Republic Day in Santo Domingo, closing in Puerto Plata

(ANSA) - SANTO DOMINGO, 16 LUG - With a big event in the Parque Central de Independencia square in Puerto Plata, the celebrations for Italian Republic Day in the Dominican Republic ended this weekend.
    This event, reads a note, follows the institutional reception on 29 May and the first Italian party organised on 1 June in Santo Domingo, in the Fray Antonio de Montesinos square, with the aim of taking the celebrations of the national holiday outside the capital.
    The fiesta, a popular event open to the public that reproduced a typical Italian street party with stands, music, and entertainment, was attended by some 3,000 people, including local citizens and Italians living in the country's third largest city.
    During the opening, Ambassador Stefano Queirolo Palmas emphasised the deep roots of relations between Italy and the Dominican Republic, highlighting the historical contribution of the Italian community, the role of Dominicans in Italy - the third largest community in the world - the diversified presence of Italian investments on the island, and the significant number of Italian tourists.
    The event was attended by all the authorities representing local institutions: Bishop Julio César Corniel Amaro, Mayor Roquelito Garcia, Governor Claritza Rochtte, and Senator Ginette Bournigal, who expressed words of appreciation for an initiative that enhances and gives visibility to Puerto Plata.
    The party was enlivened by live music, a children's show, and some 20 stands representing restaurateurs, product distributors, and other Italian businesses active in the Dominican Republic. The mega screen showed the 59 Italian Unesco sites and the recent visits of the ships Amerigo Vespucci and Montecuccoli, engaged in their respective world tours. The set-ups were taken care of by the tried and tested Escobar company and the organisation was sponsored by patrons close to the Italian community.