Chiariello visits sister city in Greece

Sparta Councilman Dan Chiariello and his wife, Lisa, paid a formal visit to Sparta, in the Greek state of Laconia, in early September.

Chiariello was invited to speak at the fourth annual conference of the Sparta Institute, held at the Amphitheater of the University of the Peloponnese in Sparta.

On the evening of their arrival, Sept. 6, Sparta held a “White Night” festival. The main street through the town was closed and DJs played music on a few street corners and in the center square. Restaurants and shops were open well past midnight. Many people were on the streets, in the town square, and in the dozens of restaurants and shops enjoying the celebration.

Before the start of the two-day conference, the couple was treated to a walking tour of Sparta by Georgios Kostakos and Alexandros Papastratigakis. Kostakos is a member of the board of the Institute of Sparta and executive director of the Foundation for Global Governance and Sustainability. Papastratigakis is a local artist and a Sparta resident who is deeply familiar with its history.

They walked through the modern and ancient areas, including the Roman Agora, and met with local business owners.

At the conference, which began in the evening. Sparta, N.J., was honored and Chiariello delivered a speech.

Lectures were given in both Greek and English, with real-time translation, covering the economic model of ancient Sparta. The talks were given by professors from the University of Cambridge, University of Piraeus and Hillside College in Michigan.

At the end of the day, a dinner was held by the mayor of Sparta to honor Sparta, N.J., and conference participants.

On Sunday, Sept. 8, the morning session discussed the role of currency in the economy, with lecturers from Greece, the U.S. and the University of Sapienza in Rome.

The evening session featured discussions on inheritance law in ancient Sparta.

The institute hosted a dinner afterward for all conference guests.

On Sept. 9, Chiariello had a formal meeting with Sparta Mayor Michalis Vakalopoulos. Chiariello presented many gifts to him from the people of Sparta, N.J., donated by the township, the Police Department, the school system, the Sparta Historical Society, and the Sterling Hill Mining Museum.

In the afternoon, Sparta Institute president Anastasia Kanellopoulou took the Chiariellos on a tour of the Mani peninsula in the Peloponnese, including the towns of Gytheio and Areopoli.

The local Sister City committee is start planning the 2026 Sparta Institute conference to be held in Sparta, N.J.

Many of the conference participants in Greece expressed interest in holding the event in the United States, in particular during the 250th anniversary celebration of the nation’s founding.

The committee also explore opportunities to build on the township’s sister-city relationship with Sparta residents in Greece.