The Municipality of Ancient Olympia and the city of Olympia in Brazil decided to be twinned aiming to cooperate on issues of cultural and tourist development as well as to promote the great Olympic Ideas, Friendship and Coalition of the people.
The official proposal for twinning between the two cities was made by the Ambassador of Brazil Mr. Cezar Melantonio Neto, who had visited Ancient Olympia and the Mayor Mr. Thymio Kotzia in August 2018.
Olimpia, Brazil is located northwest of the State of Sao Paulo. It is officially recognized as the National Folklore Capital of Brazil because of the important festival of dances and folklore that it organizes. Its warm baths and waterpark make the city the No. 1 tourist destination of Brazil and the third most visited destination in the world, attracting about 2.5 million visitors per year.
The Municipality of Olympia, wishing to give the required value symbolism to these acts, has established the relevant twinning events to be held in front of the Temple of Hera, at the Archaelogical site where the ceremony for the lighting of the Olympic Flame is taking place, after permission of the Ministry of Culture.
The twinning ceremony on June 10, 2019 opened the chorus of the Primary School of Ancient Olympia with the Olympic hymn and the National Hellenic and Brazilian Hymns. The Mayor of Ancient Olympia and the Deputy Mayor of Olympia, Brazil then spoke, and the event was been completed by reading and signing the Twinning Act by the Mayors of the two cities.
The members of the Board of Directors of the Commercial Union of Ancient Olympia “Hermes” attended the ceremony too. President Mr. Nikos Zarokostas and Vice President Mr. Dimitris Mikelopoulos exchanged views and ideas with Mr. Edilson Denadai and the Tourism Secretary Mrs. Cristina Prado Rodrigues, who then visited the market of Ancient Olympia and did their shopping along with the rest team from Brazil.
(Sources: Ilia Live!, PatrisNews.com, www.olimpia.sp.gov.br)
