About 50 descendants of immigrants from Santarcangelo di Romagna, Italy, gathered in City Hall Wednesday to Skype with their Italian counterparts and toast to a new “Friendship City” agreement endorsed by Mayor Jack Blalock.

In the front row on Portsmouth’s side was Ugo Riciputi, who grew up in the North End and moved to Santarcangelo di Romagna in 2008, after retiring from Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. Now a Dover resident, Riciputi wore a jacket that said “Italia” and held a card with his family’s surname.