Lucca is set to expand its network of sister cities with the addition of Joinville, located in southern Brazil. During an official visit, Mayor Mario Pardini signed a Protocol of Intent for Twin Cities with Mayor Adriano Bornschein Silva at the Ágora Tech Park in Joinville.
The agreement marks the beginning of the
formal twinning process, which will now be examined by the city council before
moving to Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The partnership will be
finalized when a Brazilian delegation visits Lucca.
Joinville, the most populous city in the state
of Santa Catarina with over 620,000 residents, was officially founded in 1851
by European settlers from Germany, Switzerland, and Norway. Its name honors
Prince François d’Orléans of Joinville, France. Mayor Silva underlined the
cultural similarities and historical bonds between the two communities, noting
that Joinville hosts many families of Italian origin and several companies from
Lucca.
The ceremony also celebrated entrepreneur
Fabio Perini, originally from Lucca and founder of the Perini Business Park — the
largest multi-sector industrial hub in Latin America. Perini received the
Princess Dona Francisca Medal of Merit in recognition of his contributions.
The twinning makes Joinville Lucca’s sixth
sister city, joining Colmar in France, Abingdon in the UK, Saint Niklaas in
Belgium, Schongau in Germany, and South San Francisco in the United States.
