A visitor to the Italian town of Celle di Bulgheria might be surprised to see in its centre a bronze statue of the Proto-Bulgarian Khan Alcek (also known as Alzeco, Altsek, Altzek), whom the locals call the "Bulgarian prince". Local people tenacisouly keep the memory of their distant ancestors,  who settled in this part of “the Boot” (Lo Stivale) more than 14 centuries ago led by Alcek.

"The knowledge that we are descendants of the Proto-Bulgarians is of great importance to us," says Gino Marotta, mayor of Celle di Bulgheria, in an interview for Radio Bulgaria. The municipality is located in the district of Campania in South-western Italy and includes 5 settlements nestled at the foot of Monte Bulgheria (Mount Bulgaria). Nearly 5 years ago, with an official celebration near the monument, the twinning between Italy’s Celle di Bulgheria and the Bulgarian municipality of Veliki Preslav (a mediaeval Bulgarian town which used to be the second capital of Bulgaria) was marked. For the locals, however, this was not a pure formality, but rather a tribute to their ancestors and historical memory.

"Since 2016, every June 7, we celebrate the anniversary of the twinning of these two towns. On this occasion, we organize a series of initiatives with the participation of many Bulgarians who come here especially for this occasion," says Gino Marotta. He himself has traveled to Bulgaria’s Veliki Preslav more than once. He admits that he was struck by the similarities he found with the Bulgarians. He claims that in Bulgaria he has seen a similar mountain of their Monte Bulgheria and the same panoramic views reminiscent of the small settlements scattered at its foot. "We perceive you as our fellow citizens, as people with whom we share common roots”, says the mayor of the Italian municipality.

Among the joint initiatives of the twinned municipalities was the cycling march in 2017, connecting Celle di Bulgheria with Veliki Preslav, as well as various educational projects.

"I have to tell you that we are facing a serious language barrier because it is a little difficult for us to learn the Bulgarian language", Gino Marotta explains. "To overcome this obstacle, last year we applied with a project at the Ministry of Culture in Bulgaria, as a result of which the Bulgarian language is now officially taught in our primary and secondary schools. The project covers the education of 100 children. A Bulgarian woman who lives here teaches them."

At the height of the coronavirus pandemic, Bulgarian language education for children in Celle di Bulgheria continues, albeit remotely. But Gino Marotta hopes the project will continue running next year as well with the financial support of the Bulgarian Culture Ministry.

In addition to the unveiling of the monument and the towns' twinning, in recent years more and more Bulgarian tourists have started coming to Celle di Bulgheria. Thanks to them, the region has started to be more bustling with life, new family hotels appeared as the available accommodation has increased by 150 new beds. As Gino Marotta explains, Bulgarians come here to get acquainted with the place and the people with whom they share common roots. Restoration of the old part of the medieval town is forthcoming with the idea to turning it into a popular tourist destination for Bulgarians. Among the local attractions is the also nearby Monte Bulgheria notable for its caves inhabited in the 4^th century by Greek monks. Now the Italian municipality is preparing to twin with the town of Bolgar (Bolghar) in Russia, another settlement founded centuries ago by the Proto-Bulgarians (also known as Bulgars, Bulghars, Bolgars).

Driven by a desire to pay tribute to its distant roots, the municipality of Celle di Bulgaria has established the Alcek International Award (Premio Internazionale Altzek). It is bestowed to prominent public figures and artists with merits in the field of culture, education and science. And the prize itself is….a genuine Bulgarian oil-yielding rose (rosa damascena) brought from faraway Bulgaria - the land of roses.

To hear the account of Gino Marotta, Mayor of Celle di Bulgheria, you can adjust the settings for automatic translation on You Tube.

Photos: Municipality of Celle di Bulgheria

English version Rositsa Petkova