vittoriatraverso's User Profile - Atlas Obscura

vittoriatraverso

Editorial Fellow

2017
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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.

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

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

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.

rites of spring

How to Keep a Medieval Ghost Town Ghostly

Step 1: Buy it. Step 2: Maybe a poetry reading?

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

Rocky artifacts may offer insight into an Etruscan industry.

January 18, 2023

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

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

The Treasures Within the World's Greatest Wine Library

This California collection is a trove of wine books and rarities.

September 16, 2022

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

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.

A Roman Emperor's Villa Is Now Producing Olive Oil

Hadrian's estate has trees found nowhere else on Earth.

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

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.

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.

Unearthing a Roman Villa Under a Working Vineyard

Its stunning mosaic floor luckily escaped root damage.

From Tending Sheep in the Sicilian Mountains to the Venice Biennale

How Lorenzo Reina’s open air theater made southwest Sicily a cultural hotspot.

The Archaeobotanist Searching Art for Lost Fruit

Renaissance paintings can hide botanical secrets.

February 21, 2020

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

The Zen Beekeeper Returning Hives to the Wild

By handling bees with his bare hands, Michael Joshin Thiele seeks to better understand them.

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.

The Italian Farmer Returning Chickens to the Wild

His chestnut forest is home to thousands of hens.

Reviving the Lost Tradition of Cooking Flowers

It was once common across rural Italy.

November 12, 2018

Journey Into the World’s First Underwater Farm

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