The 19th edition of the Virtuous Municipalities Award crowns Pontboset as the most Virtuous Municipality in Italy. The small alpine center of the Aosta Valley, which has just 180 inhabitants, enters the history of the initiative in two respects: it is the first Aosta Valley municipality to receive the recognition and, at the same time, the smallest winner in demographic terms since the Award was launched. The initiative is promoted by the Virtuous Municipalities Association with the patronage of the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security, ASviS, Alda and Give Back. The official ceremony took place in Cellole, in the province of Caserta, a municipality that won the 2024 edition on equal merit with Foiano di Val Fortore, in the Beneventano area.
The jury, called to examine over 300 applications from all over Italy, justified its choice by referring to a complex series of public policies implemented in recent years. The decisive elements include the elimination of land consumption, the systematic recovery of the existing building heritage, the valorisation of the path network as the backbone of soft mobility, the introduction of energy efficiency interventions on public buildings, the activation of essential services aimed at the elderly and families and territorial planning designed to combat depopulation.
Going into the details of the awarded actions, Pontboset stands out as the first municipality in the Aosta Valley to have obtained EMAS registration. For over ten years it has maintained a certified Environmental Management System, integrating the principles of sustainability within every area of administrative action. The choice of zero land consumption is accompanied by constant investments in the recovery of the existing, with interventions that have affected roads, the network of paths, intelligent lighting and the energy requalification of public buildings.
On the mobility front, the administration has built a structural program dedicated to sustainable travel. The project includes charging stations for e-bikes and electric vehicles, cross-border routes and specifically dedicated photovoltaic infrastructures. At the same time, the Municipality has strengthened the offer of essential services through the reconversion of municipal buildings into social and hospitality spaces, the redevelopment of the clinic, the support for new families and the creation of a permanent presence for sustainable use of the territory. Significant investments in water and sewerage networks contribute to improving the quality of life and counteract demographic decline. The overall picture gives the image of a replicable Alpine resilience model, capable of demonstrating how even a micro-municipality can play a leading role in the national ecological transition.
The recognition awarded to Pontboset is part of an Italian context in which issues such as hydrogeological risk, population loss, climate resilience and the quality of land management take on ever greater weight. Over 70% of Italian municipalities fall in inland or mountain areas, often characterized by limited resources and vulnerable infrastructures.
In the midst of the implementation phase of the PNRR, which allocates resources to energy efficiency, urban regeneration, sustainable mobility and essential services, the Pontboset experience reinforces a clear message: even small municipalities can develop solid public policies, based on defined objectives and verifiable results.
«We are deeply proud of this recognition. The 2025 Virtuosi Municipalities Award represents an important milestone for Pontboset and confirms our community’s constant commitment to sustainability, care of the territory and citizen participation. This result is the result of shared work: I thank all the people, associations and municipal offices who contribute every day to building a more attentive, responsible and welcoming country. We will continue on this path with renewed determination”, declares the mayor of Pontboset, Claudio Chanoux.
Along the same lines is the speech by Asia Trambaioli, president of the Association of Virtuous Municipalities: «In Italy the future of sustainability is played out above all in internal areas, where the demographic decline and the fragility of infrastructures represent daily challenges. Pontboset offers a concrete example: a small community, with limited resources, which has built coherent policies on land, energy and services. The ecological transition requires planning, land maintenance and administrative continuity. It is the direction indicated by the PNRR and this Award enhances those who are translating it into measurable and replicable results.”
The host municipality also expresses satisfaction with the December appointment. «We are honored to welcome the Virtuous Municipalities 2025 awards ceremony, a recognition that demonstrates the commitment of local administrations in promoting good governance and sustainability. As winners of the previous edition, we proudly share our experience and welcome the new Municipalities that have stood out as examples of virtuousness. This event represents a precious moment of meeting and discussion between local administrations”, states the mayor of Cellole, Guido Di Leone.
Other municipalities were also awarded
Alongside the title awarded to Pontboset, the jury awarded prizes and special mentions to other Municipalities that have carried out significant interventions in the five thematic areas of the Award: land management, ecological footprint of the municipal machinery, waste, sustainable mobility and new lifestyles. Different experiences, united by a common trait: offering concrete examples of replicable public policies.
Here are the other awarded municipalities:
Special mention for Melilli (SR) and Nave (BS), which stood out for sustainable initiatives aimed at the redevelopment of the territory.
