Earth Remembered

Drawn by Virginia — 65, woman, from Maglie

as rememberedas it is now

“Il lido dove passo generalmente ogni estate. Mi rifugio lì anche d’inverno, e ritrovo sempre il mio equilibrio.”
“The beach where I usually spend every summer. I take refuge there in winter too, and I always find my balance again.”“Parte dei muretti è crollata a causa delle mareggiate. Alcune rocce hanno ceduto e sono finite in mare.”
“Part of the low stone walls has collapsed because of storm surges. Some of the rocks gave way and ended up in the sea.”

Drawn by Franco — 60, man, from Giuggianello

as remembered · the 1980sas it is now

“Ho disegnato un ‘paiaru’ sulla Collina delle Ninfe: il posto dove si trascorreva di solito la Pasquetta, da bambini. Anni ’80.”
“I drew a paiaru — a dry-stone field shelter — on the Hill of the Nymphs: the place where we used to spend Pasquetta (Easter Monday) as children, in the 1980s.”“Adesso lo scenario intorno al ‘paiaru’ è cambiato molto: non c’è più tanto verde, gli alberi non sono più rigogliosi, e il colore prevalente è il grigio… purtroppo. Adesso rappresenta ‘la speranza’.”
“Now the scene around the paiaru has changed a lot: there isn’t as much green, the trees aren’t lush any more, and the prevailing colour is grey… unfortunately. Now it represents ‘hope.’”

Drawn by Cristoforo — 67, man, from Giuggianello

as remembered · around age 10as it is now

“Ricordo d’infanzia: avevo circa 10 anni, in campagna con i miei genitori e i miei fratelli, a giocare immersi nella natura.”
“A childhood memory — I was about 10 years old, in the countryside with my parents and siblings, playing, immersed in nature.”“Questo disegno rappresenta il tempo passato, quello che resta della campagna, e il tempo trascorso nel verde ormai divenuto un deserto di sola sterpaglia… segno della vita che cambia.”
“This drawing represents time gone by, what remains of the countryside, and the time once spent amid its green — now turned into a desert of bare scrub… a sign of life changing.”

Drawn by Leonardo — 20, man, from Giuggianello

as remembered · 2016–2017as it is now

“Ho disegnato un pagliaro, una costruzione tipica del Salento; questo in particolare si trova su una piccola collina. La particolarità di questo luogo è che, dalla cima, si vede tutta Giuggianello. Quand’ero piccolo salivo là sopra con i miei amici: era per noi un luogo dove salire per rilassarci e divertirci.”
“I drew a pagliaro, a structure typical of Salento; this one stands on a small hill. What makes this place special is that from the top you can see all of Giuggianello. When I was younger I used to climb up there with my friends — a place for us to relax and have fun.”“Ho disegnato il pagliaro com’è attualmente. Adesso, di tutto ciò che c’era prima, non c’è quasi più nulla, nemmeno parte del pagliaro. Per me, ora, questo posto rappresenta un luogo di ricordi, di quando ero molto più piccolo, di tutto ciò che c’era in passato e che adesso c’è ben poco.”
“I drew the pagliaro as it is now. Almost nothing of what was there before remains, not even part of the pagliaro itself. For me, now, this spot represents a place of memories: of when I was much younger, of everything that used to be here, and of which there is now very little left.”

Drawn by Alessia — 24, woman, from Maglie

as remembered · 2008as it is now · 2026

“Ho rappresentato l’uliveto di famiglia, a Maglie, nel periodo di novembre, in piena fioritura. Ci recavamo lì per la raccolta delle olive, poiché abbiamo un’azienda agricola e produciamo olio.”
“I drew my family’s olive grove in Maglie, in November, in full bloom. We would go there for the olive harvest, since we have a farm and produce oil.”“Siamo nel 2026, gli alberi secolari oramai abbattuti sono stati sostituiti da alberi nuovi, piantati con sacrificio e speranza, nel tentativo di restituire continuità a una storia interrotta. Non lasciare morire le radici.”
“It’s 2026 now. The centuries-old trees, since cut down, have been replaced with new ones, planted with sacrifice and hope, trying to give back continuity to a story that was interrupted. Don’t let the roots die.”

Drawn by Gloria — 34, woman, from Uggiano La Chiesa

as remembered · 2003as it is now · 2026

“Ho scelto di rappresentare un santuario in campagna, luogo di molti momenti spensierati della mia adolescenza, posto di pace e rifugio nei momenti di bisogno. Da ragazzina ci andavo spesso in bicicletta.”
“I chose to draw a sanctuary in the countryside, the setting for many carefree moments of my adolescence, a place of peace and refuge whenever I needed it. As a girl I used to ride my bike there often.”“Ho rappresentato la sensazione attuale, che rimanda a qualcosa di chiuso, non più accessibile come lo sentivo da ragazzina.”
“I drew how it feels now: something closed off, no longer as accessible as I felt it to be as a girl.”

Drawn by Albina — 40, woman, from Giuggianello

as remembered · childhood summersas it is now

“Ho rappresentato le tante emozioni che mi attraversavano quando con la mia famiglia venivamo dal Friuli al Salento per l’estate. Nei giochi coi miei cugini, che ritrovavo solo nel periodo delle vacanze estive, c’erano tante emozioni, ma soprattutto ricordo la gioia di sentire intorno la famiglia allargata che nella vita ordinaria al nord non potevo vedere. Ho rievocato queste emozioni pensando alla campagna di mio zio Mimmo a Morigino: intorno a me tanto verde di alberi, la terra rossa, i muretti a secco. Le voci di noi bambini durante i giochi... e una sensazione di appartenenza e radicamento.”
“I drew the many emotions running through me when my family would come down from Friuli to Salento for the summer. In the games with my cousins, whom I only saw during the summer holidays, there was so much feeling — but most of all I remember the joy of having the extended family around me, which ordinary life up north never let me see. I called up these emotions thinking of my uncle Mimmo’s countryside in Morigino: all around me the green of the trees, the red earth, the dry-stone walls. The voices of us children at play... and a feeling of belonging and being rooted.”“Sono nello stesso luogo. Non sto correndo e non gioco, ma cammino lentamente in uno scenario di grande pace esteriore e interiore. Mi sento appagata e fiduciosa. Durante la passeggiata sono sola, ma nel disegno ho rappresentato altre linee: sono le persone che incontro e ho incontrato nel cammino, con le quali scambio pensieri, idee, sensazioni. Ho conservato la stessa curiosità e lo stesso stupore di allora.”
“I’m in the same place. I’m not running and I’m not playing, but walking slowly through a scene of great outer and inner peace. I feel fulfilled and at ease. On the walk I am alone, but in the drawing I represented other lines — the people I meet and have met along the way, with whom I exchange thoughts, ideas, feelings. I’ve kept the same curiosity and the same wonder I had then.”

Drawn by Sara — 45, woman, from Giuggianello

as remembered · summer 1992as it is now · 2026

“Porto Badisco, Otranto (Lecce), località ‘Fortino’... tuffi in mare di tutti i tipi con due cugine. Estate 1992, avevo 12 anni: spensieratezza, divertimento, sole, caldo, libertà, prima autonomia. Ogni giorno andavamo al mare sugli scogli, e ci divertivamo a tuffarci da un trampolino naturale di roccia nel mare azzurro; intorno c’era gente, non troppa, scogli, mare, uccelli e pesci. Mi sentivo libera perché adoro nuotare nel mare pulito. L’ambiente intorno era incontaminato. Potevamo fare tante prove di tuffi, anche buffi, senza paura di sbagliare.”
“Porto Badisco, Otranto, the ‘Fortino’ spot... all kinds of dives into the sea with two cousins. Summer 1992, I was 12: lightheartedness, fun, sun, warmth, freedom, my first taste of independence. Every day we went to the sea on the rocks, and loved diving off a natural stone diving board into the blue water; around us were a few people, rocks, sea, birds and fish. I felt free because I love swimming in clean water. The surroundings were unspoiled. We could try dive after dive, even silly ones, without any fear of getting it wrong.”“Sono sempre a Badisco, nella baia, oggi 2026, ho 45 anni. Nel 2022, a causa di un’alluvione, la conformazione della baia è cambiata: una parte della spiaggia ha lasciato spazio a un fiume temporaneo. Dopo l’evento, purtroppo, la baia è stata lasciata abbandonata, con rifiuti e parti di asfalto e cemento rotti e trascurati proprio a ridosso del mare. Basterebbe un po’ di ingegneria naturalistica per riportare equilibrio tra la forza della natura e il decoro di quel luogo. Togliere l’asfalto! Lasciare il suolo libero di rifiorire. Piantare alberi!”
“I’m still at Badisco, in the bay, today in 2026, at 45. In 2022, a flood changed the shape of the bay: part of the beach gave way to a temporary river. After that, the bay was left abandoned, with rubbish and broken, neglected pieces of asphalt and concrete right up against the sea. A little naturalistic engineering would be enough to restore balance between the force of nature and the dignity of this place. Take out the asphalt! Let the ground bloom freely again. Plant trees!”

Drawn by Martina — 36, woman, from Giuggianello

as remembered · age 5–6as it is now

“Ho disegnato la campagna del nonno a Giuggianello. Rappresenta libertà collegata alla natura, gioco, divertimento, affetto, spensieratezza, gioia, sorrisi.”
“I drew my grandfather’s countryside plot in Giuggianello. It represents freedom bound up with nature, play, fun, affection, lightheartedness, joy, smiles.”“Adesso c’è una costruzione in più e una parte della natura ‘rimane’.”
“Now there’s one more building, and only a part of nature ‘remains’.”

Drawn by Michele — from Giuggianello

as remembered · 1998as it is now · 2026

“Il disegno rappresenta per me il giorno che decisi di trasferirmi definitivamente in Salento.”
“For me, this drawing represents the day I decided to move to Salento for good.”“Il disegno del 2026 rappresenta un punto da cui partire per tornare a far tornare i luoghi come sono stati creati originariamente.”
“The 2026 drawing represents a starting point, from which to bring these places back to how they were originally.”

Drawn by Julia — 44, woman, from Giuggianello

as remembered · 1987as it is now

“Ho disegnato la piazzetta di Santa Lucia (Uggiano La Chiesa, 1987) dove c’è la casa dei nonni. È un luogo di giochi all’aperto, profumi di tabacco messo ad essiccare, acqua della fontana per rinfrescarsi, caldo estivo, profumo di peperoni fritti.”
“I drew the little square of Santa Lucia (Uggiano La Chiesa, 1987), where my grandparents’ house is. It’s a place of playing outdoors, the smell of tobacco leaves set out to dry, fountain water to cool off with, summer heat, the smell of fried peppers.”“Adesso rappresenta delle case anonime, un luogo urbanizzato, odore di smog, fontana senza acqua, caldo estivo, sofferenza, mancanza di aria e frescura.”
“Now it shows anonymous houses, a built-up place, the smell of smog, a fountain without water, summer heat, discomfort, a lack of air and coolness.”

Drawn by Ambrogio — approx. 54, man, from Neviano

as remembered · late 1970s, age 6as it is now · 2026

“Ero in una casa di campagna delle mie zie. Sono in una specie di capanna fatta di fronde dove andavo spesso. Avevo 6 anni ed era estate. Rappresenta protezione e serenità.”
“I was at my aunts’ country house. I’m in a kind of hut made of branches that I used to visit often. I was 6 years old and it was summer. It represents protection and serenity.”“La casa in campagna ora è quasi sempre chiusa; prima c’era tanta attività, specialmente nel periodo della vendemmia. Ora, al posto della vigna, ci sono case. Non vado più lì.”
“The country house is almost always closed up now; before, there was so much activity, especially at grape-harvest time. Now, where the vineyard was, there are houses. I don’t go there any more.”

Drawn by Rachele Resta — 66, woman, from Giuggianello

as remembered · 1975, age 15as it is now · 2026

“1975, avevo 15 anni. La mia vendemmia. Questo grappolo d’uva rappresenta un ricordo bellissimo che riaffiora spesso in me e che riguarda la mia adolescenza. Il ricordo va alla mia vigna, una bella vigna a spalliera che mio padre piantò con amore alla nascita mia e delle mie sorelle gemelle. Ogni anno, quando arrivava la vendemmia, era una festa: ci partecipava tanta gente del paese, ed erano giorni di lavoro ma anche di canti.”
“1975, I was 15. My grape harvest. This bunch of grapes holds a beautiful memory that often comes back to me, from my adolescence. It takes me back to my vineyard, a lovely trellised vineyard my father planted with love when I and my twin sisters were born. Every year, when harvest time came, it was a celebration: so many people from the village took part, and the days were full of work but also of singing.”“Ora di quella vigna mi rimane solo un caro ricordo, ma anche un amaro ricordo, perché non esiste più. Mi porto nel cuore quelle belle giornate di sole e di convivialità e di progetti per come sarebbe stato il vino nuovo. Non si può tornare indietro, ma guardare avanti, e ho la speranza che quel terreno un giorno torni a rifiorire. Sento ancora quel profumo dell’uva e del mosto, e questo è un segno che le mie radici sono profonde per la mia terra.”
“Now all that’s left of that vineyard is a dear memory — but a bitter one too, because it no longer exists. I carry in my heart those sunny, convivial days, and the plans for what the new wine would be like. You can’t go back, only look forward, and I hope that one day that land blooms again. I can still smell the grapes and the must, and that’s a sign my roots run deep for this land.”

Drawn by Vincenzo Ruggeri — 82, man, from Giuggianello

as remembered · age 8–10as it is now

“Ho disegnato la ‘Macchia de lu Cutrino’, un posto sulla Serra di Giuggianello, a un livello di 120 m sul livello del mare; in valle si trova la cappella della Madonna della Serra. Noi bambini avevamo 8, 9, 10 anni. Ogni domenica si andava a giocare agli indiani, oppure a combattere tra cavalieri medievali. Era il periodo in cui nei cinema si proiettava il film ‘La Gerusalemme Liberata’. Io ero impegnato a portare spade, lance e scudi per il gruppo dei ‘crociati’ e per quello musulmano.”
“I drew the ‘Macchia de lu Cutrino’, a spot on the Serra di Giuggianello, about 120 m above sea level; down in the valley is the ‘cappella della Madonna della Serra’ (the chapel of the Madonna della Serra). We children were 8, 9, 10 years old. Every Sunday we’d go play at being Indians, or fight as medieval knights. It was the time when cinemas were showing the film ‘Jerusalem Delivered’. I was in charge of carrying swords, lances and shields for the ‘crusaders’ group and for the Muslim one.”“Oggi il luogo dei nostri giochi è impraticabile per la vegetazione. Negli anni ’80 fu piantata una pineta di pini d’Aleppo. Dopo 5, 6 anni si ebbe un incendio che distrusse tutto, purtroppo, di quell’ambiente silvano. Da quell’evento il luogo non è praticato da nessuno. Tutto ciò mi rattrista, per il degrado e per l’abbandono.”
“Today the place where we used to play is impassable, overgrown. In the ’80s a pine wood of Aleppo pines was planted there. Five or six years later a fire destroyed all of that woodland, sadly. Since then, no one uses the place any more. All of this saddens me — the decay, the abandonment.”

Drawn by Solveiga — 34, woman, from Malupe, Latvia

as remembered · 2001as it is now · 2026

“This is my countryside meadow at ‘Lejaskromani’, in Malupe, Latvia, 2001. I remember it full of flowers of every colour, with such a scent — a rich, diverse meadow, perfect for making a midsummer flower crown, or simply walking around and enjoying the flowers, the smells, the birdsong, the sun. It’s a place of happiness and peace.”“Now, in 2026, the natural meadow is gone. It’s rented out to a local farmer who grows crops there. The field looks artificial — no flowers at all, just one shade of green, no scent, nothing. It’s hard to feel midsummer here now; even the feeling of a ‘proper summer’ is gone.”

Drawn by Martin — 25, man, from Ida-Virumaa, Estonia

as remembered · 2016as it is now · 2026

“A great, tall oak that seemed endless to me, because I could never climb to the top. I used to read there during my summers, in the company of bugs, passing deer, bear droppings, and the smell of cut grass.”“These days I have little time to visit the old oak, and so the distance between us has grown. The oak still stands, waiting.”

Drawn by Lina — 30, woman, from Olaine, Latvia

as remembered · approx. 2010–2015as it is now · 2025

“A quarry in my hometown, near Olaine. We used to go swimming there as teenagers — I’d ride out with friends on our bicycles, along a bike lane that took us through forests and meadows to get there. It made me feel independent, free, adventurous — a little anxious when I went with boys. All that riding and swimming made me feel strong. The place itself was undeveloped, empty, quiet.”“I went back to swim there in 2025, with my partner and our one-year-old. Now there’s a parking lot, a coffee machine, a wakeboarding park, walkways. That one day in summer — because there were so many children — I felt anxious for my child and for the others, for their safety. It turned out that, that same day, a seven-year-old drowned. As a parent, this place frightens me now. It’s too commercial, too convenient — we even drove there by car; I felt awfully middle class.”

Drawn by Liisa — 25, woman, from Tartu, Estonia

as remembered · 2011as it is now · 2026

“‘Mälestus puust, minu kodu juures’ — ‘A memory of a tree, near my home.’ A willow tree near my childhood home. I used to play there with my best friend at the time — we pretended it was a tiny island of our own. It was tucked inside a bush, and playing there felt like such an adventure. We were around 10, and the year was probably 2011 or so. We went there every day. It was so much fun!”“The tree and the bush have been replaced by streets and houses. They’re someone’s homes now, and I still walk those streets, but my childhood special place is gone forever. And that’s sad. Very sad.”

Drawn by Relja — 37, from Belgrade, Serbia

as remembered · 1998as it is now · 2026

“It’s the old fortress. I was playing with my relatives — we played among old German and Yugoslav tanks. I remember the smell of metal, oak, and grass, and it was always so sunny. We used to climb inside the tanks to play and hang out.”“The texture and scenery are the same; they’ve just changed some of the tanks and brought in new ones. I went back to check about ten years ago, and you can no longer go inside. I’m sad.”

Drawn by Saara Jaanisk — 23, woman, from Läänemaa, Estonia

as remembered · 2010as it is now · 2026

“This is my grandparents’ place, on my father’s side, and it means a great deal of nature to me: the big rock, the oak trees, my grandmother sitting under the tree cleaning blackberries. I’d be on the rock, or swinging near her. But I could also hear my grandmother and grandfather yelling at each other. So it means encountering the world’s violence too.”“I drew my grandparents’ place as it is now, in 2026. My grandfather, three of my aunts, and my grandmother all live there, but they’re separated. There are lots of cars on the front lawn now. No one climbs the tree, there’s no swing, and my grandmother is bedridden, so she can no longer pick berries and clean them under the oak.”

Drawn by Lachlan — 28, male, from Australia

as remembered · 2005as it is now · 2026

“It represents my childhood and summer days that are very hot: the wading pool, sausage sizzles, kookaburras, and a metal slide that burnt me on the way down. I remember the bubbler spitting in my face and being really cold, and also the sounds of the street and the waves crashing along the shore because of the ferry.”“There’s a new shark net now, and they’ve made a beach here, so I could swim here when I came home for fieldwork. The smell of hashish, and voices in languages other than English, especially from the Middle East. The place is surrounded by McMansions, and Cabarita and Breakfast Point are now full of high-rises. Bin chickens are everywhere, as well as brush turkeys.”

Drawn by Miklós — 39, man, from Budapest, Hungary

as remembered · childhoodas it is now · 2026

“The forest near my home, where I grew up, and where we often went running with my dad, and with my first little bike. It was one of my favourite places — not too mysterious, but interesting enough that I was always happy to go.”“The same forest. I still live nearby; I go there with my daughter, her on her bike, me running. She’s convinced there must be a good reason why all the trees have been cut down. She has faith. I have a bit less.”

Drawn by Agnieška — 34, woman, from Lithuania

as remembered · 2002as it is now · 2026

“It was a time when I was happy, believing the world was safe and that miracles do happen — me, when I was eleven years old.”“I think the place hasn’t changed. The river is still there — maybe smaller when summers are hotter, or it revives when the rains come — but I don’t go there anymore. I’ve changed, and I’m afraid I couldn’t find it as magical anymore. It would make me too sad.”

Drawn by Polina — 25, woman, from Riga, Latvia

as remembered · 2013as it is now · 2026

“It’s a lake, two kilometres from where my grandmother lives. I used to spend summers there with my close childhood friend. I love swimming, and we spent hours in the refreshing water. There were sometimes snakes, and kids from the nearby camp.”“My friend moved to the Netherlands. The lake is as great as I remember it. Now I can hear bikers in the forest, but it’s still a magically calming place. Still kids from the camp nearby, and birds — though I didn’t see any snakes this time. I still love to swim as much as before. My grandmother still lives nearby; I visit her less often, but I manage almost every summer.”

Drawn by Fátima — 34, woman, from Lima, Peru

as remembered · 2007as it is now · 2026

“My mom’s hometown, where I would go all the time — sometimes only with my grandma — where all my family was. Summer, rest, holidays. I remember being on a floor, seeing everything, and also my view from atop the dunes.”“The sand dunes have disappeared; the city has grown exponentially. There’s lots of farming for export now, while my grandma’s house still doesn’t have access to water 24 hours a day. The desert is gone, just like my family, who migrated to Lima. I miss the sand.”

Drawn by Elvira Brinkmane-Pruze — 30, woman, from Riga, Latvia

as remembered · 2005as it is now · 2026

“This is the river near where I grew up — Jūrmala, Latvia (Bulduri): the Lielupe. We went swimming there in summer and ice-skating in winter. It was a bit of a hidden place; only locals went there.”“Now this place is more trashed — papers, bottles, cigarettes. In summer, homeless people live there. It started changing sometime in the 2020s.”

Drawn by Martyna — 40, woman, from Vilnius, Lithuania

as remembered · her 20sas it is now · 2026

“I used to walk with my beloved Labrador along the pond-lake close to my childhood flat. I loved the tiny paths through overgrown bushes, where the miraculous beauty of the seasons could be discovered. A gate of ‘ievos’ flowers stuck in my memory.”“The place got developed: metal, convenient paths were put in for a wider public. It’s now widely visited by people from other areas. But for me, it lost the intimacy where hidden gems and blooms could be discovered.”

Drawn by Marija — 36, woman, from Belgrade, Serbia

as remembered · around 2004as it is now · 2026

“This is part of a big park, Kalemegdan — a stretch of derelict wall that was very hard to access, and dangerous. I once even fell asleep there. It was in the middle of the city but completely detached; you could see the river confluence and the city beyond. I can’t access it anymore, because the tunnel is closed.”“The place became inaccessible because of tourism, and it was dangerous. It reminds me of my childhood, which was wilder and lonelier. It makes me nostalgic, of course.”