This Sunday, the Nelson Italian Festival, in lower Trafalgar St from 10am to 4pm, enables our city to celebrate our unique heritage and connection with Italy.
One of the first recorded Italians to come to Nelson was Stefano de Filippi in 1862. A wave of Italian migrants came to Nelson in 1905 as part of a mass migration triggered by poverty. Italian migrants also headed to the United States, Canada and Australia. Another wave came to Nelson after World War II. The only other NZ city that has a significant Italian population is Wellington.
The Italian families and culture have become an integral part of Nelson life, as evidenced by Club Italia and the many streets in the Wood area named after the families who had market gardens there.
This year's festival includes Italian cuisine, crafts, music and dance. I also love the display of classic cars and motorbikes such as Ferrari, Lamborghini, Alfa Romeo, Lambretta and Ducati.
I received a letter last week from the Mayor of Massa Lubrense in southern Italy, where many of our early Italian settlers came from, wanting to establish a Sister City relationship with Nelson. We currently have Sister City relationships with Miyazu in Japan as well as Huangshi and Yangjiang in China.
Nelson is a small city in an isolated corner of the globe. We are culturally and economically richer for these connections with the world. We can only sustain a few Sister City relationships but one in Europe where we now have a Free Trade Agreement is an opportunity worth exploring.
Ratepayers’ funds are always tight, and Council has a limited role in foreign affairs. The only way these relationships can be sustained is through community volunteers. Council, in consultation with our Sister Cities Coordinating Group, led by Councillor Trudie Brand, will now consider the request.
A big thank you to Club Italia, led by President Francis Miccio, and the festival organising team, led by Flavia Spena, for the huge effort that goes into the festival and maintaining this unique part of Nelson’s heritage. Come enjoy the festivities and help us celebrate our city's Italian roots. Buona festa!
