Andrea Carandini

The FAI - Fondo Ambiente Italiano seeks to promote a culture of respect for Italy’s environment, art, history and traditions while protecting our heritage that is an intrinsic part of our roots and identity. This national non-profit organisation has rescued and restored important elements of Italy’s artistic and natural heritage since 1975, making them available to the public.

The FAI was founded on 28 April 1975 by Giulia Maria Mozzoni Crespi, Renato Bazzoni, Alberto Predieri and Franco Russoli on an idea by Elena Croce and based on the model of the National Trust in the UK.

The FAI and all those who support it are committed to the constant protection and enhancement of Italy’s artistic and natural heritage, educating and raising collective awareness as well as watching over and taking action in the region.

Knowledge, pragmatism, coherence, independence, quality: taking inspiration from these five guiding principles, the FAI works with the people for the people, acting with the spontaneous strength created when people pull together for a shared goal.

The FAI works throughout Italy and has central offices in Milan and Rome, as well as a network of volunteers divided into 116 districts and 14 regional offices over 20 Italian regions.

Private citizens have donated many properties to the FAI while others have been entrusted to the organisation by the institutions. Villas, stately homes, parks, castles and abbeys: the FAI looks after 50 of these internationally unique locations in Italy, 30 of which are open to the public; a wealth of small gems and big diamonds that tell the history of Italy.

As well as restoring and maintaining the sites and opening them to the public, the FAI also looks after more than 25,000 books, 15,000 pieces of furniture and works of art and 15,000 square metres of frescos.

The FAI's sites are all worth exploring. The public can discover each one by taking a guided visit and participating in over 100 events organised each year.

Institutions for the Métiers d’Art

An award to public and private organisations for particular merit in the protection and promotion of arts and crafts