Looking for a little love
Italian birthplace of St. Valentine may be sister-city for Pittsburgh
An Italian city believed to be the birthplace of St. Valentine is looking for love in the U.S. — and feels Pittsburgh would be a perfect match.
Officials in Terni, Italy, are launching a campaign on Valentine’s Day to find an American town or city to become its “sister city.” Terni Mayor Leonardo Latini said he would love to partner with Pittsburgh because of its connection to the steel industry.
“Pittsburgh would be very welcome to apply to be our partner city,” Mr. Latini said in a statement to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “We are both cities sitting on multiple rivers (Terni’s Roman name, after all, was Interamna Nahars, meaning ‘in between two rivers’!). We both have a proud industrial history in steel, yet are now focusing on developing renewable energy for the future and becoming Smart Cities.”
Terni is nicknamed “City of Lovers” — St. Valentine was a third-century priest born in the central Italian city — but it is also known as “The City of Steel” for its role in the second industrial revolution in Italy.
While the two steel cities have an obvious connection, Mr. Latini pointed out that Terni and
Pittsburgh have a lot more in common.
“Beyond being a hotbed for innovation, Pittsburgh, like Terni, has produced many significant politicians, musicians, artists, actors, and sports people,” the statement read.
Terni has partnered with a global languagelearning app, Babbel, to search for its first American sister city. The initiative launches on Valentine’s Day, and the “twinning city” results will be announced on the same day next year. Terni officials reached out to the Post-Gazette to make the pitch after seeing a Valentine’s Day story on the paper’s website.
Terni is hedging its bets. “The news of the initiative has gone out to major publications (including yours) across the USA. Terni and Babbel hope that any and all cities and towns who feel they have a cultural, historical, or indeed romantic similarity with Terni take part!” officials said in a statement.
A judging panel will determine which city is awarded the accolade based on how much it shares a historical, cultural, professional or touristic point of comparison with Terni. Babbel will donate 1,000 Babbel subscriptions to the winning city so that its inhabitants can learn the language of their new sister city.
Pittsburgh currently has 20 international sister cities, a program that seeks to “develop deep and broad relationships with selected cities around the world with an ultimate goal of creating mutually beneficial economic development opportunities and stronger economies for Pittsburgh and its sister cities,” according to the city’s website.
Mayor Bill Peduto’s office did not immediately respond for comment on whether Pittsburgh is interested in the match.