The sense of smell on the cover of National Geographic

Every day we take 23,000 breaths, and it is through the nose, argued anthropologist Malinowski, that the magic of life passes. Our vocation to tell quality stories finds space this month on the cover of National Geographic Italia. Published in the February 2023 issue, the story “Matters of the Nose. Emotions, memories, pleasure: discovering the sense of smell” was shot by Alessandro Gandolfi in different countries around the world: in addition to Italy, photographs were taken in France, Holland, Serbia, Mexico and India. The report tells how the sense of smell, the most neglected of our senses, is often our daily compass. The act of smelling, in fact, stirs memories and emotions in us because smells are transmitted to the oldest parts of our brains.