For the last 11 years, Rai, Italy's state-owned television station, has held a contest to find Il Borgo dei Borghi, or the "Village of Villages". The competition helps to raise the visibility of small but captivating Italian towns that might otherwise go unnoticed. The winner of this year's competition, however, is much more than just a pretty place.

"The purpose of Il Borgo dei Borghi, is identifying these places that I think sometimes even Italians don't know about," Kathy McCabe, the host of the Dream of Italy TV show, tells the BBC. The way it works is that each year, one town or village is nominated from each of Italy's 20 regions. Local residents create videos in which they proudly show off their village's unique history, traditions and artistic heritage.