Exploring Italy’s Abandoned Villages and Ghost Towns
Italy has a lesser-known side, particularly in its southern region, where 6,000 abandoned villages and ghost towns remain frozen in time, prompting a journey to explore their stories, understand why they were abandoned, and uncover their potential future.
The Journey Begins
The narrator visits Krakow with friends Stefan Taylor and Bernardo, who are meeting for the first time, to capture their story, and their first destination is a famous Ghost Town that was abandoned in 1972 due to landslides, earthquakes, and tough agricultural conditions. A flood worsened the condition of a town, leading to it being abandoned and left standing alone, with landslides and earthquakes causing it to literally fall off a cliff, leaving only donkeys behind in the ghost town.
Discovering Hidden Gems
Explorers visit a crumbling town in Italy, finding abandoned buildings and a village being reclaimed by nature, and then move on to another village in search of a legendary man who refused to leave his town after everyone else abandoned it. They eventually find him, an elderly man resembling Santa Claus, living in the abandoned village. This encounter leads to a road trip with Santa, where they discuss the host’s bad habit of not responding to emails due to frequent travel to remote places.
Staying Connected on the Road
The author has been experimenting with Yahoo mail for 30 days to see if it can help with their email habits. The app is designed for ease of use, with features like “group by sender”, which helps filter out non-essential emails and prioritize important ones from specific senders. The app also allows for quick responses to urgent emails and a unique attachment view that filters files by type.
Reflections and Revitalization
As the group explores more ghost towns, they reflect on the history and beauty of these abandoned places. They meet an old man who shares his story and visit a town that is being revitalized by a visionary man who bought most of the village and is rebuilding it. This project, which started in the 90s, aims to maintain the original aspect of the buildings and make it sustainable, resulting in a peaceful and incredible experience.
A New Lease on Life
A ghost town, Santos Stefano, is being brought back to life with 117 people moving back, and transforming old houses into hotel rooms, restaurants, and common areas. The speaker had one of the best meals in a ghost town, which symbolizes loss and failure, but still holds charm, rich history, and culture, giving them hope that abandoned places can be rebuilt and revitalized.
Key Takeaways:
- Italy’s southern region is home to 6,000 abandoned villages and ghost towns.
- These towns have a rich history and culture, despite being abandoned.
- Revitalization projects are underway to bring some of these towns back to life.
- Staying connected on the road is crucial, and apps like Yahoo mail can help.
Try the free Yahoo mail app by clicking the link at the top of the description to see if you enjoy it, which would be highly appreciated.
Key Vocabulary
| Term | Definition | Example Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Ghost Town | A town or village that has been abandoned, often due to natural disasters, economic decline, or other factors. | The group visited a famous Ghost Town in Italy that was abandoned in 1972 due to landslides and earthquakes. |
| Revitalization | The process of restoring or renewing something, such as a town or village, to make it vibrant and thriving again. | A visionary man is leading a revitalization project in a ghost town, aiming to maintain its original aspect and make it sustainable. |
| Sustainable | Able to be maintained or supported without depleting natural resources or causing harm to the environment. | The revitalization project aims to make the ghost town sustainable, ensuring its long-term viability. |
| Abandoned | Left or deserted, often due to lack of use, maintenance, or inhabitants. | The village was abandoned after a flood worsened its condition, leaving only donkeys behind. |
| Reclaimed | Taken back or restored, often by natural forces or human effort. | The village is being reclaimed by nature, with plants and trees growing through the abandoned buildings. |
| Legendary | Famous or well-known, often due to extraordinary or remarkable qualities. | The group searched for a legendary man who refused to leave his town after everyone else abandoned it. |
| Remote | Located far away from cities or populated areas, often making it difficult to access or communicate. | The author frequently travels to remote places, making it challenging to respond to emails. |
| Yahoo Mail | A free email service provided by Yahoo, offering features such as email filtering and attachment viewing. | The author has been using Yahoo Mail for 30 days to help manage their email habits while traveling. |
| Group by Sender | A feature in Yahoo Mail that allows users to filter emails by sender, making it easier to prioritize important messages. | The “group by sender” feature in Yahoo Mail helps the author filter out non-essential emails and focus on important ones. |
| Attachment View | A feature in Yahoo Mail that allows users to view and manage email attachments, such as filtering files by type. | The attachment view in Yahoo Mail enables the author to quickly find and manage email attachments. |
Watch The Video
Vocabulary Quiz
1. What is the estimated number of abandoned villages and ghost towns in Italy’s southern region?
A) 1,000
B) 3,000
C) 6,000
D) 10,000
2. What was the primary reason for the abandonment of the famous Ghost Town visited by the narrator?
A) Economic downturn
B) Landslides, earthquakes, and tough agricultural conditions
C) Lack of infrastructure
D) Environmental disasters
3. What feature of the Yahoo mail app helps filter out non-essential emails and prioritize important ones from specific senders?
A) Quick response feature
B) Group by sender
C) Attachment view
D) Email scheduling
4. What is the name of the ghost town being brought back to life with 117 people moving back and transforming old houses into hotel rooms and restaurants?
A) Santos Stefano
B) Krakow
C) Santa Claus Village
D) Italy Village
5. What is the goal of the revitalization project in one of the visited towns, which started in the 90s?
A) To completely rebuild the town with modern architecture
B) To maintain the original aspect of the buildings and make it sustainable
C) To abandon the town completely
D) To sell the town to private investors
Answer Key:
1. C
2. B
3. B
4. A
5. B
Grammar Focus
Grammar Focus: Using the Present Perfect Continuous Tense
Grammar Quiz:
1. The narrator ____________________ Yahoo mail for 30 days to improve their email habits.
- A) experiments
- B) has experimented
- C) has been experimenting
- D) is experimenting
2. By the time the group arrived at the ghost town, the old man ____________________ there for over 20 years.
- A) lives
- B) has lived
- C) had lived
- D) has been living
3. The visionary man ____________________ the village since the 90s and is making it sustainable.
- A) is rebuilding
- B) rebuilds
- C) has been rebuilding
- D) rebuilt
4. The town of Santos Stefano ____________________ back to life with 117 people moving back.
- A) is being brought
- B) has been brought
- C) was brought
- D) is bringing
5. The narrator and their friends ____________________ ghost towns and abandoned villages for weeks.
- A) visit
- B) have visited
- C) are visiting
- D) have been visiting
Answer Key:
1. C) has been experimenting
2. D) has been living
3. C) has been rebuilding
4. A) is being brought
5. D) have been visiting
