Our neighbor Vito is always bringing something over: turnip greens in winter, artichokes in spring, barattiere melons and tomatoes in summer, and crunchy taralli baked year-round by his friend Palma. If we’re not home, he leaves them on the porch on chipped plates. At first, it felt like too much, like we hadn’t done anything to deserve such generosity.

But we came to understand that wasn’t the point; abundant kindness flows easily here, because the Pugliese see themselves as ambassadors of their way of living. Beyond understanding it, they want you to believe in it too. Since deciding to live in Puglia, people often ask what drew me here. At the core, it’s simple: this place didn’t just make me feel welcome, it made me feel included.