A survey carried out by Italy's national heritage preservation organization FAI (Fondo Ambiente Italiano) put the 17th century Capuchin monastery of Monterosso al Mare in the Cinque Terre, Ligury at the top of the list of monuments that should be preserved, Over 1.6 million people voted in this, the seventh edition of the survey.
The monastery, which is perched over the bay of the charming borgo of Monterosso, possesses a number of art works, including a 17th century crucifix attributed to Antoon van Dyck and a painting by Bernardo Strozzi, but is also celebrated for its garden of vines, lemon groves and kitchen garden cultivations.
Second in the list came the 14th century Certosa of Calci near Pisa and third the Castle di Calatubo di Alcamo in Sicily. These were followed by the Museum of the Borsellino Hat at Alessandria and the Church of Sant'Agnello, Maddaloni, near Caserta.
The object of the survey Luoghi del Cuore (the Most Beloved Italian Places), which is undertaken with the cooperation of the Intesa Sanpaolo, one of Italy's foremost banks, is to highlight lesser known monuments and works of art that are in a state of disrepair or in danger of being forgotten.
As a tribute to EXPO 2015, the FAI introduced a section of the survey dedicated to monuments linked to food production. This part was won by the vast salt lagoons at Lo Stagnone, Marsala, in Sicily, which date back to the times of the Phoenicians and are still in perfect working order.
Info: www.iluoghidelcuore.it
