Each year, I Borghi Più Belli d’Italia, an association dedicated to preserving and promoting the heritage of the country’s smaller, often rural destinations, announces new villages to add to its list of the most beautiful places in Italy. In August the association named six new borghi, ranging from the regions of Piedmont to Basilicata.

There are now 354 selected villages, with a roster of some 900 other borghi hoping to join the group. (A candidate town must meet 72 requirements to be eligible.) Becoming a member of I Borghi helps raise a village’s profile and contributes to both its economic and social development, the association says.