The association I Borghi più belli d’Italia has updated its list in December, bringing to 382 the number of municipalities admitted after the last evaluation session. The new entrances as ordinary members are Limone sul Garda (Lombardia), Pieve di Teco (Liguria), Castelvetro di Modena (Emilia-Romagna), Cusano Mutri (Campania) and Rivello (Basilicata). To these are added Borgo del Piazzo, medieval historical nucleus of Biella, and Borgo Vecchio di Termoli, admitted with the qualification of Borghi Ospite.
The five new ordinary members represent very different territories, but united by an important historical and landscape heritage. Limone sul Garda is known for its historic lemon groves overlooking the lake and for a microclimate that has favored Mediterranean crops in an alpine context. Pieve di Teco, in the Upper Arroscia Valley, preserves a medieval plant with long porticos, historic buildings such as Palazzo Borelli and an artisan tradition still active. Castelvetro di Modena is linked to the production of the Lambrusco Grasparossa DOC, in addition to being characterized by towers and medieval structures. Cusano Mutri, in the Regional Park of Matese, is also known for the Festival of Mushrooms, which attracts thousands of visitors every year. Rivello, in the Apennines National Park Lucano Val d’Agri Lagonegrese, preserves medieval churches and religious complexes such as the Convent of Sant’Antonio.
The admission takes place at the end of a structured and certified ISO 9001, based on 72 parameters provided by the Association’s Quality Charter. The criteria concern not only the artistic and historical value, but also the protection of the landscape, the environmental management, the essential services for residents and the ability to welcome tourism. The decisions are taken by the National Executive Board on a proposal from the Scientific Committee, after inspections and technical evaluations. In 2025 21 villages were examined: five entered as ordinary members and two as guests.
The qualification of Borgo Ospite is reserved for municipalities that exceed 15,000 inhabitants on the entire municipal territory, the maximum threshold for ordinary membership. Biella and Termoli, in this case, can remain within the association for a period of two years, participating in the initiatives of the network and using the brand in a temporary form.
Termoli vecchia vista dall’alto | via Shutterstock
Since the association was founded in 2002, about a thousand municipalities have submitted applications for membership. The waiting list remains long and mainly concerns centers under the total 15,000 inhabitants and with no more than 2,000 residents in the historic village, limits fixed to preserve the scale of the places.
According to data from Loquis, a geolocalized travel podcast platform, in 2025 many of the destinations most listened to by Italian users were not metropolis like Rome, Milan or Venice, but small historical centers and less frequented villages. A signal that is often read as a reaction to overtourism, with greater attention to destinations distributed on the territory and to tourism perceived as more sustainable.
Entering the network of the most beautiful villages in Italy also means taking precise commitments. As the president of the association explained, Fiorello Primi, “to join the network involves an assumption of responsibility towards the other acceding villages and towards the entire patrimony of the small Italian centers”. The selection system, designed as a guarantee for visitors, is also a positive pressure tool on excluded municipalities, called to improve services, urban quality and heritage protection in order to resume the application.
L’articolo Updated the list of the most beautiful villages in Italy, some are breathtaking proviene da IlNewyorkese.
