Wuxi (right) and Urbino. [Photo provided to en.wuxi.gov.cn]
Wuxi and Urbino, a historic city in Italy's Marche region, have signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a friendship city relationship, opening new opportunities for cultural exchange and practical cooperation.
The agreement was signed during the 2026 China International Friendship Cities Conference in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, with support from the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.
Following the conference, a delegation led by Francesco Guazzolini, who represents the mayor of Urbino, visited Wuxi for a cooperation meeting covering education, healthcare, culture and tourism.
Guazzolini said the two cities shared a strong commitment to preserving their cultural heritage and intangible cultural traditions. While geographically distant, Wuxi, a historic center of Jiangnan culture, and Urbino, a cradle of the Renaissance, have common ground for long-term exchanges.
The Italian Chinese Cultural Exchange Association also pledged to help connect Wuxi with Italian partners and support cooperation between the two cities.
Plans include establishing sister-school partnerships, organizing sports and cultural exchanges, arranging visits by traditional Chinese medicine practitioners, conducting joint research on heritage preservation, and promoting traditional crafts, creative industries and tourism.
Located in central Italy, Urbino is a UNESCO World Heritage site renowned for its Renaissance architecture and cultural legacy. It was the birthplace of Renaissance artist Raffaello Santi in 1483.
The new partnership is expected to strengthen people-to-people ties and create opportunities for sustained cooperation between the two cities in education, healthcare and cultural exchange.
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