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The bond between mayors of Bologna and Florence keeps on growing
Bologna and Florence are fierce rivals, but only in terms of football. Mayor of Bologna Matteo Lepore and mayor of Florence Dario Nardella recently announced their further cooperation.
The extensive cooperation between these cities started a few years ago and it got even more intensive with the appointment of Matteo Lepore as Bologna mayor in 2021.
One of the most important project the two cities have been working on is their joint interest to bid for hosting the 2036 Summer Olympic Games and the candidacy for hosting Tour de France 2024.
Both Bologna and Florence already started with many infrastructure projects such as the one related to the tram network, with the Florentine model serving as the basis. There are also projects of High Speed line and Direttissima motorway. Besides infrastructure, this cooperation includes other spheres, like tourism and culture development.
Furthermore, both cities are investing into new football stadiums at the same time.
Mayor of Florence Dario Nardella said: “I am satisfied how the redevelopment is going on. There is a lot to do, but we have reached a point of no return. It will be a “new” stadium without giving up the old one, meaning its history and what it represents for the city and the FC Fiorentina will continue to live on”.
Mayor of Bologna Lepore added:”Our stadium will be done and will respect the time schedule. This will be the greatest project of this administration”.
The two mayors also spoke about the benefits of both cities. When mayor Nardella spoke about Bologna, he said: “I envy University of Bologna, with its centuries old tradition, but also their food”. Mayor Lepore replied:”Well I envy Florence’s work of art, there is no doubt that it has a heritage of an universal level”. (photo credit: La Repubblica)
