The ancient capital has plenty of artwork and fossils, if that’s what you like. Or tour the writing rooms of a Nobel winner, the fortified home of an exiled Russian revolutionary and towers of skulls
Before they become sandy souvenirs, the baubles in the bubbles of the shoreline serve as a veritable fortress for creatures like clams, mussels and conchs
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLER MAGAZINE: The latest issue features ‘Italy’ – Experience a sliver of local life on the Italian islands, whether that means soaking up the art on display in Italy’s first Capital of Contemporary Art or exploring the coral-rich waters of the Tremiti Islands.
Also inside this issue:
Uzbekistan: Unearth the legacy of the Silk Road on a journey in the footsteps of merchants and nomads Azores:On these remote Atlantic islands, a culture of self-reliance has generated a distinct food culture Rwanda: Thriving art, food and fashion scenes are putting the spotlight on the capital, Kigali Lake Titicaca: Experience a homestay with this this high-altitude Peruvian lake’s weaving communities Music Trips: We round up eight of the best experiences for crate-diggers, opera aficionados and more Uluru: Hike through the Outback on an Indigenous-led hike ending at Australia’s sacred monolith Tetouan& Tamuda Bay: Jagged peaks and Mediterranean waters meet in this quiet Moroccan corner Somerset: In search of the farmers and cider brewers championing the county’s best-loved tipple Manchester: The Northern powerhouse’s industrial heritage lives on in its booming hotel scene Boston:Get to know Massachusetts’ capital through its revolutionary heroes and sporting legends
George Washington’s announcement that he wouldn’t seek a third presidential term helped define modern statesmanship: The Republic had no need for a king, even an American one. Writing from Europe, John Quincy Adams prayed the president’s retirement might “serve as the foundation upon which the whole system of [America’s] future policy may rise.” Washington’s decision set an informal precedent that largely held until term limits were codified by the 22nd Constitutional Amendment, ratified in 1951. Still, at the time of his farewell address, Washington’s opponents had serious complaints. Though Washington belonged to no party, he was associated with the Federalists—and many Anti-Federalist thinkers chastised the outgoing president for disparaging his ideological rivals while claiming neutrality. This dispute played out in newspapers and pamphlets—back when publishers always chose a side.
Silence Dogood. Richard Saunders. Benevolus. Sidi Mehemet Ibrahim. All were pen names that allowed Franklin to say things he couldn’t have otherwise said
What a Lost Treasure Could Reveal About the Medieval World
National Geographic explorations have uncovered remarkably preserved Byzantine shipwrecks, particularly in the Black Sea, where anoxic (oxygen-free) deep water preserves wooden structures for over a millennium. These discoveries, including vessels from the 9th century and earlier, provide unprecedented insights into ancient maritime trade, construction, and life.
Key Discoveries and Mysteries
The Ship’s Purpose: Investigations revealed the ship likely belonged to the Christian church (possibly the monastery of Samos) and was ferrying wine and olive oil to Byzantine troops fighting Persians in A.D. 626.
Innovative Design: Unlike other ships of its time, this vessel featured advanced facilities that provided “gracious” food and accommodation for passengers, who typically slept on open decks.
The Black Sea Finds: More recently, National Geographic has covered the discovery of over 40 remarkably preserved shipwrecks in the Black Sea’s “dead zone” (an oxygen-starved environment), including 1,000-year-old Byzantine trading vessels with intact masts and carvings.
The Croatia Wreck: Another significant find in the Adriatic Sea near Croatia challenged the narrative of simple coastal trading when archaeologists discovered a cargo that suggested a much more complex and “flipped” story of medieval commerce.
The Sahara has cycled between eons of bountiful life and arid desolation. What will it mean when the world’s largest desert turns green once again? By Henry Wismayer | Photographs by Marcus Westberg
Choreography that changed the language of dance, avant-garde costumes by runway designers, music that defined a new American sound. As her company turns 100, an inside look at the enduring world of Martha Graham. Photographs by ioulex | Text by Jacoba Urist
She was known as Vicky With Three Kisses—a German radio star whose singing and sweet talk comforted weary Nazi soldiers. She was actually a secret weapon in a little-known Allied propaganda effort. By April White
In central Texas, ranchers are beset by threats, from coyotes to drought and foreign competition. To protect their flocks from predators and help preserve their own way of life, they’re turning to the ancient know-how of man’s best friend. By Chris Pomorski | Photographs by Jordan Vonderhaar
On a Bahamian island, in a landlocked lagoon, the planet’s densest collection of seahorses is offering scientists new insights into the secret lives of one of the world’s most mysterious fish.
After buying his own liberty, the Marylander covertly assisted conductors on the Underground Railroad, including Harriet Tubman. But his possession of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” turned him into an abolitionist hero
In the remote highlands of Uzbekistan, archaeologists are uncovering the remains of a vast metropolis that may rewrite the history of the fabled trading route’s origins By Andrew Lawler | Photographs by Simon Norfolk
After a 1902 train wreck in the heart of Manhattan, one self-taught engineer proposed an improbable urban transformation. His vision reshaped the face of American cities
In January 1776, Virginia’s Port City of Norfolk Was Set Ablaze, Galvanizing the Revolution. But Who Really Lit the Match?
Blaming the British for the destruction helped persuade some wavering colonists to back the fight for independence. But the source of the inferno was not what it seemed
Scientists and community members in Altadena are testing ways that California species can assist efforts to rebuild
You Can See the Parthenon Without Scaffolding for the First Time in Decades
The temporary structures will return next month—but in the meantime, visitors will enjoy rare unobstructed views of the ancient hilltop temple in Athens
The seaside lido is enjoying a fresh wave of popularity a century and more after its first appearance on the British coast. Kathryn Ferry dives in
Winging it
Watch out, watch out, there’s a thief about! Mark Cocker warns that no undergarment is safe from the resurgent red kite, a bird soaring back from near extinction
Travel
• Christopher Wallace checks in to a new opening in Marrakech, Morocco’s Mecca for luxury hotels
• Teresa Levonian Cole blazes a trail in the Spanish Pyrenees
• Pamela Goodman gets on her bike to explore the Welsh border country
Life’s a pretty picnic
Deborah Nicholls-Lee shares a hamper-full of tasty morsels from the long and varied history of alfresco dining on canvas
Ricardo Afonso’s favourite painting
The musical-theatre actor chooses an ‘otherworldly’ work that stirs complex emotions
The legacy
Amie Elizabeth White salutes Sir James Clark Ross, the vastly experienced naval officer who discovered Antarctica in 1841
In God’s acre we trust
Laura Parker learns how the absence of interference over centuries enabled our wildlife-rich graveyards to become a ‘Noah’s Ark of species’
Keeping a low profile
The countryside is littered with storm-damaged trees that simply refuse to die. Jack Watkins celebrates great arboreal survivors
The good stuff
Hetty Lintell puts her best foot forward with a selection of sandals
Interiors
Arabella Youens commends an elegant townhouse kitchen and Amelia Thorpe picks out rhubarb accessories to brighten the home
London Life
• Will Hosie assesses the cost of our partying in the parks
• How the style set are reaffirming that west is best
Lost, but not forgotten
George Plumptre applauds the masterful restoration of the Arts-and-Crafts garden at Knowle House in East Sussex
Arts & antiques
Laura Dadswell believes her pair of 18th-century Venetian mirrors is the fairest of them all, as she tells Carlo Passino
News, Views and Reviews For The Intellectually Curious
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