Members of the Alton Town Twinning Association (ATTA) have visited Alton’s twin town of Montecchio Maggiore in Italy for the first time since 2018.

The Altonians were welcomed at the town hall by Montecchio’s mayor Sindaco Silvio Parise, councillors, twinning president Diego Meneguzzi and twinning committee members.

ATTA chair Merula Frankel thanked their hosts and read out a letter from Alton mayor Cllr Annette Eyre, who was unable to participate in the visit.

An exchange of mayoral gifts took place – a book for Alton’s mayor and a framed picture of Regency people for theirs.

There were meals at host families’ homes, lunch in a pizzeria, a supper at Montecchio’s Herring Festival and a five-course dinner in a nearby restaurant.

Activities included a walk around the market in the Piazza Duomo and a guided tour of the Museum of the Armed Forces.

Montecchio’s twinning president led a walk around Vicenza, going underground to explore the archaeological area beneath the Basilica and the Roman Cryptoporticus.

Visitors saw the Villa Capra La Rotunda, designed by Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio. Smaller groups walked in the mountains, visited a host’s holiday home in the mountains or went to Villa Pisani near Padua.

There were more gifts at the official dinner – an illustrated book about Vicenza for the Alton group and individual Alton-themed presents for Montecchio twinning committee members.

Pauline Esland, who liaises with Montecchio for ATTA, said: “The visit was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone, and after the hiatus of the Covid pandemic there is a real desire to keep the twinning fires burning.”