HF invited to twin with Montefiore Conca, in Italy

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On Wednesday night (25 January) councillors will vote on a proposal to twin Hammersmith & Fulham (LBHF) with the Italian municipality of Montefiore Conca.

The Italian Embassy approached the west London borough to twin with the historic medieval village in North East Italy after a request from the Mayor of Montefiore Conca, Filippo Berselli.

Situated in the Romagne, Montefiore, meaning mount of flowers, is one of the most beautiful and important towns of the region and guards the Conca valley on a border with the Duchy of Urbino. Montefiore Conca, is dominated by the magnificent Malatesta Fortress which was built in 1340 and was once home to popes, princes and emperors. The beautiful countryside is scattered with olive trees and covered with chestnuts, oaks and small woods.

Cllr Charlie Treloggan, Mayor of Hammersmith & Fulham, said, "It would be great to strengthen our links with this beautiful part of Northern Italy and I have already met with the Italian Ambassador. The ties between London and this region go back as far as medieval times when bankers started trading with each other."

The European Commission is encouraging town-twinning schemes as a way of involving local communities and local leaders in closer European integration. The twining proposal sought would be an 'in principle agreement' at this stage and would need to be formally ratified by a

jointly signed charter.

The Mayor continues, "This is really the start of the process but if it succeeds the cultural, economic, educational, social and tourism ties between the two communities will be much stronger. I know my counterpart Mayor Filippo Berselli is a great fan of our small corner

of London, having spent a bit of his honeymoon here, and is as keen as I am to reinforce ties between the two communities."

Hammersmith & Fulham is already twinned with Berlin-Neukoelln, a relationship that has existed for more than 50 years, and Boulogne-Billancourt.

 

January 22, 2006