Recently the Mayor and Councillors of Victoria, together with over 80 residents paid a 5 day visit to Nichelino, a city of 50,000 residents near Turin in northern Italy. The visit was co-financed by the European Union.

The relationship between the two localities started more than 30 years ago when a Gozitan priest, Fr. Joe Galea, began his pastoral experience in Nichelino.

Unfortunately Fr. Galea was not there to celebrate this historic moment, having sadly lost his battle against cancer two years ago.

However the respect and love of the Nichelino community toward Fr. Galea was readily apparent, as the local peoples participation in a mass celebrated by Mgr. Mario Grech the Bishop of Gozo in his memory and to the actual signing of the twinning agreement movingly illustrated.

A delegation from Nichelino is now expected to return the visit during the month of April for the signing of the twinning agreement in Victoria.

Permalink: Victoria signs its first twinning agreement