People from Corning’s sister city in Italy, San Giovanni Valdarno, celebrated their long-lasting friendship with the people of Corning. Corning’s Mayor William Boland and San Giovanni Valdarno’s Mayor Valentina Vadi exchanged loving embraces, gifts, and decide to re-sign their allegiance to one another, that has been intact for 20 years. Mayor Boland and Mayor Vadi both put emphasis on how strong their “sister cities relationship” truly is. 

“San Giovanni Valdarno reached, originally, to the City of Corning to be in solidarity with us for 9/11,” Mayor Boland said. “The foundation of our friendship is friendship." Mayor Boland said it is important to embrace the people of San Giovanni Valdarno. During a time when people in New York State needed love and support after the terrorist attack on September 11th, 2001, San Giovanni Valdarno was there.