logo
The key to reviving a ‘crumbling' ghost town? Make it Instagrammable

The key to reviving a ‘crumbling' ghost town? Make it Instagrammable

New York Post24-06-2025
After years spent on the decline, this small city in Italy has transformed into a bustling tourist town, where visitors flock from across the world to snap photos of the town's now-famous murals.
Stornara, a once-prosperous city in Puglia, was well-known for its production of agricultural goods like wheat and olives, but as the population shifted — younger people began to stop settling down where they were raised, instead moving away from the town in favor of more job opportunities in bigger cities.
Though some locals began to resign themselves to the empty streets and broken-down buildings, Lino Lombardi, an artist, decided to try to bring the city back to life.
4 Though the residents themselves love the murals, they attract plenty of tourists who are on the hunt for unique, captivating spots to take photos.
Luciano Magaldi Sardella / SWNS
Though other Italian towns are known for their collections of Renaissance paintings or their preserved Roman ruins, Lombardi offered up Stramurales, an annual street art festival. Lombardi, along with artists from across the world, painted murals on buildings across the town.
While 2018, the first year of the festival, was a relatively slow start — six murals were produced — there are now over 140 in Stornara, adding plenty of color and life to the town that locals and tourists alike have enjoyed.
According to SWNS, tourist-based revenue has increased 25% since 2020, allowing eight new businesses — three bed and breakfasts, two restaurants, and an art supplies shop included.
'Suddenly, there were loads of people turning up with cameras and guidebooks. I had to quickly learn to say 'welcome' in five different languages,' explained cafe owner Antonio Maglione in an interview with SWNS. 'The murals saved my business, but more than that, they saved our community.'
Lombardi says that the murals that decorate over a hundred town walls are inspired by a variety of themes, including the city's history, migration within Italy, and the importance of the citizens as the core of the town.
4 A crowd gathers around one of the murals in Stornara.
Luciano Magaldi Sardella / SWNS
'We had lost our pride, but the murals reminded us that our town and our stories are worth celebrating,' said Salvatore Nappi, a retired olive farmer, when speaking with SWNS.
Nappi is one of many citizens who get to vote on the content suggested for each mural, and because a variety of artists work on the pieces, they range from vibrant to muted to cartoonish to ultra-realistic, adding even more texture and life to the town.
One woman, Rita Gensano, returned to Stornara in 2017 to look after her parents after being away for years. At first, she said she was dreading moving back, but after Stramurales started up and tourists began to visit, she told SWNS it's 'the coolest town in Italy.'
4 An artist working on their mural.
Luciano Magaldi Sardella / SWNS
'At first people thought I was crazy, but I couldn't just watch the town fade away. I started looking at the walls as blank canvases which could be turned into something beautiful,' Lombardi said.
'Every mural reflects both the artist's vision and our community's heart. We never planned to be a case study, but if our experience can help other communities, that's even more meaningful,' he concluded.
Following the success of Stramurales, Lombardi also founded a charity that offers high schoolers opportunities to get involved in art.
For the July 2025 edition of the festival, Lombardi is inviting artists from each continent to contribute to Stramurales, prompting more diverse visitors and captivating new art to look at — a decision the town's citizens are certainly pleased with.
4 Many of the murals are in central or populated locations in the town, so people can enjoy the art to its fullest extent.
Luciano Magaldi Sardella / SWNS
'When I first returned, it felt like a sacrifice, it was like walking into a ghost town,' shared Gensano, who now acts as a tour guide and lives in her hometown full-time. 'I had left it full of life and laughter, but when I returned, it felt like it was dying.'
'But actually it has become something extraordinary which I have been fortunate to be a part of,' she concluded.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

This Michelin-starred S.F. restaurant's quirky format made it famous. Now it's just distracting
This Michelin-starred S.F. restaurant's quirky format made it famous. Now it's just distracting

San Francisco Chronicle​

time7 hours ago

  • San Francisco Chronicle​

This Michelin-starred S.F. restaurant's quirky format made it famous. Now it's just distracting

For one glorious summer, my grandma bought season passes to Universal Studios Hollywood for my cousins and me. I became close associates with the 'E.T.' — nice guy — and visited every attraction multiple times. But that much exposure to a good thing brings downsides: The surprises of the grounds tour no longer moved me, the 'Back to the Future' ride became a high-tech arcade game. The illusion was shattered. More recently in San Francisco, I've felt a similar shift at State Bird Provisions. When it opened on New Year's Eve in 2011, State Bird set a new standard of creativity for Bay Area restaurants. Chefs Nicole Krasinski and Stuart Brioza introduced a novel dim sum-style presentation of small plates, emulsifying California's bounty with French, Italian, Japanese and Chinese flavors and technique. It earned State Bird nearly every national honor: Bon Appétit's Best New Restaurant in America, multiple James Beard awards, a Michelin star. The staff, carrying trays or pushing carts, pirouette through the dining room, tempting tables with tiny salads, gleaming riblets and potato chips with aerated dip. Steamy siu mai? Not in this building. This spirited exhibition was fun and endearing on my first visit. Now, it's my least favorite thing about the restaurant. Extra! Extra! San Francisco Chronicle critics MacKenzie Chung Fegan and Cesar Hernandez are dueling this week over one restaurant: State Bird Provisions. Don't miss Fegan's response on Friday — sign up for the Chronicle Food newsletter to make sure it lands in your inbox. The dim sum schtick feels more customary than essential, more cute than efficient, more showy than delicious. The dim sum plates can feel like a roller coaster on a day where the weather won't make up its mind; sunny and thrilling one moment, gray and dull the next. I gleefully gnawed on immaculate ribs, lacquered in a fiery, tart passion fruit sauce ($16), then puzzled over a bland wedge salad of yellowing golf ball-sized lettuces ($6). Avocados in Caesar dressing ($8), wearing a fuzzy fur coat of cheese curls, failed to delight like the cherries accompanied by a cloud of savory-sweet whipped cheese ($10). Egg tofu custard ($9)? Beautifully silky. But the burrata-capped garlic bread ($13) was dense enough to give your mandibles a workout. This aspect of the experience may be the initial draw, but it does not actually represent the restaurant's best efforts. Instead, State Bird's spoils are on the printed dinner menu. If the roving snacks are a jam session, built on and stymied by improvisation, the standard menu dishes are albums: expressive, precise, fleshed-out thoughts. Toothsome, hand-cut noodles ($30) come doused in a peppery pumpkin seed salsa macha, with an egg on top that melts into pudding. A treasure chest of a donabe ($30) contained chewy tofu cubes, ready-to-burst beans and springy mushrooms in a slightly viscous, unctuous green broth; each sip felt like a massage for my soul. The restaurant's namesake specialty is always on the dinner menu: juicy fried quail (half for $24) lording over lemony, stewed onions. These entrees are in the major leagues. The small plates are playing varsity. On one visit, I had my eye on roti with lentil hummus off the printed menu. But I abandoned that plot for a couple of dim sum bites with lower price tags. The next outing, I ordered the flaky flatbread, and I realized the gravity of my mistake. I was constantly in this conundrum of choice, where the implied ephemeral state of the dim sum compelled me to act fast or miss out like a loser. When I rejected the servers' edible propositions, I saw a flicker of defeat on their faces, and felt as though I was letting them down. Not to Penn & Teller the magic trick, but the appetizer scarcity is artificial, as you can order the dim sum items a la carte. In fact, there's a printed version of the menu, if you want to skip the tableside advertising and cherry-pick your snacks. The dining room — a veritable vortex of hors d'oeuvres — is constantly animated, if a bit chaotic. The cart and tray circulation contributes to the commotion. The lanes between tables are already tight, and traffic is stalled by servers giving neighboring tables their best Don Draper sales pitch. If you visit the facilities, be prepared to play human Tetris to get back your seat. The staff is well-informed on the menu, but their ample responsibilities can impact service: the occasional forgotten drink, a tardy entree, tables crowded with empty plates. While hordes of patrons no longer camp outside of State Bird, as they did for years, demand is still high. Prime time reservations evaporate swiftly. If you don't book weeks in advance, you're likely to only find slots past 8 p.m. Or you can try showing up early: The bar is reserved for walk-ins. I don't question State Bird's aptitude for brilliant cooking. I'm interested in seeing State Bird evolve. While the dim sum-style presentation brought the restaurant glory, today it seems to be an albatross, an inescapable presence, an unskippable ad. Noise level: Loud. Meal for two, without drinks: $75-$150 What to order: Fried quail (half for $24), pork ribs ($16) Drinks: Beer and wine. Exceptional house-made non-alcoholic drinks like shiso-yuzu soda ($9) and Raspberry Julius ($10). Best practices: Skip the dim sum-style plates. Instead, order a starter on the dinner menu like roti or pancakes and an entree like donabe or quail. Peanut milk ($4) is non-negotiable.

This city in the shadow of Venice is filled with UNESCO treasures
This city in the shadow of Venice is filled with UNESCO treasures

National Geographic

time7 hours ago

  • National Geographic

This city in the shadow of Venice is filled with UNESCO treasures

About 40 miles from Venice's winding waterways and busy plazas lies Vicenza, an elegant Renaissance jewel. To visit Vicenza is to breathe in the genius of one of history's most influential architects, Andrea Palladio. Though born in nearby Padua, this 16th century architect made his study of classical Greek and Roman architecture central to the design style that later reached throughout Europe and across the Atlantic—a style that inspired Thomas Jefferson to design Monticello after Palladian ideals. Come for the architecture, but stay to explore a rich tapestry of history and gastronomy. From its museums full of fine art to its stately villas, Vicenza is worth the day trip from Veneto's more crowded destinations. Explore Vicenza's main piazza Piazza dei Signori is a beautiful starting point. It's here in the historical center that the city's heartbeat pulses outward with breathtaking views of Palladian Basilica and the adjacent Torre Bissara. The Basilica—not a church, but rather a town hall—features handsomely as the city's symbol and is one of its many UNESCO sites. Leisurely stroll through the piazza, found empty in early morning, or drink in the soft evening glow with an aperitivo at any one of the bustling bars lining the piazza. (Say ciao to these alcohol-free takes on Italian aperitivo classics) Piazza dei Signori is home to the Palladian Basilica, a town hall with rotating exhibits. Photograph By Toni Anzenberger/Anzenberger/Redux Today, the Basilica's spacious council hall now serves as the scene of changing exhibits, with admission to the terrace for views of the square. The rooftop bar makes for a magical viewpoint to watch the evening sun set. Tour Palladio's final masterpiece The year 1555 saw the formation of Accademia Olimpica, a group of artists and noblemen who shared an appreciation for the arts and borrowed inspiration from Greek and Roman ideals. Within this group, Palladio proposed the construction of what would become his last work and masterpiece, Teatro Olimpico. This architectural marvel serves as a beautifully preserved reminder of Renaissance ingenuity. Soak in the atmosphere of the world's oldest covered theater with one of many classical music concerts or jazz performances throughout the year. (Europe's city tours are better than ever—here's where to go) See fine art at Palazzo Chiericati A work of art itself, Palazzo Chiericati owes its appearance to Palladio, built at the behest of Vicenza nobleman Girolamo Chiericati. It was completed at the end of the 17th century from Palladio's own sketches and draws heavily on his study of classical Roman architecture. Today, it forms a stunning backdrop for the art collection within. A city museum, it contains more than 31,000 works of art spanning from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. Before you exit, wander through the salons for a glimpse of the spectacularly frescoed ceilings on the main floor. The Chapel of the Rosary in the church of Santa Corona is made up of 34 canvases. Photograph ByClimb Monte Berico Challenge your lungs with a walk up the two sets of porticoes that connect the city with the Basilica of St. Mary of Mount Berico. More than just a sanctuary for pilgrims and sacred art, Monte Berico's hilltop features sweeping views of Vicenza on a clear day, best enjoyed from Ai Sette Santi's outdoor terrace. Tour Villa La Rotonda Villa la Rotonda exists today as the celebrated union of grace and geometry, prominently located on a hilltop position at Vicenza's edge. Visitors to this Renaissance home enjoy the abundance of clean lines, pure, unfiltered sunlight, and magnificent symmetry that justifies its designation as a UNESCO Heritage Site. One of 24 total Palladian villas in the Veneto, this estate provides an exemplary balance between agrarian function and self-glorification. Its public portion can be accessed with tickets for self-paced tours or with a private guide at various times throughout the year. Villa la Rotonda is one of 24 Palladian villas in the Veneto that are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Photograph By trabantos/Shutterstock Where to eat and drink Caffe Pigafetta is named for Antonio Pigafetta, a lesser-known, but still famous, Vicenza local. This 16th-century navigator left his mark as the keeper of explorer Ferdinand Magellan's travel log, and his namesake cafe is the perfect spot to sit and jot down a few travel notes of your own. You'll need to squeeze through the cafe's jostling and cozy interior; a testament to Pigafetta's popularity among the locals. Order a shot of one of their artisanal coffee blends or try a velvety smooth mint or pistachio latte. Vicenza supplies not only a wealth of splendid art and architecture, but also a rich gastronomy scene. There's no better way to end a day of sightseeing than by having dinner at Angolo Palladio. Sit outside in the shadow of the Basilica or tuck into a cozy table indoors. Dine on upscale takes on Veneto specialties: Start with cured ham from Veneto Berico Euganeo and move onto bigoli with duck ragu. The star of Vicenza's cuisine is cod with polenta for a main course, expertly paired with one of many artisanal wines. (Explore the wilder side of Venice—with the help of its fishermen) Veneto Berico Euganeo ham is produced in the Veneto region. Photograph By Anika Buessemeier/laif/Redux Where to shop Vicenza shares notoriety not only with Palladio's architectural prowess, but also a long tradition of gold work. Roughly a third of Italy's gold work comes from 'the city of gold,' a history and craftsmanship you can learn more about with a brief visit to the Jewelry Museum, located just under the Basilica's archways. Next, shop for a glittering souvenir to purchase from the family-owned jewelers next door, right where the city's first guild of goldsmiths was founded in 1333. How to get to Vicenza Hop a train from Venice's Santa Lucia train station direct to Vicenza's only rail stop. You can book your roughly 45-minute journey on Trenitalia or Trainline apps. Once there, it's a 10-minute walk to Vicenza's compact city center. Alyssa Blakemore is an American freelance writer based in northern Italy, specializing in culture, history, and international relations.

I rode a bike across Italy and discovered coastal gems, quiet hill towns and a gloriously bonkers medieval festival
I rode a bike across Italy and discovered coastal gems, quiet hill towns and a gloriously bonkers medieval festival

Hamilton Spectator

time9 hours ago

  • Hamilton Spectator

I rode a bike across Italy and discovered coastal gems, quiet hill towns and a gloriously bonkers medieval festival

Pedalling my bike over a ribbon of red bricks, I weaved through an obstacle course of sleepy cats that couldn't be bothered to move. My unofficial census count had felines outnumbering people in the hilltop hamlet of Sovana. This medieval village was one of the overnight stops on my coast-to-coast cycling tour of Italy. Before this nearly 600-kilometre adventure, I'd never heard of Sovana. Or Todi. Or Genga. Or a lot of other places on my two-wheeled journey from the Adriatic to the Tyrrhenian Sea. Unlike Venice and Rome, these towns aren't the familiar faces of Italy's battle with overtourism. They're the kind of under-the-radar spots that Visit Italy championed in a recent social media campaign. The tourism site took to Instagram and TikTok to promote ' 99% of Italy ,' encouraging travellers to venture off the country's well-trodden tourist circuit. The double-barrelled allure of escaping the crowds and cycling cross-country led me and my husband to Ciclismo Classico's Bike Across Italy trip in May. We joined 16 others — ranging in age from mid-20s to late 70s — on a ride from the beach town of Pesaro to the southern shores of Tuscany. Our 11-day expedition across the peninsula had us traversing the country's backbone, the Apennine Mountains, and spinning through rural swaths of the landlocked region of Umbria, the so-called green heart of Italy. A sweeping, swift descent awaited cyclists near Gubbio in Umbria, known as the green heart of Italy. Ciclismo Classico has been running this trip for more than three decades. The tour operator typically offers it five times a year between May and October. The May trip differs from the others because it includes the annual Festa dei Ceri (Festival of the Candles) in Gubbio, another gem I didn't know existed. This 'City of Stone' shared the same charming traits of other medieval towns we visited. Frescoed churches. Imposing walls surrounding a labyrinth of skinny streets. Gelato. More gelato. Unlike our other destinations, Gubbio was packed with people. That's the scene every May 15, when the candle festival draws thousands to its main square. Here's the gist of what happens during the millennium-old event: Three teams sprint around town carrying a trio of candle-shaped wooden sculptures, each topped with a statue of a different saint. Spectators fill the streets, many dressed in blue and yellow shirts with bright red scarves — a riot of primary colours that looks all the more vibrant amid Gubbio's ubiquitous grey stone. The finish line is a mountaintop church. Race day in Gubbio was a rest day for our group, the only 24-hour period where we wouldn't be on bikes. Instead, we squeezed into the standing-room-only main square as the ringing from the bell tower grew louder, waiting for the race to begin. Wooden ceri statues poke above the crowd gathered in front of the 14th-century Palazzo dei Consoli in Gubbio's main square. 'Should we start moving out of the way?' I asked one of our three Italian guides, Massimo Gianangeli. 'Don't worry,' he said in a tone that suggested I absolutely should worry. ' They will move you .' They sure did. Teams plowed through the congested streets carrying their five-metre-tall, 300-kilo ceri (pronounced cherry), creating a Pamplona-like running-of-the-bulls chaos. 'Do not complain about a push or the throng,' read a Festa dei Ceri tourist pamphlet I picked up at the hotel. 'It will be the best way to prove you know how to enjoy the festival.' My low-key terror subsided once the racers passed. Brass bands filled the vacuum they left behind, roaming the streets playing everything from 'Nessun Dorma' to 'Beer Barrel Polka.' Locals emerged from their houses carrying trays of cookies and pitchers of wine. 'Viva le ceri!' yelled a man as he handed me and my husband plastic cups and filled them with red wine. The boisterous event turned out to be the yin to the bike trip's tranquil yang. Our rides occasionally took us on busy roads with car traffic. But much of the time it was quiet, except for singing birds and the periodic rev of a Ducati. Riding through the Apennine Mountains, the backbone of Italy. Our route skirted vineyards nursing newborn Sangiovese and Sagrantino grapes. We passed fields of wildflowers and sheep whose milk would be turned into salty pecorino cheese. We shared a mutual jump-scare with some wild boar that oinked and grunted as they fled into a thick forest. Most days we rode about 60 kilometres, with some challenging climbs peppered into the mix. What goes up, of course, must come down. I've never been a fan of fast descents. But the guides held a downhill clinic that taught me techniques like how to better use my brakes or improve my balance by shifting weight to my outside foot on sharp turns. The guides also gave fun tutorials on Italian wine, cheese, history and hand gestures — a language in and of itself. One session taught us how to pronounce Italian words, each one of us taking turns reading aloud from a menu of gelato flavours. Gianangeli promised us a post-dinner ice cream party if we did well. 'You'll still get cups of gelato if you mess up,' he said. 'You just won't get a spoon.' Headed for the west coast of Italy, riders roll out of the tiny town of Sovana on the last day of cycling. As much as I loved being on the bike, I appreciated these mini lessons about Italy. Some cycling vacations can revolve too much around the three Bs: bike, binge eat and bed. This trip offset our time in the saddle with plenty of other activities, like a private art tour in the Palazzo Ducale in Urbino. We visited the Grotte di Frasassi , one of the largest networks of underground caverns in Europe. And we had a soak in the thermal springs of Saturnia , where pre-Roman Etruscans used to bathe in the sulphurous waters. The hot springs were a welcome break on our last day of biking, which culminated with us rolling into the pretty fishing village of Talamone, another place that had eluded me despite multiple trips to Tuscany over the years. We pedalled to the town's serene port and posed for a final group photo. After a sea-to-sea ride spanning 595 kilometres, I felt like I arrived on the west coast of Italy a better cyclist than when I started. A better tourist, too.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store