Inland areas and suburbs, here are the 20 Fai "Places of the Heart" selected for restoration and enhancement projects

Inland areas and suburbs will take the lion's share of the new "Places of the Heart" projects. Twenty projects in eleven regions, selected through the call for bids linked to the 12th edition of the census, will receive a financial contribution from Fai - Fondo per l'Ambiente Italiano, in collaboration with Intesa Sanpaolo: 700,000 euro in total, the highest sum ever allocated to support the programme, to benefit little-known or little-valued places, often at risk "that embody and tell the story of our civilisation, Italian identity, collective memory and constitute a a rich and varied heritage of history, art and nature'. From the Quisquina Hermitage, immersed in the hinterland of Agrigento, in a forest of centuries-old oaks in the Sicani Mountains, to the Sant'Elia Nursery School, a masterpiece of modern architecture designed in 1937 by Giuseppe Terragni in the then working-class district of Como; from the village of Nidastore, the northernmost of the castles of Arcevia (An), to the small Filippa Museum in Rimella, a village of just over 140 inhabitants in Upper Valsesia, with a curious collection of objects that once told the world to the valley dwellers.

Of the total, 520,000 euros are earmarked for the projects selected through the call for proposals, and for the first time individual candidate properties were able to apply for up to a maximum of 50,000 euros. This allocation makes it possible to respond more significantly to the needs of the territories and to strengthen the overall impact of the 'Places of the Heart'. The other 180,000 euros are reserved for the first three classified in the census, for projects to be agreed with Fai: in first place, the Sanctuary of Nostra Signora delle Grazie in Nizza Monferrato (AT), followed by the Ancient Fountain of Gallipoli (LE) and the Church of San Giorgio in the village of Tellaro (SP). Among the 'Places of the Heart' supported by the call, 18 are located in small municipalities and hamlets, often situated in inland areas or in mountainous and isolated areas, or peripheral places, even in large cities. Places for which citizens, through the Fai census, give voice to their requests for protection and enhancement. The twenty projects concern, in fact, histories and traditions that are in danger of disappearing or corners of the landscape and natural areas that need to be protected and safeguarded: for these places, participation in the Fai programme and the allocation of the contribution are a concrete, sometimes the only, opportunity for recovery or revitalisation.

A first 'rescue' that is often just the beginning of a local development process that leads to attracting further new resources, growing skills, strengthening community spirit, and even giving rise to new economies in the area. In addition to its cultural impact, the initiative has in fact a considerable social value, attested to by the birth and consolidation of networks of collaborations and the ability to mobilise communities, and a significant overall economic impact: the contributions allocated by Fai and Intesa Sanpaolo for these projects will mobilise additional resources amounting to over 820,000 euro - more than 150% of the call for proposals' budget - made available by the territories and stakeholders. These 20 new projects bring to 180 the number of projects supported since 2003 thanks to the "Places of the Heart". The next census will be launched in May 2026.