Wiki Loves Monuments launches photography contest for Italian villas and palaces

The 15th Italian edition of the Wiki Loves Monuments photography competition has launched, focusing on historical villas and palaces for the 2026 theme. Organized by Wikimedia Italia volunteers in collaboration with the Federazione Italiana Associazioni Fotografiche and supported by the Associazione Nazionale Comuni Italiani, the initiative includes eleven local competitions across the country.

The contest targets buildings constructed before 1950, including noble residences, representative buildings, and rural structures like farmhouses. Participants can use a web application to locate authorized monuments via a map and upload images to Wikimedia Commons. While the competition is open to new shots, it also accepts previously taken photographs, provided they have not been published on social media, websites, or in print before the contest opening.

Italy holds a significant position in this international event. In the 2025 edition, the country recorded the highest number of participants among 56 national contests, with over 500 photographers contributing more than 26,000 images. Since Wikimedia Italia began its national chapter in 2012, participants have contributed over 300,000 photographs documenting nearly 47,000 Italian cultural assets.