If you’re planning a trip through Europe, don’t forget to consider these Italian villages. “To visit them is to participate in Italy’s beauty while helping keep these enchanting places alive,” says Fiorello Primi, president of the “Most Beautiful Villages in Italy” association (I Borghi più belli d’Italia).

While you know Rome, Florence, or Milan, Primi’s organization has spent the past 20 years promoting the heritage of the country’s smaller towns. So far, it has highlighted more than 300 villages across the country. Though cliché narratives may suggest these places are on a clear path to extinction, Primi argues that’s not the case. “They are not soulless stones. With proper care and attention, they can stay alive for a long time,” he says.