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Suffolk Sister Cities International welcomes special guests from Oderzo, Italy, on Saturday to celebrate 30 years of friendship.

Italian Artist Ezio Burigana and his family came together with Suffolk officials during a special Obici-Oderzo Foundation Rededication held on Saturday, July 27, at Foundation Park near Mills E. Godwin Courthouse. Held alongside members of Suffolk City Council, Suffolk Sister Cities Commission and fellow esteemed city officials, Burigana unveiled a new version of the mosaic fountain he created for the city’s courtyard. 

Burigana has had art exhibitions worldwide since his first exhibition in 1962 at the Venice Biennale, with works found in Oderzo, Venice, Ponte di Piave, Belluno, Los Angeles and Suffolk. Along with being given the title of “Maestro Accademico in Arte Del Mosaico Antico (Academy Maestro of Antique Mosaic Art) by the Il Mazzocco Art Academy and the Academy of Fine Arts of Florence in 1992, the President of the Italian Republic granted Burigana the title of Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic in 2011 for “merit acquired by the nation” in the fields of literature, arts, economy, public service, and social, philanthropic and humanitarian activities and long service in civilian and military careers. Burigana is also the last of the Italian professional mosaic artists to use the ancient Roman-Byzantine technique.

While welcoming officials, Suffolk Sister Cities International President Michelle Wren discussed the longtime friendship of Suffolk and Oderzo, having been deeply linked as Sister Cities since 1995. Wren detailed that the union is thanks to Amedeo Obici, Founder of Planters Nut and Chocolate Company and Obici Hospital, who left his home of Oderzo as a young boy and grew to become a renowned entrepreneur and philanthropist.

“The bond between Suffolk and Oderzo is not only a testament to Obici’s legacy but also a living social, cultural bridge that has been nurtured by the dedicated work of volunteers of the Suffolk Sister Cities Committee and the collaboration of both our Suffolk City administration and also Oderzo’s administration,” Wren said during the ceremony. “Our partnership has flourished for many intercultural exchanges and initiatives over the past 30 years.”

Burigana, alongside Translator Ingrid Barosco, who also served as head of the Italian delegation of the visit, gave remarks on his piece. Burigana called the artwork a tale of friendship between “the old Roman city of Oderzo, Italy and the modern Suffolk, Virginia.”

“This mosaic represents the union of the past, the present and the future,” Burigana said during the ceremony. “The gold background is a testament to the light and the richness of the Byzantine art present in Saint Mark’s Basilica in Venice, in Ravenna and in Monreale. The past (the amphora) is plunged in the modernity represented by the water, with vertical blue, white and golden stripes becoming darker as they reach the bottom of the mosaic, thus symbolizing the earth.”

Burigana continued.

“The three elements of water, earth and light are the source of life through which [the ] past talks to the future telling stories of positivity, hope and brotherhood among the peoples of the whole world,” he said.

Mayor Michael D. Duman also gave remarks, thanking the Suffolk Sister Cities Organization and city staff for continuing the connection with Oderzo. 

“I can only imagine how pleased Mr. Obici would be that our two cities, practically worlds apart, maintain such a strong relationship,” Duman said. “Over the years, our Sister Cities Organization has traveled to Italy as well as welcoming several Italian delegations to our city. As time marches on, it is my sincere hope that the bond between Suffolk and Oderzo will continue to flourish, forever linking generations of our American and Italian descendants.”

Discussing the importance of the overall Sister Cities International nonprofit, which followed President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s founding of the sister cities movement on Sept. 11, 1956, aiming to have people worldwide promote peace, understanding and respect for one another, Duman presented a Certificate of Recognition to the City of Oderzo for their 30-year friendship.

“Residents of both cities have fostered lifelong friendships and created a unique spirit of peace through person-to-person citizen diplomacy,” Duman read. “These dedicated ambassadors have shared ideas and information in the areas of art and culture, trade and business, education and community development. The City of Suffolk is honored to present this Certificate of Recognition to the City of Oderzo on this auspicious occasion and extends its best wishes to all of its citizens for a prosperous future.”

Following the ceremony, Burigana had a chance to speak more about the mosaic he gifted to the city. He expressed what he hopes Suffolk residents will see when they walk past the beautiful piece of art.

“First of all, the union between Suffolk and Oderzo,” Burigana said. “The sense of friendship, kinship and brotherhood, and the colors, the elements and the fountain itself…you will think that life is beautiful, it’s worth living even if we find ourselves in trouble sometimes.”