The Paduli used to be a dense forest of oak trees, the Belvedere wood, which were cut down in the 19th century to make room for olive trees. Because of its fertile soil and abundance of water, over the years the Paduli became a sort of “farmed forest” that was supposed to be especially beautiful and magical.

Except from a few rave parties at night, I never really visited the Paduli before the outbreak of Xylella, and now it’s too late – the first of many things on our planet that existed when I was born and will be nothing but a memory by the time I die.

Salento
(1 minute)