Capannori

The Zuschendorf castle and the Italian district of Capannori, located to the east of Lucca and occupied by around 46,000 residents, have fostered good relations for many years. The Tuscan municipality has the oldest outdoor camellia garden in Europe and is known for its camellia show throughout the world, an event which has been taking place for over 25 years. Many of the plants come from strains found in the Pirna-Zuschendorf botanic gardens and then are moved to Italy to grow freely beneath the sky.

In 2016, Capannori decided that it wanted to form a stronger bond with Pirna. As such, the management of the Pillnitz castle entered into negotiations to strengthen the relationship between the Italian camellia valley and the Zuschendorf castle.

Both towns wanted to form a friendship and work together as partners on a long term basis. They therefore planned to build and foster a relationship based on their mutual interests. A declaration of friendship was signed by the Lord Mayor of Pirna, Klaus-Peter Hanke, and the Italian mayor, Lucca Menesini, in 2016 as a symbol of their relationship.