Italian vacations with my father were a highlight of my early teens. Our typical destination was his hometown of Aradeo, a sleepy comune in the province of Lecce in Puglia. We’d spend days jumping into the sea and evenings eating pizza, while nighttime was dedicated to wandering the cobbled streets along with the rest of the town, from curious toddlers to arm-in-arm octogenarians.

I didn’t have a label for it at the time, but this was my first experience of the passeggiata. Like the afternoon riposo (nap) or post-work aperitivo hour, la passeggiata is a tradition ingrained in Italian culture, and one that’s becoming world-renowned with the wellness-minded — even as some Italians find all the international attention puzzling.