One of the main pillars of
the European Union's credo is the promotion of active
European citizenship. Since its early days, the European
Union has spoken about the unity of its people and their
active involvement in the construction of a unified
Europe. The idea of town
twinning was born shortly after the Second World
War, when the peoples of Europe realised the need
for mutual reconciliation and cooperation between neighbors in order to rebuild peace. Today, more than
fifty years later, town twinning has grown into a
movement linking municipalities in several European
countries to a dense and organized network of
citizens.
With a view to
supporting the emergence of an active and
participative European citizenship, the European
Commission has been awarding funding to
town-twinning activities since 1989, the main aim of
which is to reinforce existing links between towns
and to encourage new twinning initiatives through
the award of carefully targeted subsidies.
Town twinning in Maltese is know as Gemelagg.
Ghajnsielem -
Tolfa
The
twinning negotiations started in August 2002 after a
delegation from Tolfa visited Ghajnsielem. An
agreement between the two communities was signed a year
later when a strong group of 50 Ghajnsilmizi visited the
beautiful town of Tolfa for the first time.
The tears of the last day showed that a new
friendship has started between the two communities.
The
respective mayors, Francis Cauchi and Alessandro
Battilocchio were instrumental in ensuring that
twinning agreement that was
signed between Ghajnsielem and Tolfa was a successful
one. In fact, a strong friendship exists between the
Italian people and the Ghajnslemizi. Several trip
exchanges
take place
each year in order to keep this friendship twinning
between the two towns alive.
The Story so
far...
The story started with a
simple fax which Alessandro
Battilocchio decided to send to the Ghajnsielem
Local Council Office. On the fax, there was an
invitation to discuss the proposal of a twinning between
the two towns. After doing some research on the
Internet, and seeing that Tolfa is a beautiful town full
of cultural history, Mayor Franics Cauchi immediately
accepted the invitation.
2002
Ghajnsielem had already
started talks with a Portuguese town with the aim
of signing a twinning agreement but nothing was
concluded. Negotiations
officially started on August 2002 when
Ghajnsielem council
secretary Dolindo Cassar was engaged in
talks with representatives of Tolfa council to
conclude an
agreement. more.
On December of the same year, Alessandro Battilochio,
together with three councillors, visited Ghajnsielem to
discuss the twinning agreement with Mayor Francis Cauchi.
The delegation was simply impressed with the village of
Ghajnsielem.
more
2003 A few
weeks later, the Ghajnsielem Local Council decided to
set up a twinning committee responsible for
Ghajnsielem’s twinning agreement with Tolfa. During
the first meeting, it was decided what the main
areas where the two towns can start working together
are.
more
In March 2003,
a
delegation from the Ghajnsielem Local Council started a
five day visit in Tolfa. The visit was a follow up
meeting, after a delegation from Tolfa visited
Ghajnsielem in December. During this visit, it was
decided that Tolfa will be the first to host an exchange
visit. more.
In fact the Ghajnsielem Football Club was invited to make the
first visit to Tolfa in August 2003.
more
In August 2003, first cultural
exchange trip in Tolfa was held.
The tears of the last day showed that a new
friendship has started between the two communities.
A preliminary agreement was officially signed.
Click
here to view the exchange visit in more detail.
Click here to read a short
message from Francis Cauchi and
Alessandro Battilocchio after the end of the first
cultural exchange trip in Tolfa.
Click here for related articles taken from the
Italian media.
Ghajnsielem.com later interviewed Tolfa Mayor Alessandro
Battilocchio for his comments regarding this first
cultrual exchange trip.
Read
Interview
Alessandro Battilochio
visited Ghajnsielem for the second time a few weeks
later and this time he was welcomed by many Ghajnselmizi
who met with him during the exchange visit in Tolfa.
Alessandro was also present for the Miss Malta
preliminary contest.
more.
In the meantime, the twinning
committee held a series of meetings to prepare for a
strong delegation of 125 people who were expected to
visit Ghajnsielem in August 2004. The hosting family
preparations was on top of the agenda more.
2004 A provisional
program of activities announced in March 2004. It
was also announced that the Tolfa delegation will be
coming during the last week of August - the week
dedicated to Our Lady of Loreto.
more
In May,
thirteen students
from the Ghajnsielem primary school were in Tolfa
for a six-day cultural
exchange visit.
Mayor Francis Cauchi later told Ghajnsielem.com that the main aim behind this visit was to
share the student's experiences with each other, make new
friends and learn about each other's culture.
more
A 140
strong Tolfa delegation arrived in Malta over three
different flights, after which they were transported
to Cirkewwa to catch a ferry to Mgarr. And one week
later as the ferry left the berth, a last salute of
car horns was given, closing one chapter of the
Ghajnsielem-Tolfa twinning, but preparing for a
multitude of stories that are to follow.
more
2005 The twinning
commitee announced that the second cultural trip to Tolfa
will take place during the first or second week of
August.
more.
This time, the visit to Tolfa was going to be in the
form of a youth
exchange thus focusing on the youths
aged 25 years and under.more
In August,
a group of
70 Ghajnsilmizi spent a truly memorable week in
Tolfa (Italy) between August 7th and 14th. This was
the second time that an Ghajnsielem delegation
visited this beautiful Italian locality. And as
Tolfa Mayor Dr Alessandro Battilocchio said "This
trip was only the start of a new beginning"
Ghajnsielem.com has prepared a special photo gallery.
more
2006 It was announced
that theChoir of Tolfa
which is well known in the Lazio Region for its
performances will be visiting Ghajnsielem in February.
more
The weekend of
February 24-27 was characterised by rain, cold and
wind. Yet despite the inclement weather, the
festivities prepared by the Ghajnsielem Council in
honour of a visiting delegation from Tolfa went
ahead. The Tolfa Chior was involved in several
cultural activities organized by the Comune di Tolfa in
collaboration with the Ghajnsielem Local Council and the
Lauretana Choir.
more
2007
In May, the Ghajnsielem Local Council organized the second
cultural
visit in Tolfa, Italy for the Year 6 Primary school students.
This trip was made possible thanks to the
European Union Student Exchange Programme.
The children were accompanied by Mayor Francis Cauchi, Miss Paulene Grech (Head of School), Mrs. Sylvana
Agius (Year 6 teacher) and their parents.
The Hon. Minister for Education Louis Galea was also
invieted as a special guest of the Ghajnsielem Local
Council. He was impressed by the friendship of the people of
Tolfa
more
A group of
55 residents from Tolfa were among us for the feast of Our Lady of Loreto.
During their stay, the twinning agreement between Tolfa and
Ghajnsielem was renewed in order to continue to build on
the already good relations that exists between the two
communities. Check out our special section covering all the activities that were organized for
them.
more
In September, the
St Joseph Band Club
orginized an eight-day grand-tour
around the main cities of
Italy. Tolfa was one of the locations visited
more
Photo Gallery
Third Official Visit to Ghajnsielem
(August 2007)
A group of
55 residents from Tolfa were among us for the feast of Our Lady of Loreto.
During their stay, the twinning agreement between Tolfa and
Ghajnsielem was renewed in order to continue to build on
the already good relations that exists between the two
communities. Check out our special section covering all the activities that were organized for
them.
Tolfa Choir Delegation in
Ghajnsielem
(27th
February 2006)
A group of 30 people
from Tolfa led by Alessandro Battilocchio came to
Ghajnsielem for a short official visit. The
delegation represented the Choir of Tolfa which is
well known in the Lazio region for its performances.
During their visit they were taken on an extensive
cultural tour of Gozo including the Citadel,
Ggantija, and other places of interest in
Ghajnsielem.
more
Second Cultural
Trip in Tolfa
(August 2005)
A group of
70 Ghajnsilmizi spent a truly memorable week in
Tolfa (Italy) between
August 7th and 14th. This was
the second time that an Ghajnsielem
delegation
visited this beautiful Italian locality. And as
Tolfa Mayor
Dr Alessandro Battilocchio said "This
trip was only the start of a new beginning"
Ghajnsielem.com has prepared a special photo gallery
with over 150 photos. click
here for more information
Tolfa residents in Ghajnsielem
(August 2004) As part of
the twinning agreement between Tolfa and Ghajnsielem,
a group of more then 100 residents from Tolfa are
among us for the feast of Our Lady of Loreto. Check
out our special photo coverage for all the activities
that were organized for them.
First cultural
exchange trip in Tolfa
(August 2003)
- Photo
Gallery -
Tolfa is a town and comune
of the Province of Rome, Italy, to the ENE of
Civitavecchia by road. The town has a population of
4.942 inhabitants and the people are called
Tolfetani. It is situated on the top of Monti di Tolfa.
In fact it rises 553 meters above sea level.
The town is divided in two
parts. Old Tolfa fortified around its castle and the new
Tolfa where the main square, gardino communale and the
civic center is situated. Tolfa is dominated by the
ruins of a medieval fortress which once belonged to the
Frangipane. In 1799 French troops set fire to Tolfa and
its fortress as the inhabitants, who, because they also
viewed the pope as their employer, opposed a strenuous
resistance to the invaders.
Tolfa is very popular with the Italians thanks to its
beautiful views and open surroundings, its beautiful
residences, the rich cultural history and the superb
local food and specialities.
The
twinning negotiations started in August 2002 after a
delegation from Tolfa visited Ghajnsielem. An
agreement between the two communities was signed a year
later when a strong group of 50 Ghajnsilmizi visited the
beautiful town of Tolfa for the first time.
The tears of the last day showed that a new
friendship has started between the two communities.