TheItaly of inland areas, small villages and urban peripheries is at the center of the new interventions of the “I Luoghi del Cuore” program of FAI - Fondo per l’Ambiente Italiano. The results of the call for the selection of restoration and enhancement projects related to the 12th census have been announced, which will bring an economic contribution to 20 projects distributed in 11 regions, from North to South, thanks to the collaboration with Intesa Sanpaolo.
The total endowment amounts to 700,000 euros, the highest ever allocated in the history of the program. The resources will benefit places that are often little known or poorly developed, sometimes at risk, and that represent a widespread heritage of history, art and nature and tell the story of Italian identity and the country’s collective memory.
Of these funds, 520,000 euros are allocated to projects selected through the call for proposals. For the first time, each candidate property was able to apply for a contribution of up to a maximum of 50 thousand euros, a choice that allows for a more incisive response to the needs of the territories and to strengthen the impact of the interventions. The remaining 180,000 euros are instead reserved for the top three in the national census, for projects to be defined in agreement with FAI: in first place is the Sanctuary of Nostra Signora delle Grazie in Nizza Monferrato (Asti), followed by the Fontana Antica in Gallipoli (Lecce) and the church of San Giorgio in the village of Tellaro (La Spezia).
Among the places supported by the call, as many as 18 are located far from large urban centers: small municipalities, hamlets, mountainous or isolated territories, but also peripheral areas within larger cities. These are contexts in which the FAI census becomes a fundamental tool for giving voice to local communities and their requests for protection, as demonstrated by the commitment and participation of the many civic committees that animate each edition of the program.
The 20 selected projects tell stories and traditions at risk of disappearing, but also landscapes, architecture and cultural heritage in need of protection and enhancement. For many of these places, participation in “Places of the Heart” and the awarding of the grant represent a concrete - and sometimes the only - opportunity for recovery and revitalization.
Thus, assets far off the beaten tourist track, often neglected or closed to the public, emerge that deserve new attention. Receiving funding will be the Abbey of Santa Maria Assunta in Castione Marchesi (Fidenza), the Monumental Cemetery of Staglieno (Genoa), the Santuario dell’Eremita in Mallare (Savona), the Asilo Sant’Elia in Como, the Minitalia at Trotter Park (Milan), the Motonave La Capitanio (Lake d’Iseo), the Santissima of Gussago (Brescia), Leonardo da Vinci’s Ferry (Imbersago, Lecco), the Talking Fountains of Val di Cervo (Rosazza, Biella), the Filippa Museum of Rimella (Vercelli), the Paleologa Tower of San Salvatore Monferrato (Alessandria), the Castle of Alboino in Feltre (Belluno), the Salvi Garden in Vicenza, the Pond of the Aqueducts Park (Rome), the church and cloister of Sant’Angelo Magno (Ascoli Piceno), the village of Nidastore (Arcevia, Ancona), the Ranghiasci Park in Gubbio (Perugia), the Path of the Mills in Amato (Catanzaro), the Liberty Gate of the Cathedral of Troia (Foggia), the Hermitage of Santa Rosalia at Quisquina (Agrigento).
The project selection process was accompanied by an important novelty on the training level. The call for proposals remained open for more than three months, allowing proponents to develop their applications in a more structured way. For the first time in the history of “I Luoghi del Cuore,” participants were able to follow two training webinars held by FAI architects and art historians, dedicated to the design of restoration and cultural enhancement interventions, starting from the experience gained by the Foundation in the management of its properties.
An initiative that reflects FAI’s educational vocation and aims to spread skills and good practices, especially in favor of small associations, local authorities and territorial realities with limited resources. An investment not only economic, but also cultural, which reinforces the role of the program as a tool for active citizenship and care of widespread heritage.
The journey of “I Luoghi del Cuore” will continue with the launch of the next census, scheduled for May 2026, confirming FAI’s commitment to supporting a less visible but fundamental Italy, made up of places that tell stories, identities and communities often on the margins of the big spotlights.
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| FAI, 700 thousand euros for 20 Places of the Heart: the new interventions |
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