Here are the FAI Places of the Heart rankings: the Cuneo-Ventimiglia-Nice railway in first place

The final ranking of the tenth census of I Luoghi del Cuore del FAI - Fondo Ambiente Italiano, a historic initiative promoted in collaboration with Intesa Sanpaolo, has been announced. There was a great participation, extraordinary in the year marked by the pandemic: as many as 2,353,932 votes were collected, the best result ever, demonstrating the love and attention to Italy’s cultural and environmental heritage, with more than 39,500 places reported in 6,504 municipalities in Italy (82.3 percent of the total).

In first place was the historic Cuneo-Ventimiglia-Nice railway (75.586 votes), in second place the Castle and Park of Sammezzano (62690 votes), in third place the Castle of Brescia (43469 votes); followed by La via delle Collegiate in Modica (40521 votes), theHospital and Church of Ignazio Gardella in Alessandria (30391 votes), the Rock Church of San Nicolò inferiore in Modica (30226 votes), the Aqueduct Bridge in Gravina in Puglia (25726 votes), the Church of San Michele Arcangelo in Pegazzano-La Spezia (25412 votes), theHermitage of Sant’Onofrio al Morrone in Sulmona (22442 votes), and the Museum of Mysteries in Campobasso (21988 votes). These top ten finishers.

The Cuneo-Ventimiglia-Nice Railway was conceived and built nearly two centuries ago; it runs for more than a hundred kilometers along the Piedmont plain, the coasts of western Liguria and the French Riviera. Despite considerable investment in its safety, a real revitalization policy has been lacking, thus causing an inevitable decline with a drastic reduction in rides (currently two per day) and a threat of closure. In 2016 it was listed among the ten most beautiful railway lines in the world by the German magazine Hörzu.

Sammezzano Castle is located in Leccio, a hamlet in the municipality of Reggello, and is surrounded by a large park. It is a unique building in eclectic style: it was Marquis Ferdinando Panciatichi Ximenes d’Aragona who created its current appearance, with work that lasted more than forty years. From 1970 to 1990 the castle was used as a restaurant and hotel. However, the then property went bankrupt and in 1999 the estate was acquired by “Sammezzano Castle srl”; however, no recovery project was ever realized and only at the end of 2019, after complex events, did the same company return to full possession. In 2012/2016, with the consent of the property, it was opened to the public by the “Sammezzano Committee - F.P.X.A.” composed largely of local volunteers. Thanks to donations received from visitors, the City of Reggello was able to restore the family burial ground located in the nearby Sociana cemetery. At the same time, thanks to the visits and awareness-raising activities undertaken by the civic movement “Save Sammezzano” (as well as by so many citizens), the castle’s fame has grown by leaps and bounds. The castle has also been used for commercials and films, including The Tale of Tales by director Matteo Garrone. Since October 2016, visits have not been allowed due to property-related causes. Structurally, the castle shows clear signs of deterioration and the park is also severely damaged. Safety interventions are becoming more urgent every day.

On the slopes of Cidneo Hill, Brescia Castle is a very large and articulated complex, rich in architectural evidence documenting the ancient defensive function of the hill, its connection with the origins of the city and the passage of different dominations. The Mastio houses the Luigi Marzoli Civic Weapons Museum, with more than a thousand pieces that give a significant sampling of Milanese and Brescian weapons production from the 15th to 18th centuries. Also visible inside are the remains of the foundations of the Roman temple.

Image: The Cuneo-Ventimiglia-Nice railway Ph.Credit Federico Santagati

Here are the FAI Places of the Heart rankings: the Cuneo-Ventimiglia-Nice railway in first place

Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.