Il Club
Message from the President of the ANCI
Why did the ANCI decide to create the Club of the Most Beautiful Villages in Italy and, immediately afterwards, the Guides that will "tell their story"? I have often been asked this in the last few months, ever since the ANCI's (National Association of Italian Municipalities) project began to get off the ground. The question probably comes from a thought in the back of the mind: is there really a need for the umpteenth Guide that talks about the architecture, landscapes, wines, typical dishes, traditions and history of Italy, the "Belpaese"? Aren't bookshops and the Internet full of these things? Aren't we literally inundated with TV programs that venture out every Sunday to "discover" the delights, real or presumed, of the eight thousand towns in Italy?
The answer is simple and, at the same time, complex. In any event, it stems from a touch of presumptuousness. I am convinced, first of all, that no one can describe the villages the reader will find in this first Guide, and the others to follow, better than the people who live there. For once - allow me to say it with pride - it will not be outsiders who "discover" and propose the beauty, the delights and revelations of this or that town. The "Villages" project has the merit of making the towns themselves, the mayors and councilpersons, the real protagonists of this self-promotion; they will know where to scratch to get under the surface, they will be able to look beyond the trivial folklore and aim at the "real" aspects and aspirations of the local community. Because - and let us not forget it - as beautiful and timeless as it may appear to the visitor, that village is first and foremost a municipality, a place with a vital economic, social, cultural, and political life, a living community which must be guided with the best and most farsighted decisions.
In the second place, the "Most Beautiful Villages in Italy" project represents a commitment made by all of the mayors participating in it. The project does not stop at promoting only those things, however remarkable, that already exist. The basic concept of the Club is simple yet ambitious: it wishes to "sell" the "Village" to the tourist and visitor, and at the same time it aims at improving the overall quality of life there. And thus away with ugliness, additions, incompatible things, all the while bearing in mind that a town is not a museum. In this way the beneficiaries of the improved quality of life will be not only the tourists and visitors, but above all those people who have made the choice to continue living and working in the village.
In short, the project came into being because the ANCI, which was founded over 100 years ago, must not forget its fundamental task: to represent and protect the interests of the towns, especially small towns. The Villages Club is one of the most original ways to accomplish this goal. And judging from the response we have received, it appears we are on the right track.
Leonardo Domenici
ANCI President and Mayor of Florence