Fai Places of the Heart: Don Bosco's memory wins the 12th edition

Places but also, perhaps above all, people: because without people, places could not exist, nor could 'places of the heart', those that become special not so much, or not only, for their beauty, but also and above all for what they represent, for the values and messages they convey.

That is what it is called, "I Luoghi del Cuore" (Italian Places of the Heart), the project dedicated to the care and enhancement of Italy's best-loved architectural, landscape and natural heritage that Fai has been promoting for years in cooperation with Intesa Sanpaolo. Once again, it is the people who select these places: the vote is the expression of the direct participation of thousands of citizens who take action through associations and spontaneous committees (196 this year), but also through municipalities (more than 5,800 involved for the new edition), schools (more than 530) and parishes. Well, the winner of the 12th National Census (with 72,050 votes) this year was the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Graces in Nizza Monferrato (Asti), a marvellous architectural complex, of course, but made special by the figure of Don Bosco, who bought it in 1877, saving it from abandonment.

"This year's surprise is that the winner is not a material good, but an intangible good, the figure of an extraordinary character and his educational and civil message," said Fai president Marco Magnifico during the presentation of the winners of the 12th edition. The lofty, noble and highly topical magisterium of St. John Bosco, founder of the Congregation of the Salesians and the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians and father of the modern oratory, and his vigorous and surprising social activity in support of disadvantaged young people are embodied in the Sanctuary of Nizza Monferrato, which he purchased and resurrected from abandonment to make it the mother house of his order. We would like to dedicate this twelfth census of the Places of the Heart to his example as a tireless and civil educator, because it is precisely education for the knowledge and defence of heritage that is the exclusive purpose of the mission of Fai".

In second place in this year's ranking is the Ancient Fountain in Gallipoli (Lecce), with 62,927 votes and in third place the Church of San Giorgio in the village of Tellaro, Lerici (La Spezia), with 47,012 votes. The three winners will be entitled to 70,000, 60,000 and 50,000 euro respectively, against the submission of concrete restoration or cultural enhancement projects to Fai. Even the places that did not win, but reached the minimum threshold of 2,500 votes, will be able to aspire to the contribution - which rises to 50,000 euro - by submitting a project to the competition. As of this year, the contributions made available to support projects increase to 700,000 euros, 300,000 more than in previous editions. 221 places have exceeded the minimum threshold of 2,500 votes guaranteeing the possibility of participating in the Call for Proposals linked to the census: a record in the history of this project.

There were more than 2.3 million votes, bringing the total number of votes in 12 editions to 13.4 million. A mention at least to other award-winning places, among those entered in the "top ten", such as the Complesso di Santa Croce di Campese in Bassano del Grappa (Vicenza), which took fourth place with 42,190 votes: a former monastery along the Brenta river, which celebrated its 900th anniversary. Fifth in the ranking, with 35,862 votes, is the Hermitage of Santa Rosalia alla Quisquina in Santo Stefano Quisquina (Agrigento), one of the many properties representing the beauty and richness of the country's peripheral and difficult areas, to which the "I Luoghi del Cuore" project offers concrete support and an opportunity for social cohesion and redemption.