Monaco officially twinned with Dolceacqua
The Mayors of the two newly twinned municipalities, Georges Marsan and Fulvio Gazzola, with a warm handshake at the Monaco Town Hall on Friday. © Ed Wright Images / Monaco Town Council
The twinning oath was signed on Friday morning at Monaco Town Hall, witnessed by Prince Albert II. The delegations then travelled to the Prince’s Palace for the rest of the ceremony, with Princess Charlene in attendance.
It’s official! The ties between Monaco and Dolceacqua, which date back to the Middle Ages with the marriage of Françoise Grimaldi and Luc Doria, are now sealed through this twinning. Georges Marsan, Mayor de Monaco and Fulvio Gazzola, Mayor of Dolceacqua, signed the twinning oath in the presence of the Sovereign, members of Monaco’s town council and elected representatives from the Ligurian town.
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Dolceacqua is now the third municipality to be twinned with Monaco. Georges Marsan and Fulvio Gazzola said a few words in front of the many guests, including the mayors of the cities of Ostende – Bart Tommeleinde and Lucciana – José Galletti, the Principality’s other twins since 1958 and 2009 respectively, after the Italian and Monegasque anthems were played.
Recalling the historical ties between the two towns, the Mayor of Monaco said that “twinning should not, however, be reduced to the sole celebration of past events: it is fully rooted in the present day and is justified through the shared future that we will be able to build from today onwards.” Dolceacqua’s mayor spoke of the future with the Principality: “It is up to all of us to make these aspirations a reality and keep the flame of this relationship alive. There is no doubt in my mind that this twinning will be a success in the future and I am sure everyone will strive to make it flourish. Our imagination, shared goodwill and mutual trust will enable us to design many projects and bring them to fruition. This is the wish I make before you today.”
At the end of the ceremony, Georges Marsan presented Fulvio Gazzola with a picture symbolising the formal twinning : a photograph taken specifically for the occasion by photographer Julien Spiewak, of which only two copies have been printed, showing the forearms of the two Mayors around the Monaco – Dolceacqua twinning logo.
The Sovereign and 65 guests then headed to the Prince’s Palace, where the official twinning oath documents were presented to Princess Charlene and Prince Albert II. The Princely Couple also franked a new commemorative issue Monegasque stamp.
In the afternoon, the Sovereign then travelled to the Ligurian town to take part in a second signing ceremony. The population turned out in large numbers in the church square to attend the festivities, in the presence of the Monegasque and Italian delegations.
Before signing the twinning oath on Italian soil, the Monegasque mayor and his Council were treated to an organ concert by Olivier Vernet, a teacher at the Rainier III Academy. The instrument originally belonged in the Academy, and was donated by Monaco Town Council to the Italian municipality. “It has found a fantastic home here,” the organist told Monaco Info.
On to Dolceacqua town hall, where a cutting from a century-old olive tree in the Parc Princesse Antoinette was planted as a gift from Monaco. A number of children from the Dolceacqua primary school then presented a little olive tree to the Municipality of Monaco.
The highly symbolic day continued and concluded on the Piazza Mauro. The history between the two municipalities was retraced as Prince Albert II looked on. “I believe that it was completely natural for us to have a third twinning with an Italian municipality (…) It’s a wonderful story, with a wonderful culmination, but also a wonderful promise of future interactions that will be beneficial for Monaco and Dolceacqua,” the Sovereign concluded, speaking to Monaco Info.