In April 2023, Nago-Torbole, Italy and Fort Smith, AR, became International Sister Cities. Antonella Previdi and Ben Appleby from the Association Benach chaired the committee with Caroline Speir, the Director of Fort Smith Museum of History, to “twinning project” working.

 

This partnership honors General William O. Darby's shared history. The event coincided with the Col Darby 40 Mile Ranger Challenge (from Peschiera del Garda to Torbole), both commemorating the anniversary of General Darby's death.

 

Sister Cities International is a non-profit citizen diplomacy network that creates and strengthens partnerships between U.S. cities and international communities to increase global cooperation at the municipal level, to promote cultural understanding, and to stimulate both education and economic development. Participating in the Sister Cities program encourages voluntary exchanges between the paired cities. It fosters goodwill and encourages ongoing relations between the cities. 

 

Fort Smith has Sister City partnerships also with Cisterna, Italy, and like Nago-Torbole, both of these Sister City relationships are linked by a shared history of the heroic General William O. Darby, a Fort Smith native and founder of the modern Army Rangers who was tragically killed during the closing days of World War II in Torbole, on 30 April 1945.

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From 2024 Fort Smith started their own General Darby Challenge a half marathon event also taking place on the weekend closes to the 30 April. 

General Darby Challenge Fort Smith (AR) (link)

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