The Canadian Press loves us, too. This just in from the news consortium north of the border. Locals have known about this. Even so, it’s nice to have so many people around the continent talking about us.
This year’s Spoleto, which will feature more than 100 dance, music and theatrical performances, is to open with a brass fanfare and a round of speeches from the steps of Charleston City Hall at noon Friday. The speakers are to include Massimo Brunini, the mayor of Spoleto, Italy.
The Charleston festival and the Festival of Two Worlds in Italy announced earlier this year they plan to resume the partnership they enjoyed 15 years ago.
The arts festivals hope to share productions beginning next year and Emmanuel Villaume, the American festival’s director of opera and orchestra, plans to conduct the opera “Padmavati” at the Italian festival, which runs from June 27 through July 13.
We got word today that Mayor Brunini is in town. He and an Italian delegation, including we assume the director of the Festival Two Worlds Foundation, arrived last night. They will appear at Spoleto’s opening ceremony tomorrow at noon where they will make much pomp and circumstance in signing a “Reaffirmation of the Sister City Partnership Agreement” — whatever that is.
If it means more Europeans bringing their euros to town, all the better for the local business community. If it means more Europeans bringing their art and culture with them, all the better for the local artists and arts community. Whatever we can do to sustain a relationship year-round, let’s do that, too.
So far, though, it seems to means creating a “Spoleto Corner” at …
Charleston’s Visitor Reception Transportation Center with an agreement that there will be a Charleston display in the Tourism Office in Spoleto, Italy. Charleston is delighted with the opportunity to have a “Charleston Corner” in Spoleto and details to finalize the corner will be discussed during the delegation’s visit this week.
(image above is courtesy of the Post and Courier; Mayor Massimo Brunini of Spoleto, Italy, (from left) and Giorgio Ferrara, new director of the Festival of Two Worlds Foundation, Spoleto’s sister festival in Spoleto, Italy) Love Best of Charleston? Help the Charleston City Paper keep Best of Charleston going every year with a donation. Or sign up to become a member of the Charleston City Paper club.