St Albans Mayor joins carnival in twin city of Fano
Cultural ties were strengthened between St Albans and its Italian twin city when the Mayor of St Albans City and District visited Fano last week.
Councillor Mohammad Iqbal Zia was invited to join the Mayor of Fano in leading the city’s colourful carnival which takes place each year.
Crowds of 60,000 turned out to watch as approximately 20 floats navigated their way through the historic streets of the beautiful city that lies on the Adriatic coast.
Like St Albans, Fano has Roman heritage, having been established by Julius Caesar in 49 BC.
During the visit the two Mayors discussed how best to promote their cities’ cultural and historic attractions. They also talked about new projects, initiatives and local recycling schemes.
The Mayor of the City and District of St Albans, Councillor Mohammad Iqbal Zia, said: “It was a wonderful experience leading the carnival alongside the Mayor of Fano and other dignitaries. There was a fantastic atmosphere with a crowd of 60,000 turning out to watch the parade of floats.
“This visit has helped cement the ties between St Albans’ and the twin city of Fano. It provided a great opportunity to promote St Albans as a place to visit with its Roman heritage, Cathedral and wonderful leisure facilities.
“The Mayor of Fano and I spoke about how to make the most of our cities’ cultural and historic attractions. We also talked about our recycling schemes and local initiatives like St Albans City and District Council’s drive to improve cultural and leisure facilities. The Mayor of Fano was interested to hear about the new museum and art gallery, as well as the high performance tennis centre at Batchwood Sports Centre. In turn, I was keen to find out more about Fano’s successful recycling scheme. Needless to say we both learned a great deal in the process.”
The twinning link between Fano and St Albans was established in 1998. Fano is a resort town on the east coast of Italy, with two beautiful beaches and a colourful harbour.
More information about Fano is available on St Albans City and District Council’s website.
The Right Worshipful the Mayor of the City and District of St Albans, Councillor Mohammad Iqbal Zia
Contact for the Mayor’s office:
Alison Orde, the Mayor’s Civic Officer
Tel: 01727 819544, Email: mayoralty@stalbans.gov.uk
Contact for the media:
Amanda Wilkinson, Senior Communications Officer, St Albans City and District Council
Tel: 01727 819317, E-mail: amanda.wilkinson@stalbans.gov.uk