View as a webpage/Share

Celebrating 40 Years as Sister Cities

The public is invited to the events listed below as the City of Fort Smith acknowledges, celebrates, and honors the 40^th anniversary of the “twinning” of Fort Smith, AR, and Cisterna, Italy.

• Wednesday, September 25 at 6:00 pm: Exhibition opening, Celebrating 40 Years of "Gemellaggio"! at the Fort Smith Museum of History (320 Rogers Ave, Fort Smith, AR 72901). Doors open at 5:30 pm. 
  
  
• Friday, September 27 at 10:45 am: Wreath-laying ceremony at the grave of General William O. Darby at the Fort Smith National Cemetery (522 Garland Ave, Fort Smith, AR 72901).
  
  
• Friday, September 27 at 6:30 pm: Levitt Concert Series, Riverfront Amphitheatre (121 Riverfront Dr, Fort Smith, AR 72901)

The Italian delegation, which includes Cisterna’s Vice Mayor, Maria Innamorato, and former Mayor of Cisterna, Gianni Salis, will be in attendance at these events and available to meet the public.

1984 was only the beginning of what is now forty years of friendship. The mission of a sister city is to promote peace, understanding, and cooperation through cultural, educational, trade, and tourism exchanges between cities and communities.

Although Captain Darby and his 1^st, 3^rd, and 4^th Ranger Battalions were not successful in their attempt to liberate Cisterna, their honorable efforts and sacrifices led to the completion of the initial mission—Cisterna was liberated from Nazi control in May 1944. The heavy loss of life and capture of the American soldiers have not been forgotten by the citizens of Cisterna.

In 1984, Fort Smith, AR, and Cisterna di Latina became “Sister Cities” and for 40 years, the signs declaring this relationship have greeted locals and visitors alike to both cities. Cisterna di Latina is situated about an hour south of Rome in central Italy, inland from the Tyrrhenian Sea with a current population of just under 40,000 residents. Their city signs proudly proclaim the same as the city signs of Fort Smith: "Cisterna di Latina; Gemellata con Fort Smith Arkansas USA". They call it "Twinning"; we call it a "Sister City".