In Springfield and West Springfield, sister city relationships have had nothing but positive impacts.
“It’s the experience, it’s positive,” said Ed Sullivan, president of the West Springfield Sister City Organization. “I don’t want to say it’s eye-opening but there are some things people learn about the other cultures.”
Those things include holidays but also the other country’s wildlife, said Sullivan, describing the reaction a visiting Irish teacher had to a squirrel. Education creates bonds, he said. Two people who met each other through the sister city program have got married, he shared.
“The way those bonds develop and develop so quickly,” he said. “I don’t want to say they’re life changing but they’re for life. It’s just that kind of program.”
In Springfield, Giuseppe Polimeni, the former Italian vice consul for Western Massachusetts said that the program, particularly the student exchange program, has given young residents the kind of cultural education no amount of money can buy.
“My point of view is cultural education could solve a lot of problems in the world,” said Polimeni. “We should be able to learn from one another, respect one another … it could be a small part to bringing us together.”
He continued, “It’s a must today for young people to get to know and respect one another. We have different vision, values, but we are all human beings.”
The past
Springfield’s relationship with Viterbo, Italy, was established by Mayors Robert Markel and Giuseppe Fioroni, respectively, in 1994. That relationship was established, Polimeni said, to allow young people from both cities to learn about each other’s cultures. The city is close to Rome and has a history of hosting the Pope’s summer residences.
While Polimeni did not mention heritage, it’s worth noting that 5.7% of Springfield’s population have Italian heritage, according to 2020 national census data. The South End neighborhood is well-known for its Italian community.
West Springfield is sisters with Dingle, Ireland, and Valdarno, Italy, both reflecting the significant Irish- and Italian-American populations in the city, said Sullivan. According to 2020 national census data, 18.3% of West Springfield’s population have Irish ancestry and 10.2% have Italian. Dingle is particularly fitting because it’s in County Kerry, where many Irish immigrants to West Springfield came from, said Sullivan.
Mayor William Reichelt signed the agreement establishing the relationships for Dingle in 2017. Valdarno’s was unofficially signed during the COVID-19 state of emergency over Zoom and was made formal in 2022.
The present
Both cities’ sister city programs involve a student exchange program, although Springfield’s has been dormant since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
“The relationship between the two cities has not been as vibrant in the recent past,” said Paul Picknelly, honorary Italian consul for Western Massachusetts. “COVID certainly shut that down for obvious reasons.”
Springfield’s exchange program is a collaboration between a sister city committee, the Italian Cultural Center and the Western Massachusetts Italian consulate. When it was active, Viterbo students would switch places with Springfield students, spending time at Springfield Central High School and West Springfield High School.
Picknelly said there were several reasons for sending students to West Springfield, such as that its high school is the fourth most diverse school in the United States. Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno, who is Italian, has visited the school and spoken Italian with the exchange students, Sullivan said.
“West Springfield’s the nucleus,” he said. “It’s really become a regional program.”
West Springfield’s program has Dingle and Valdarno students visit one year and West Springfield students visit them the next. When the Irish and Italian students visit, they stay with host families and visit local attractions, like Six Flags and The Big E.
“We try to get them to do different things, so they get a flavor of the area and region, and quite frankly the commonwealth,” said Sullivan.
West Springfield’s also has an economic component. Merchants from Dingle sell their wares during The Big E, he said, and his organization is looking into whether Italian wine merchants could join them. As well, museums in County Kerry and Springfield have agreed to promote each other.
Sullivan is constantly working year-round on this program with at least 50 different people, from mayors to superintendents to Eastern States Exposition board members. While students traveling abroad have to raise money for it, the rest of the program’s funds comes from The Big E trust, which the sister city organization has to apply for, he said. The trust is very supportive of the program, he said.
“There’s really no cost to the taxpayers,” he said.
For Springfield’s program, Picknelly explained, “There were a number of people on this committee and I’m assuming there was an extensive amount of work put in.”
The sister city program is always on the Italian Cultural Center’s monthly agendas, Polimeni said. He didn’t think it costed much, as much of it involved volunteers and donations.
“I don’t think it was a lot of money, obviously,” he said. I think it was more generosity from everybody.”
The West Springfield Sister City Organization is volunteer-run, as well.
The future
When Springfield’s program returns from dormancy, Polimeni wants to add a business and tourism component. Viterbo has much to promote, he said, such as the annual Santa Rosa religious faire, where young Viterbesi carry a statue honoring the patron saint of Viterbo through the old city. Viterbo is also the largest producer of peperino marble, said Picknelly, which merchants could sell in Springfield.
Picknelly said Springfield wants to have more sister cities, but the matter hasn’t been discussed, yet. He could not give a date as to when the Viterbo program would return.
On the other hand, Sullivan said West Springfield has received offers for new relationships, but is not interested in them. The city, he said, wants to develop its current relationships further before taking on new ones.
Sullivan is hoping other people join the sister city organization, as he “won’t be around forever.” In particular, he hopes the students who participated in student exchanges will join and have the time for it.
“This is literally a living breathing active relationship that we want to make sure continues to the next generation,” Sullivan concluded.
