support gay rights. Cooperation agreements In January 2000, the City of Venice and the Central Association of Cities and Communities of Greece (KEDKE) established, in pursuance to EC Regulation No. 2137/85, the Marco Polo System European Economic Interest Grouping (E.E.I.G.), to promote and realise European projects within transnational cultural and tourist fields, particularly in reference to the preservation and safeguarding of artistic and architectural heritage. In April 2001, the city signed an agreement with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs's office of cultural promotion and cooperation, to coordinate efforts at promoting Italian culture abroad. Venice also has cooperation agreements with: Nuremberg, Germany (1999) Qingdao, China (2001, Science and Technology Partnership) Thessaloniki, Greece (2003) Miami, United States (2020) Places named after Venice The name "Venezuela" is a Spanish diminutive of Venice (Veneziola).Many additional places around the world are named after Venice: e.g. Venice, Los Angeles, home of Venice Beach Venice, Alberta, in Canada Venice, Florida, city in Sarasota County Venice, New York Venice, Louisiana Notable people Others closely associated with the city include: Music Andrea Gabrieli (ca.1510–1586), Italian composer and organist at St Mark's Basilica. Giovanni Gabrieli (1554/1557–1612), composer and organist at St Mark's Basilica. Claudio Monteverdi (1567–1643), composer, string player, choirmaster and Catholic priest. Francesco Cavalli (1602–1676), a baroque composer. Tomaso Albinoni (1671–1751), a baroque composer. Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741), composer and violinist of the Baroque Era. Domenico Montagnana (1686–1750) an Italian master luthier, made the violin and cello. Pietro Guarneri (1695– 1762), luthier, settled in Venice 1717, "Peter of Venice". Lorenzo Da Ponte (1749–1838), opera librettist and poet, wrote the librettos for 28 operas by 11 composers, including Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Domenico Dragonetti (1763–1846) a double bass virtuoso and composer. Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari (1876–1948) an Italian composer, mostly of comic opera. Virgilio Ranzato (1883–1937), an Italian composer and violinist. Bruno Maderna (1920–1973), an Italian-German orchestra director and music composer. Luigi Nono (1924–1990), a leading composer of instrumental and electronic music. Giuseppe Sinopoli (1946–2001), conductor and composer. Claudio Ambrosini (born 1948), composer and conductor. Painting Giovanni Bellini (ca.1430–1516), Renaissance painter from the Bellini family of painters. Vittore Carpaccio (ca.1465 – 1525/1526), an Italian painter of the Venetian school. Lorenzo Lotto (ca.1480–1556), painter, draughtsman and illustrator, in the Venetian school. Sebastiano del Piombo (ca.1485–1547), High Renaissance painter and early Mannerist. Titian (ca.1488/90 – 1576), leader of the Venetian school of the Italian Renaissance. Tintoretto (1518–1594), the last great painter of Italian Renaissance. Baldassare d'Anna