Fra Noi Embrace Your Inner Italian
More than a century of close ties binds Rockford, Illinois, and Ferentino, Italy. That bond was made official when they became Sister Cities two decades ago. State, city and county proclamations have recognized this milestone.
Mayors Larry Morrissey of Rockford and Piergianni Fiorletta of Ferentino signed the official Sister City documents in May 2006. Nine officials from Ferentino’s city council and the city’s arts and cultural organization traveled to Rockford for the ceremony and a busy week of meetings and festivities.
Ferentino is an ancient-yet-modern city of 21,000 people located 45 minutes southeast of Rome. It is rich with Roman ruins, and boasts major industries including pharmaceuticals, soaps, textiles, clay bricks, electronics and foods. Sant’ Ambrogio, a fourth-century Roman centurion tortured and executed for his Christian faith, is the city’s patron saint. Italian immigrants settled in south Rockford at the turn of the 20th century, forming many Italian social clubs. Those from Ferentino created the St. Ambrogio Society in 1918, a still-thriving club with bocce leagues, special events and weekly dinners.
The Rockford Italian Sister Cities Alliance (RISCA) is a volunteer nonprofit committee that tirelessly promotes the partnership between the two cities. It sponsors citizen exchanges; student pen pal programs; a floral garden and commemorative plaque at the Keeling-Puri Peace Plaza; and cultural, business, and educational programs and displays. For more, click here.
