickly fill their travel bucket list. Only by offering new travel expe- riences, possibly off the beaten path, and by moving the spotlight on less known towns, tourists will be able to fulfill, live, and enjoy the slow travel concept. This is also the message that Giulio Proietti Bocchini, Head of Tourism Office of Assisi working on projects for the United Nations and UNESCO, highlighted: "We planned the three day events after our Mayor and representatives visited San Fran- cisco in September 2018, in order to strengthen the collaboration with our American stakeholders. The Umbria Region Government sup- ported the initiative and we work together to create exchange oppor- tunities and to launch a Sister Cities committee in Assisi itself. The Committee will help reinforce the international relations and foster a common ground for future collab- orations." Assisi represents the main gate to Umbria, yet tourists want to spend time in the rest of the region too. "The number of American tourists in Assisi has reached 5-6 millions visitors per year," Mr Proietti continued "on the other hand, the 'turismo mordi e fuggi' - the quick getaway - is now trend- ing, going against the spirit of our promotional campaigns on slow tourism. Alongside excellent food and wine, we try to highlight the beauty of our cultural and historical sites and to promote thrilling events like the Umbria Jazz Festi- val." Third and last day was dedi- cated to some more official meet- ings, with Mr Fabio Paparelli, Governor of the region, and Mr Claudio Sgaraglia, Prefetto of Pe- rugia, supporting the initiatives launched by the Sister Cities Com- mittee and Assisi. A stroll around the stunning city of Perugia, dis- covering its Etruscan historical sites and churches, was followed by a stopover at the Trasimeno Lake, a peaceful oasis whose land- scape reflects the typical features of the territory, green hills covered with olive groves. As emphasized in the Umbria Tourism website (umbriatourism.it), you can horse ride, hike or bike along trails, while the lake offers swimming, sailing, and kayaking experiences. For those who love wine, plenty of tast- ing experiences can be also found at local vineyards. Before the delegation said goodbye to local representatives who warmly welcomed and as- sisted them during their stay, the Umbria Jazz Festival, one of the most famous jazz events in the SAN FRANCISCO ITALIAN COMMUNITY San Francisco and Assisi honor their first 50 years as Sister Cities The San Francisco delegation meeting with Umbria Region President and Prefetto.

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