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There is nothing quite like standing eye to eye with the Temple of Hera at Tavole Palatine, a 6th-century BCE Greek temple in the Basilicata countryside. In front of me are 15 massive Doric columns and a bunch of brush, and the only noise is the whir of occasional cars passing along the strada statale. I feel as if I’ve walked onto a set from Clash...

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These days, life moves fast—and our food traditions are struggling to keep up. The flavors that once tied us to places, people, and memories are getting harder to find, lost in a haze fueled by  disconcertingly identical supermarket aisles, the lure of (packaged) convenience, and, as always, climate change. As these foods disappear from our tables,...

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Comprising two provinces, Potenza and Matera, the Basilicata region stretches between Apulia to the north and east, and Calabria to the south. Though it’s an often missed region of Southern Italy, its ancestral charm, rugged coastline, and pulsing piazzas will win you over in no time. A blend of outdoor adventures, art, culture and antiquity, the r...

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I’m standing inside a cave where the walls hold black and white photographs of the family who once lived here. In one, the children are lined up in front of a large bed; in another, there’s a donkey in the kitchen. Furniture and domestic props laid carefully around me recreate the home as it once looked, complete with plastic animals to represent h...

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Although Italy is the fourth most visited country in the world, the southern Italian region of Basilicata remains largely unexplored, even by Italians. Unlike its vacation hotspot neighbour Puglia to the east, or Campania’s bucket-list stops such as Amalfi and Pompeii tothe west, Basilicata is quite easy to bypass. Even for me, a self-proclaimed It...

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Bari, Tropea, Matera, and Trento in Italy offer a perfect escape from overcrowded tourist hotspots with stunning scenery, rich history, and authentic experiences. Venice has become the world’s first major city to implement a unique visitor fee, aiming to curb overtourism and safeguard its status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The €5 (£4.30) charg...

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Although Matera is more famous, Potenza is the capital city of the Basilicata region: it is the highest provincial capital in Italy, with an altitude of 819 meters above sea level. Despite being the capital of Basilicata, Potenza is certainly not the largest city; in terms of surface area, the municipality of Potenza is even the eleventh largest in...

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These days marks the twentieth anniversary of the Associazione Nazionale degli Alberghi Diffusi, which embraces and protects these hotels integrated with the landscape, offering many options for all types of travelers, for all budgets: a truly Italian invention. Farmhouses, refuges, trulli, masserie, and cabins. In the countryside, high altitudes,...

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Italy is known for its many stunning landscapes, making it one of the most beautiful countries in the world. From seas and hills to lakes, rivers, and mountains, each Italian region has extraordinary places to visit. But some of these hidden gems are off the beaten path and don't attract tourists. Did you know, for example, that Italy is home to m...

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Land of stories and culture where to discover the authenticity of the South, of villages and towns that join modernity on a human scale, of forests and mountains that romantically overlook two seas: Basilicata is all this, an immersive experience where you can rediscover the beauty of simplicity among the alleys, the views and the emotions of truly...

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