The Spirit of a Place

My grandmother’s seadas

How a Sardinian dessert from my past helped me find my way

Aug 13 • Giuditta Pileri

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June 2026

You could grow tomatoes in the desert

But they would taste of nowhere. Why terroir matters, according to Elena Fucci in Basilicata

Jun 11 • Giuditta Pileri

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May 2026

Choosing the cows over a PhD offer.

Mariantonietta Vaccaro turned down a doctoral position in chemistry to make raw cheese in the mountains of Basilicata. It turns out, she's using…

May 14 • Giuditta Pileri

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April 2026

You need a place

The people who call Basilicata home.

Apr 1 • Giuditta Pileri

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March 2026

Matera, from an Italian.

What a baker taught me about shame, community and the cost of progress.

Mar 18 • Giuditta Pileri

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January 2026

Where Are the Sheep?

My favorite farmers, cooks, and creatives in the picture-perfect hills of Val d’Orcia.

Jan 23 • Giuditta Pileri

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What puzzles can teach you about travel

The real value of hands-on experiences.

Jan 12 • Giuditta Pileri

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December 2025

What I cooked on the Solstice

Because calling it Christmas on the 21st, with my Jewish friends at the table, didn’t feel quite right

Dec 26, 2025 • Giuditta Pileri

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I Was Paid in Olive Oil as a Teenager

So it’s no surprise that the best part of a research trip is meeting the people who make it

Dec 13, 2025 • Giuditta Pileri

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Another year around the sun

Some reflections on my birthday

Dec 2, 2025 • Giuditta Pileri

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November 2025

Basilicata moodboard

Places and people I can’t stop thinking about.

Nov 19, 2025 • Giuditta Pileri

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October 2025

You don't need another checklist

Two simple questions to ask yourself when planning your next trip.

Oct 15, 2025 • Giuditta Pileri

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