September 27, 2021

Venice’s Secret History Gerolamo Fazzini is the honorary president of the Archeoclub of Venice and “adoptive father” of the city’s lazzaretti, or maritime quarantine stations. Fazzini is pushing for the restoration of these historic buildings, which are even today revealing secrets of the Republic of Venice. Those secrets include what’s beneath the lime on the walls—a mosaic of stories, thoughts, and illustrations, most made by the bastazi, the porters of the Mediterranean trading power. It’s only been in the past few years that the historical and linguistic heritage that they represent has been understood in full.  READ MORE → HANOVER, PENNSYLVANIA Hildeville These small house replicas have stood proudly since the 1950s. Depending on who you ask, locals will say Kurt Hildebrand built the little houses for his grandchildren, his wife Elsie, or as a hobby. The homes are mainly composed of stone, mortar, wood, and also have working electricity. Some still believe that garden fairies live in the houses and come out at night when no one was looking, or that the houses were for mice, frogs, birds, leprechauns, gnomes, or little trolls. READ MORE → SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS The Horseshoe Sometimes there is a dish so iconic, so legendary, that unearthing its history becomes a journey into local lore, forgotten recipes, and thrice-cut potato wedges. In Springfield, Illinois, that dish is the Horseshoe: a cheese-smothered, horseshoe-shaped ham dish. READ MORE → ATLAS OBSCURA EXPERIENCES Charm School: Basket Weaving Historical artifacts show that humans have been creating vessels to store and carry items since 8000 BCE, and before pottery or stone carving, there was basket weaving. Join curiosity artist and host Nina Nightingale for a look at some of the different styles of baskets from various cultures and eras. Then, use one of the techniques to make a basket from recycled and household materials! LEARN MORE → GASTRO OBSCURA Food Truck Predecessors In 1893, Boston was bustling, especially after the sun went down. “Night owls of all classes” roamed the streets, wrote the Boston Daily Globe, including “workers, idlers, pleasure seekers, spendthrifts, tramps and bums.” At some point, all of these people would want something to eat. The wealthy could get their quail on toast at any hour, observed the writer. For everyone else, there were the night lunch wagons. While they served inexpensive eats, the wagons themselves could be as fancifully decorated as music boxes on wheels. Though night lunch wagons would eventually be gilded, they had humble origins. READ MORE → LOGAN, UTAH 'Kay's Fudge' Gravestone Epitaphs are difficult to write. How can one distill life’s trials, triumphs, and meaning into a few words, to be set in stone of all things? Dr. Wade Andrews felt that his long, rich life could only be summed up by his wife’s fudge recipe. Happy baking! READ MORE → FROM THE ARCHIVES How Big Is This Fatberg? In 2019, a fatberg made headline news in England. The water utility South West Water told the BBC that the colossal, congealed mass was the largest they had encountered, around 210 feet long. But how big is that, really? Here are seven big things that are smaller than this fatberg, for scale. READ MORE → MACHYNLLETH, WALES Bron-Yr-Aur On the outskirts of the quaint Welsh town of Machynlleth stands Bron-Yr-Aur, an 18th-century cottage famous for its associations with Led Zeppelin. The cottage was used as a holiday home by the family of young Robert Plant, who would become the band’s lead singer and lyricist. Plant eventually returned to the cottage with his bandmates in 1970 for a retreat, and it was here that they wrote and recorded songs for their third album, Led Zeppelin III. Legendary songs such as “Immigrant Song” and “Stairway to Heaven” were also composed inside. READ MORE →