vittoriatraverso's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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moths

How Invasive Moths Improved 19th-Century Astronomical Illustrations

After accidentally introducing invasive moths to North America, amateur entomologist Étienne Léopold Trouvelot turned his eyes to the skies and changed science.
March 20, 2024
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utopias

What Can You Do With a 'Failed' Postmodern Utopia?

Gibellina, known as “Sicily’s Marfa,” is looking to its visionary past for a future revival.
February 16, 2024
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mediterranean

The Christmas Goblins of Greece Play Devious Tricks All the Way Till January

But don’t worry—polar plunges and putting children in ovens helps banish them.
December 22, 2023
Gastro Obscura
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orchids

Turkey's Endangered Orchids Are Disappearing, One Sip at a Time

Salep, a sweet drink with ancient roots, is often made with illegally foraged bulbs.
July 18, 2023
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rites of spring

How to Keep a Medieval Ghost Town Ghostly

Step 1: Buy it. Step 2: Maybe a poetry reading?
May 3, 2023
Gastro Obscura
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wine

Were These Giant Carved Stones Used to Make Ancient Italian Wine?

Rocky artifacts may offer insight into an Etruscan industry.
January 18, 2023
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cultures

In This Seaside Town, the New Year Brings a Battle With the ‘Witches of the Sea’

The local Epiphany celebration of Grado, Italy, is inspired by a mysterious band of 16th-century pirates.
January 3, 2023
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plague

Venice Is Almost One Big Plague Graveyard

A city built on water was always going to struggle with burials—especially when a deadly pandemic came to town.
October 27, 2022
Gastro Obscura
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library

The Treasures Within the World's Greatest Wine Library

This California collection is a trove of wine books and rarities.
September 16, 2022
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woods

How a Self-Trained Italian Blacksmith Built Himself an Amusement Park

Bruno Ferrin made a wonder in the woods by hand and by chance.
August 24, 2022
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disappearing world

Keeping the Centuries-Old Tradition of Venetian Bookbinding Alive

Inspired by a 15th-century editor, Paolo Olbi pushes to keep this from being the last chapter.
July 29, 2022
Gastro Obscura
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roman

A Roman Emperor's Villa Is Now Producing Olive Oil

Hadrian's estate has trees found nowhere else on Earth.
May 5, 2022
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aquariums

It Takes a Lot of Odd Jobs to Keep a Massive Aquarium Running

And they all involve developing a close relationship with the aquatic world and its inhabitants.
September 1, 2021
Gastro Obscura
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apples

Why Italian Apple Farmers Are Coating Their Orchards in Ice

Freezing the trees, blossoms and all, may be the only way to save the crop.
April 27, 2021
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tourism

Is This the End of Italy's Iconic Valley of the Mills?

The charm of centuries-old ruins and a unique ecosystem face the perverse incentives of the modern tourist economy.
March 10, 2021
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discovery

Unearthing a Roman Villa Under a Working Vineyard

Its stunning mosaic floor luckily escaped root damage. 
May 29, 2020
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livestock

From Tending Sheep in the Sicilian Mountains to the Venice Biennale

How Lorenzo Reina’s open air theater made southwest Sicily a cultural hotspot.  
May 18, 2020
Gastro Obscura
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fruit

The Archaeobotanist Searching Art for Lost Fruit

Renaissance paintings can hide botanical secrets.
February 21, 2020
Gastro Obscura
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fruit

When Royalty, Scientists, and Gardeners All Wanted Fake Fruit

One collection of fake produce is a reminder of both ingenuity and loss.
August 30, 2019
Gastro Obscura
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honey

The Zen Beekeeper Returning Hives to the Wild

By handling bees with his bare hands, Michael Joshin Thiele seeks to better understand them.
June 12, 2019
Gastro Obscura
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travel writing

The Egyptian Egg Ovens Considered More Wondrous Than the Pyramids

A hatching system devised 2,000 years ago is still in use in rural Egypt.
March 29, 2019
Gastro Obscura
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livestock

The Italian Farmer Returning Chickens to the Wild

His chestnut forest is home to thousands of hens.
March 1, 2019
Gastro Obscura
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foraged foods

Reviving the Lost Tradition of Cooking Flowers

It was once common across rural Italy.
November 12, 2018
Gastro Obscura
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greenhouses

Journey Into the World’s First Underwater Farm

A team of Italian divers is growing basil, tomatoes, and strawberries.
July 27, 2018