FAI's 9th 'I Luoghi del Cuore' census opens for public voting

The FAI – Fondo Ambiente Italiano, in collaboration with Intesa Sanpaolo, has launched the ninth edition of its 'I Luoghi del Cuore' census, inviting the public to vote for Italian artistic, architectural, or landscape sites at risk of neglect. Voting is open until November 30 via a revamped website, paper forms, the FAI app, or Intesa Sanpaolo branches. The top three sites will receive €50,000, €40,000, and €30,000 respectively, with additional €5,000 grants for sites exceeding 50,000 votes and for the most-voted site in Intesa Sanpaolo branches (minimum 2,000 votes). A new 'luoghi d’acqua' category awards up to €20,000 for water-related sites like mills, dams, or canals. A pilot project with the Puglia region involves local schools to encourage participatory heritage engagement. Since 2003, the census has collected over 5 million votes, with 1.5 million in the 2016 edition alone. Funding requires a specific project proposal from the site's owners.