2 Hours Of Journeying Through Authentic Italy | Alex Polizzi’s Secret Italy

Join Alex Polizzi as she reconnects with her Italian roots, exploring the breathtaking beauty of Sardinia and discovering the hidden gems of the lesser-known islands of Salina and Ischia.

Time Stamps:
00:00:00 – 00:42:44 – Sardinia
00:42:45 – 01:23:41 – Island Hopping
01:23:42 – 02:04:57 – Puglia

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[Music] Italy a magnificent country it’s all here it’s quite breathtaking a place where I feel deeply connected this is where my grandmother Pit’s Journey began in this series I’m returning but I’m leaving the mainland to explore Italy’s extraordinary Islands so beautiful revisit memories I haven’t been here since I was a child and I thought I’d make a pilgrimage and building new [Music] ones I mean this is one of the maddest things I’ve ever done feels like a once in a lifetime experience on a journey of Discovery from the ancient rugged beauty of Sardinia The Remains here at spining to the Splendor and surprises of Sicily and some of the Mediterraneans Hidden Treasures it does just feel a million miles away from anywhere else look at this it’s one of Sicily’s most striking Secrets I can’t believe it it’s been too long this is my Italian island adventure [Music] my tour begins with Sardinia Italy’s second largest island and a place that’s a part of my Heritage completely marooned in the Mediterranean its isolation has made Sardinia fiercely independent from the rest of Italy it’s the Maverick of the med I’ll be arriving into it chaotic Capital City calier before venturing into the rugged supron District unearthing its dark past and discovering what makes the mountain town of lanu truly unique it’s a 4-Hour Journey from the north to south of this vast Island tourists are drawn to the captivating beauty of the North Coast the Costas Maran is one of the most glamorous stretches super Yachts line the marina at Porto chervo and the beach at stintino is a sun seeker’s fantasy but my journey starts in the South I should have a strong connection with this island my father had Sardinian roots and his mother my beloved grandmother was born here my non was the most amazing woman and I got on with her incredibly well she was very sharp very funny took No Nonsense from anybody and um I miss her every single day of my life but in fact Sardinia is the island that I know least I never came here growing up as a child my forte family were always too nervous about kidnappings and the troubles in Italy at the time my only real encounter with Sardinia was when my Nona used the local dialect from time to time when she wanted to talk to my grandfather without us children knowing she slip immediately in Sardinian which is completely incomprehensible and um I used to tease her about it endlessly and it’s pretty hard even for an Italian speaker to get their heads around Sardinian I never Managed IT it seems fitting to start my journey of Exploration with a visit to its capital city CER my grandmother had a house here and he talked so many times about coming here about her bringing me here and I never made it with her silly me most visitors arrive here via the airport one of three this island has but as far as I’m concerned the best way to First catch sight of it is from the water Ker’s beauty is rather subtle certainly from here it’s not the most beautiful city I’ve ever been to DH Lawrence said it was nothing like Italy but I think it’s still recognizably Mediterranean it does have a certain Tom of its own it’s slightly crumbling in the way that so many Italian cities are but that is part of the Tom of Italy I wouldn’t change it for the world being here has awakened my desire to know more about my Heritage I absolutely adored my non poit non Lina but I didn’t know much about her life so I’ve come to Ker’s registry archive at the heart of the city in the hope that Salvatore can tell me more about my [Music] Roots what’s written here is a complete surprise to me it turns out that I’m more connected to this island than I realized for I knew I was a qu Sardinian but now it appears I may be more than that I may be even half Sardinian now that I’ve discovered I have more Roots here than I thought I’m really excited to explore the Sardinian culture as one of the biggest ports in the Mediterranean the sprawl of Ker’s neighborhoods is about as chaotic as Sardinia will ever get but like so many places I’ve visited its cuisine holds the key to what this city is really all about in Italy markets really are still a way of life people very rarely go to a supermarket so this is a wonderful way to absorb local culture local traditions and also local Cuisine but it’s well worth hopping on a bus or in a taxi and making the short journey to San Benedetto’s Market here you’ll be rewarded with some real Sardinian produce if you’re feeling brave it’s incredibly evocative for me when I was on the boat with my grandparents about every other day we’d have to come to a fruit market a vegetable market a fish market like this there are about 10 of us to feed day in day out and then get through a lot of food this vibrant space is one of the largest indoor markets in Europe but with more than 200 stall holders all vying for your business it’s a pretty daunting Prospect Franchesco is one of the city’s most famous restaur and he’s agreed to help me navigate my way to the best bits of Sardinian Cuisine like stallholder maito pedo or suckling pig here no part of the pig is wasted this is boiled poof and neck it’s boiled with vinegar and [Music] oh my God I don’t know it’s quite fatty but not nearly as slimy as you’d expect but as far as I’m concerned you’re not Italian if you don’t adore cheese both of my grandmothers were fabulous Cooks their Su and rortos form my earliest food memories Italians eat a lot of cheese even in my little household with two small children well I definitely get through a kilo of Parmesan a months easily sardinia’s most famous export is picino a robust cheese that’s made from sheep’s milk so this is the most typical Sardinian cheese in Sardinia they even use this grated on top of spaghetti M I love cheese so I’m in heaven it’s very strong tasting very strong flavored they say you can have too much of a good thing I can’t say I agree personally yummy I could stay here all day I’m not even vaguely cheesed out but in the noisy depths you’ll find what this Market is most famous for an abundance of the freshest Seafood they’re so fresh they’re alive so do you serve these in your restaurant yeah a lot we just boil them up and we little bit of salt SE slugs SE slugs somehow anything with the word slug in it doesn’t really encourage me but my are they good yeah yeah yeah are they taste is very strong very strong I can’t say I’m convinced but Franchesco isn’t letting me leave CER without trying one of his Seafood specialities at his restaurant Lily so these are Janti which are a speciality from around here little baby fish fried up delicious down near the port where the food is more reasonably priced this atmospheric Tratoria draws in crowds from all walks of life opera singer Andrea belli can be spotted dining on Seafood alongside hungry fisherman this place is an institution everyone comes here and I understand why cadi has delivered a healthy dose of authentic culture but it’s Inland where you’ll find the real essence of [Music] Sardinia I’ve traveled 3 hours East of caladi where the drama of sardinia’s wild sparse interior begins to unfold this vast Wilderness behind me is a super tronte the silence is only broken by dogs barking and the sound of the goats bells for the more adventurous traveler this part of the island is ripe for exploration Vistas like this jawdropping Gorge can be discovered and the atmospheric town of oroo is a real highlight of the region where years of political turmoil are etched on its buildings in a series of poignant murals [Music] but I’m drawn to this rugged landscape because of its dark past in the early ‘ 70s when I was a child Sardinia was encountering terrible troubles with Bandits there had been a series of brutal kidnappings where the wealthy were being targeted because of the success of my grandfather’s business I was deemed a kidnap risk [Music] I’ve decided to hire a local guide L Chanel to learn more about these troubled times CH and understand why my parents kept me from visiting Sardinia as a child e [Music] when I was young I heard these stories endlessly and obviously it wasn’t just a question of answer it was just the fear of having someone taken from you it was very alive in all our minds people were very very fearful [Music] the bandits use this vast Granite landscape to evade capture these mountains are studded with a network of caves that made it easy for them to keep moving and stay hidden from the [Music] authorities so this is an area that was probably a hiding place it’s definitely show sign of human habitation whether it was just because of the goats and the Shepherds or whether it was used for moris [Music] purposes they knew all the hiding places and someone who wasn’t from here would never ever have been able to scope them out it’s very heavily uh wooded it’s very Rocky it’s pretty impenetrable it’s incredible to think that Bandits were bringing victims here as recently as 1997 but now it’s a much safer destination for visitors looking to hire a car and explore there is however one enduring figure that has always remained here for the shepherd farming this land is just a way of life the bonus of having a guide is getting to meet the locals L Chanel’s taking me to meet the last isolated Shepherd to live and work out in these mountains [Music] [Music] at the ripe age of 80 Chu has never married instead he chose an entire lifetime of farming here Chicho’s family would love to see him move closer to town but he refuses to give up his animals what a charma he is 80 years old and so cheerful he’s an example to all of us and I seem to have Charmed chichu because he’s invited us to stay for lunch and I’m in for a treat he’s been preparing the traditional Feast of the Sardinian suckling [Music] pig so this is a 2mon old Pig he is only here in in this part of the world do they cook them so small the secret to cooking it is slowly and gently over low heat two hours it’s the first time I’ve eaten suckling pig on the spot where it’s been raised so I’m very excited indeed this traditional way of cooking is primitive but nothing could prepare me for how chich Chu’s nephew carves the meat [Music] please were quite far removed aren’t we in normal life from how we eat meat it’s quite sobering seeing it being car like this this is how real men eat I’m very very excited mom m 10 10 M it is so tender I have honestly honestly honestly never in my life eaten pork like this these days there’s a lot of chat about provenance it’s very in isn’t it everyone has on their menu how far away their ingredients come from but this is zero M away this is made from this bit of land and it’s unbelievable foree [Music] [Music] the mountainous supron District where chichu lives is one of the poorest and most remote parts of Sardinia so it’s a real surprise to discover at the foot of these mountains a touch of Glamour this is Su googon an award-winning hotel where you can experience untouched Sardinia in [Music] luxury these rooms were designed in honor of the tradition of shepherding here and there are so many references where they used to live what they used to wear the Fabrics it’s all very authentic but it’s also all done in extremely good taste the hotel began Life as a simple Tratoria built by pedo palode back in 1960 and is now a 68 bedroom Retreat run by his daughter [Music] [Music] so much of what you see is made right here on site in an effort to preserve some of sardinia’s age-old crafts visitors can even have a go at a few traditional recipes and as a baker’s wife there’s one old Shepherd staple that I’m very interested in trying Panara is one of sard’s most enduring culinary traditions because it was so useful for the sheep herders the goat herders they would go for months on end away from Villages obviously carrying all their Provisions with them and this bread because it’s dried can last up to three months the kneading is the hardest bit of this whole process I know this from Marx’s Bakery it looks very simple looks like any idiot could do it believe you me I’m one idiot who can’t [Music] [Music] see the important thing is to only ever do it in One Direction and then you turn it and do it in the other direction that’s s b ISS this isn’t as easy as it looks I am feeling the pressure I’m going to be mocked at home for my technique finally after hours of resting the dough is ready to be baked and it’s quite a sight it’s amazing cuz it starts off by bubbling up and um it looks like a kind of disease and then finally it blows up completely Fresco it’s very thin very crispy and quite easy to eat in ordinate quantities of although it does last 3 months this lady says there’s nothing better than when it just comes out of the oven really really good [Music] the more time I spend on this island the more I realize how independent it feels from the rest of Italy it’s interesting because Sardinia is even more regionalized than most bits of Italy it’s an island but you go from place to place and there are different Customs different skills different traditions and they’re all passionately being maintained it’s one of the things I love so much about being here actually but I’m yet to discover some of the more Curious Traditions that are so unique to this aisle most visitors never Venture further than sardinia’s 2,000 kilometers of beguiling bays and beaches but I think the real appeal of this island is in its ancient history Sardinia is said to predate Italy itself and mysterious evidence of man has existed here for thousands of years more than 7,000 relics of prehistoric Villages and tombs like this litter the landscape and are all easily accessible to visitors today sardinians affectionately regard these ancient burial Chambers as fairy houses thanks to a history of isolation some Cur ious Traditions are preserved on Sardinia some have even been afforded the protection of UNESCO in order to safeguard them if you’re visiting during one of the Island’s annual festivals you may come across this mysterious form of Folk [Music] [Music] Music it’s known as canor [Music] and it’s another nod to the shepherd farming his [Music] [Laughter] [Music] flock if you explore the southwestern corner of the island Italy’s oldest city Santio can be found jutting out from the coast here there is a modest Museum run by a local Weaver named Kara she’s allowed me to come and see her at work but I’m interrupting her at my Peril because some say she’s a [Music] witch kiar takes her art very seriously because this isn’t any old thread she’s weaving she claims to be the last woman in the world to weave sea silk it’s rumored that she’s been offered billions for her work she commands respect and I need to watch my [Music] step this silky thread is called B and it comes from huge saltwater clams noil already already I’m amazed so that is the mollusk that she spins this wonderful thread from it’s a Priceless material at 60 years of age Ki has to dive 100 times in order to collect a mere 15 M of thread 30th you have to hold and feel this delicate sea silk to even begin to comprehend just how precious it [Music] is it not only weighs nothing but it feels like nothing I I would have sworn there was nothing on my [Music] hand after an awkward start we seem to be getting along Kiara’s even letting me in on the secrets of her craft magical magical feel magical she’s twisting it and then with that she’s then spins it further into a zed shape that’s what she [Music] [Music] so that is the thread made and now she has to do the magic bit F and Magic the [Music] [Laughter] it’s amazing that she’s made this thread in front of [Laughter] [Music] me kar’s work isn’t for sale and I can understand why isn’t that beautiful it would take 20 years to make a dress the master says no took five years to make that only presidents and popes have been deemed worthy recipients of her pieces she says she would never sell any of this any of anything that she makes because they are works of art that belong to the world and so when they’re ready they’re ready Harry has no place [Music] here it’s not just the Traditions that have aged well here it’s customary in Sardinia to toast with the words may you live 200 years and on this island for some reason many do astonishingly there are currently 411 centenarians living here more than anywhere else in the world all of my grandparents live to a rip old age so I’ve always believed this part of the world had something in its water my curiosity has brought me to meet Angela and Pino Alex the islands official photographers of centenarians it’s been a year since angelon Pino have had this project of photographing centenarians and three or four times a week he says he’s being called somewhere to take a photo of yet another one it’s a portfolio like no other [Music] 105 this I mean there are some quite astonishing photos here people who look so hail and Hearty you wouldn’t believe for a minute they’re over there’s one guy here who’s still a Shepherd at the age of 100 still taking his sheep into pasture these photos give a sense of the strong family tradition that exists here old age is much more precious here it’s a matter of enormous Pride if you manage to get to 100 it’s a matter of Pride for the family these images are heartwarming to see but some some of these folk are doing more than just enjoying old age as I’m about to find out they’re helping science in a study that could one day affect us [Music] all the jento is a vast area of granite mountainous country it’s a hiker’s paradise but my fascination with the number of centenarians in Sardinia has brought me to the top Tiny Town of [Music] lanose because here within an old schoolhouse there is a world leading laboratory full of gadgetry and scientists a groundbreaking project named progenia is underway where the genes of local people are being studied to see if this region holds the answer to the way we age Eduardo is one of the key scientists so Eduardo tell me about about what you’re doing here uh we are studying the Aging of of humans we are a nice population to be studied for Aging for autoimmunity and for longevity so you are studying the traits that lead to longevity yes so or that contributes towards yeah that’s right this is the point who will benefit from the research I mean the entire population the world population because aging and problem related to aging affects everybody yes yes [Music] 6,000 volunteers aged from 18 through to 105 undergo routine checkups Eduardo and his fellow scientists are evaluating the way the aging process affects the immune system it’s mindboggling stuff the fact that you have a large group of people here in this area who miraculously live to a great age means you have a bigger pool of people to use as research yeah we are trying to collect their blood their genetic information and their immune system to Define and to see why they are so uh uh so uh long lived yeah so long lived exactly exactly it’s incredibly important work that’s happening it’s another world from that which I come from and it’s very interesting I’m very proud of the fact I have four grandparents and none of them died under the age of 90 can I take your blood it’s good though I always think it must mean that I’ve got good genetic good genetic characteristics I think it’s astonishing that such an important facility is in such a small place and it’s encouraged to happen here because of this particular genetic makeup of this island who would have thought that this little town has the potential poal to impact on us all although Sardinia has a record-breaking number of centenarians I didn’t expect to be here just as it gained another but as the final part of my journey takes me back towards ceri I’ve come to the nearby town of settimo San Petro where I’ve been invited to join photographers Pino and Angela as they photograph one man’s momentous day it’s an opportunity I’m certainly not going to miss this is our centenarian Angelo who’s going in to celebrate with mass in [Music] church he’s in good form for H isn’t he I was saying we all want to look like that when we’re 100 maybe we s less facial hair but otherwise exactly like [Music] that I used to go to mass every Sunday with the rest of my family and until I was [Music] 19 it is still something I enjoy doing today whenever I get the [Music] opportunity that was really nice it’s very cheering to see a 100-year-old man surrounded by many friends and family by so much affection and goodwi it’s a long time since I’ve been to mass and I’ve enjoyed it so [Music] much the entire town has turned out to Mark the occasion and the respect being shown for Angelo is incredibly moving there’s a lovely cake there’s lots of people here to celebrate a few people in traditional costume he’s a popular man he’s lived 100 years they live 100 more [Music] [Music] these is great grand children I can still clearly remember the celebrations when my own great-grandmother reached 100 with all of us grandchildren around her being here in Sardinia obviously makes me think that my family and my beloved grandmother particularly my non NAIT who I miss every single day of my life she didn’t make it to 100 I wish he’d had it’s a great comfort to me that she Lord pleas saw my daughter I can only imagine how lovely it is for all these great grandchildren to know their great grandfather too it’s a really nice occasion and it’s one that I consider myself very very lucky to have been a part of [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] they’re incredibly friendly here incredibly hospitable I feel very tan not quite as Sardinian as maybe I should maybe it’s part of my culture I should embrace a bit further [Music] before I leave Sardinia I receive some welcome news about my own Sardinian family Salvatore from the archive registry has made a discovery about my darling [Music] Nona this is the end of my Sardinian Journey this is where my grandmother Pit’s Journey begin [Music] this is where she was born and I thought I’d make a pilgrimage just to have one last contact with my [Music] nor I’ve left behind sardinia’s vast landscapes in search of some of Italy’s smaller Islands there are many more lesser known discoveries off the mainland begging to be explored each one distinctly different from the exclusive shores of isia in the Bay of Naples to the remote aolian islands of Selena and finally fiki a place that will always be special to me but first I’m heading to a legendary idle the Sunkissed glamour of CI to me this is the original Island Retreat capr is well known as a magnet for intellectuals artists filmstars writers it started off as a fishing Village and it has become much much more than that it’s a place I’m longing to explore more as a child my grandfather would take us out on his boat but he hated moing here I can remember my excitement at being allowed once to drop for ice cream Capri is known as the most glamorous of all the Italian Islands I haven’t been here for years when I was last here I think it was very different for how it is today Caple has been famous as a summer holiday destination since Roman times with its attractive blend of mythical history Glitz and relaxed Mediterranean rhythms all as Stones Throw from the mainland but the Island’s golden years were the 1950s and 60s when the Hollywood Jet Set descended for work and for pleasure it was a Haven for the likes of brigit Baux Elizabeth Taylor and Clark Gable for a beu island Just 4 mil long the beguiling Limestone Cliffs of Capri still manag to seduce the Rich and Famous super yor Glide in and out of the most expensive Marina in Italy and the streets gleam with designer shop fronts but among the big labels there’s one original store that all of Hollywood’s glitterati have been to over the years a place that epitomizes Capri’s glamour I’m met the world famous cfor out of Capri but someone who loves shoes like me this is an institution cuz it was here from when Capri was a fishing Village and it’s still owned by the same family pop into this modish shop and you’ll discover a family at work costanzo is at the helm today making sandals the same way his grandfather did nearly 70 years ago my grandfather started the business in 1946 and he had the idea to make a sandal that was not only leather but uh be jeweled with corals with stones so making what is now called The Capri sandals Amadeo set the standard for sandal making and garnered quite a reputation I know obviously your lips have to be sealed about your current customers but what about some of the ones who are no longer with us well uh think about Jaclyn Kennedy M Granda made sandals for a and the first time she came it was midnight and the store was was open only forever how Chic everybody from Grace Kelly to Princess Margaret coveted these made to measure [Music] sandals so why do you think you have managed to survive as a business when so many others have gone by the wayside because of the passion uh we used to make our work my grandfather gave this passion to his uh daughters and then uh uh to us that’s beautiful why don’t you try them out I thought he’d never ask they are lovely so if you wait uh 10 minutes we’re going to make for you thank you how exciting these sandals can cost up to 400 but sometimes you just have to indulge it’s only initially that you get spoke sandal made goodness so Chic to think that I’m Tiding in the footsteps of Jackie Kennedy thank you very much I’m absolutely thrilled with them I do feel very CI [Music] glamorous during summer Capri heaves with tourists arriving by ferry from nearby Naples all Wonder to experience this millionaires playground but behind the glitz and glamour a community of 12,000 Capra still live here and work here all year round and some of them are involved in a crucial project as much of Capri is inaccessible by car I’m taking the carolino up into the hills to a little known Beauty Spot overlooking the port I’ve come to meet a group that call themselves Capri is mine [Music] too these volunteers are reclaiming the Island’s Heritage they’ve been unearthing Capri’s lost treasures and restoring them for the locals and tourists to enjoy once again salino [Music] [Music] tonino the group’s founder is a capresa who seen his Island’s Beauty gradually decay it only took 15 minutes to transform this place and so he decided then and there that they had to start reclaiming Capri and the bits that had been left abandoned and it’s amazing the kind of support that he’s managed to go on abide the community a 40 strong team have now joined tonino in his crusade to restore buildings like this one the Glorious V F built by a French Baron who was living in Exile on the island the Magnificent seven-bedroom Villa and its sweeping views were left to ruin until recently Mimi is the oldest of the group who by the way turns 80 today happy birthday thank you very much when Mimi was young these Gardens were like a playground after the count died his sister inherited it and um once a year she would throw a party and they would invite all the children of the area CH [Music] me and 70 years on not much has [Music] [Applause] [Music] changed my encounter with this island is brief and yet I’ve managed to discover the two very different and equally char coming sides to [Music] CI obviously there’s more to capry than meets the eye a casual visitor would never know how much is happening here they might arrive at the Port come off have an ice cream get back on the boat again there’s a real Community here and they’re all incredibly proud of their Island it shows look what they’re prepared to do to preserve the natural beauties of it it’s been 20 years since my last visit but it won’t be that long until my [Music] next CI has a big sister in the Bay of Naples a more rugged less discovered Island one that might not be as famous but is considered by many to be even more beautiful this is isia I don’t know it very well I haven’t been here since I was a child I’d only ever come with my grandfather on his boat and only ever went ashore to buy food looking forward to exploring it more you can reach isia from Naples in just 40 minutes and yet day Trippers often overlook this volcanic [Music] island but the absence of crowds makes it a delight to explore there are peaceful towns sleep harbors and world famous healing thermal [Music] bars isia is known as the Green Island of the Mediterranean because of its abundant Flora blessed with a mild and dry climate parts of it feel like a Horticultural paradise and right at the center of it all is what I think is ‘s biggest attraction one of the most enchanting Gardens in Europe La Morella was the Masterpiece of 20th century English composer Sir William Walton and his Argentinian wife Susanna the couple moved here from England in 1949 to reawaken Williams musical senses Alexandra is the head Gardener here and was a great friend of the late lady Walton she always said William needed a place where he could find rest and also resolve his composition problems so she created the Lower Garden to create use the word a cocon for him a place where he could really find inspiration for his music I think this Garden really reflects the personality of Susanna and it is full of passion full of love it is a story of love and it shows in every corner every plant for her was worth her attention her love and her care and this is a great great lesson here you will find rare tropical plants and dense leafy foliage thriving around spectacular fountains the Walton certainly left their mark on this island they made isia their own and without sounding too ridiculously romantic there is still a feeling of enormous affection that remains here given the sea all around it you’d expect the culinary highlight of this island to be fish but to find out the real story you have to go completely off the Beaten Track into the Pine forested Hills where you’ll discover an isan institution hi hi welcome for please very nice thank you thank you so much F run by Ricardo is a restaurant beloved by locals and frequented by tourists and celebrities all Keen to try the historic dish of the island Cornelio or as we understand it rabbit I’m really interested because this is an island obviously and yet rabbit is one of the dishes of the island it sounds strange yes it does but it’s not every island has a different identity rabbit is tradition and typic food on my Island and nobody must say the opposite it’s a real Family Affair here are all your children involved in the business yes I have six girls and two boys two boys are in the kitchen Sylvia the eldest is agronomist Sylvia Farms their own rabbits from caves here the free range way before they are used in a traditional recipe it’s a dish that I love I’m so excited because I never eat rabbit at home five ingredients tomato wine garlic spices what spices ah sorry I’m sorry I’m how silly of me there is the secret secr there is the suspension a suspense yes of course this dish connects four generations of Ricardo’s family delicious I’m so excited there’s an etiquette to eating rabbit that even I knew nothing about all the pieces of the rabbit are all different everybody at the table had their specific part of the rabbit according to their standing now I give you the best the mo not the best the most important patriarcha what piece is this it’s the back side the best thigh the more important so may I try yes bra bra bra [Music] Bim it’s absolutely delicious I love anything you get to eat your fingers partly because it’s sexy and partly because you just feel closer to the production of it since ever we cook in this way it’s worth a wait but there’s a sting in the tail to this ancient peasant dish now attention what I’m going to say that because it could s found not elegant not nice but it’s true in The Peasant family lady ate lost I didn’t eat rabbit at all they didn’t eat thankfully Ricardo doesn’t turn away his female diners but he has managed to maintain a passion for preserving this dish that’s so unique to isia [Music] a short bus ride from the port is isia Ponte a Seaside settlement that is the favorite place to stay for many tourists and dominating this part of the island is isia’s most visited attraction perched on a rocky eyet is the medieval Aragon Castle walking across its bridge feels like a journey back to the Middle Ages you can spend hours exploring the relics of centuries of foreign occupation and if you visit the Crypt of the old Cathedral you may come across a team of women who are at work restoring its ancient frescos and that’s because this isn’t just a [Music] castle this is the European Institute of restoration here visitors can Marvel at some of the world’s old oldest and most important historical artifacts being lovingly restored Analisa has been here since the first precious Caro arrived watching this very very calm procedures and these beautiful ladies I mean this is what you’d like to imagine restoration to be like I’m sure it isn’t always relics from all over Europe arrive here each year to undergo months of painstaking [Music] restoration this is from the 1600s it’s very exciting it gives me shivers of [Music] excitement the only man who is in the sarcophagus they’re only women because women are more patient and more delicate and more dedicated have a greater eye for detail who would ever have thought this unassuming and unpretentious Island would play such a significant role in world [Music] [Music] history she says she has such a sense of responsibility that she can barely sleep at night so exciting to hear this I mean I’ve got nothing to do with this world but I feel very very privileged to be here wow wow it’s amazing coming to this Castle I didn’t expect to be as impressed as I am but once again it’s a example of the passion that isia inspires I suppose and I didn’t expect isia to leave such an impression on me the Bay of Naples has been fascinating but perhaps the least known islands of all still lie ahead I’ve traveled south to Sicily’s Northeastern coast and the tip of Italy’s toe where the aolian islands lie the seven remote islands are Italy’s best kept secret a unesc protected piece of paradise the oan islands are kind of the Last Frontier of Italy so few people know who visit here even for Italians are pretty unknown partly CA us so hard to get to I often made the long journey here during my years of living in Rome with my boyfriend at the time it is an effort to get here but when you do you are amply repaid it’s incredibly unspoiled incredibly beautiful you feel like you’re coming somewhere incredibly special and somewhere secret and magical some of these islands still remain a mystery to me I’m on Selena very different from the others it stays green all year round she very fertile and very alive very powerful Selena shaped by two extinct volcanoes is the only island in the archipelago to have its own natural freshwater Springs this combined with its volcanic soil makes for exceptional growing conditions it’s a trait that the island is famous for and the produce grow here deserves to be explored Clara is a proud Salin who knows every bit of this island so Clara you’re from this island yes I was born here in malfa in Selena what has kept you all these years why have you never left it’s so beautiful how can you live I didn’t know Selena before this is the first time I’ve been here and it strikes me that this is so fertile it’s so green compared to the other Islands yes it is here always there’s been lot of Agriculture and we have more than seven Vineyards they make a beautiful wine cla’s taking me to meet enrio who spent his life working the rugged terrain of this Hillside Vineyard apparently this is nothing because in the old days they used to go all the way up Mountain Side The Vineyards and they used to work them just with a spade before even a tractor was in you know involved so he thinks that this is all Child’s Play There is a glut of ingredients to be found here but the one I’m really interested in is a certain type of Vine that produces a very special wine called malvia the prosperity of Selena is built upon yes it is it was from the 18th century because they have many selling boat and they were exporting Mal over the world nothing tells the historical story of Selen better than this sweet wine which reverse Selena’s fortunes as a dirty poor island it was discovered by British soldiers fighting Napoleon who couldn’t get enough of this Tipple suddenly the island was a thriving agricultural Hub and you couldn’t move for Vineyards enrio produces about 20,000 bottles of malvasia wine a year and for about £15 you can take one home to enjoy well hard work deserves reward chining Chin Chin Chin gra very very smooth and not too sweet and look at this beautiful color you know malvasia is the Triumph of Selena but it’s no longer all that the Island’s Prosperity is built upon Walkers hiking around the island will notice an abundance of Caper trees some say the ones grown here are the best in the world the Islanders even celebrate the fact each year with a festival dedicated to this precious little bud the Caper plantations here are fascinating taking the RS from his great-grandfather’s business Roberto rosello manages this one near the stunning Bay of polar the Caper might seem like a humble ingredient but as astonishingly there are over 130 varieties every summer Roberto has to preserve his entire Year’s Harvest which takes an inordinate quantity of salt for the cook that’s still a lot of salt but Roberto has the best advice to share that’s something else I didn’t know that before using them you shouldn’t just rinse them you should soak them for a day and change the water three or four times I’ve never done that it’s not often that you get to see how produce makes its way from picking to plate and after this I’ll spare a thought for poor Roberto so he spends the whole of the first part of the summer sobbing in this room crying his eyes out agriculture dominates day-to-day life here and even though it is the second largest of the oan islands much of Selena happily still feels Untouched by tourism but Among The Vineyards it is possible to find a glamorous Retreat that caters to the more Discerning traveler in the peaceful Village of malfa in the heart of Salen is Hotel senum a collection of farmhouses that blends old and new it feels as if this hotel perfectly fits the place it’s quite stalk and minimalist without being in any way modernist there’s lovely Terraces and all of it bleached out by this pretty unforgiving Sun but aside from the beautiful Simplicity of its Decor the hotel has managed to make use of the islands produce in every conceivable way they’ve also made with their local Capers a a caper body scrub a face mask a face serum and a body lotion I’m going to try the face mask never let it be said that I’m not game sorry guys also completely without being able to see what I’m doing how do I look I feel devastatingly sexy at the moment I never for one moment imagined I’d be sampling the therapeutic benefits of Capers how do I look well my skin feels incredibly soft and doesn’t smell too much of Capers so it’s all to the good [Music] but perhaps you need to be a diard caper lover to try one of the hotel’s Signature Desserts Caper ice cream I’m not sure whether I’m looking forward to this but I can only give it a [Music] go interesting Slightly bizarre [Music] [Music] Capers are an acquired taste I don’t know if I’ve quite acquired enough of a taste have Caper ice cream the ice cream was a new experience for me in fact the whole of Selena has helped me see these islands from A New Perspective I’ve been so surprised by what I’ve seen today here in Selena I I’ve heard of it as the Green Island but I didn’t expect it to be this green this fertile however over there that heavily pregnant Sleeping Lady that’s my aolan Island that’s really Coy I haven’t been there for 14 years and I can’t wait to get back it’s a mere 20-minute journey across the cobalt blue Seas to my final destination filiki but in truth it feels like another [Laughter] world I mean it’s not very far away from civilization but it feels like the outer edge of the Known World here there’d be dragons I spent many Summers here during my younger years with my boyfriend at the time when I lived in Rome and I lived with Luca this was where he used to take his holidays and this was the view that I used to have breakfast to in the mornings it’s very strange to be back much has changed in my life since I was last on filiki but standing here now evokes some reassuringly familiar feelings I definitely feel the same magic as I used to feel on this island I was very very happy whenever I came to fudi and I’m very very happy now so to that extent I do feel exactly the same I couldn’t come to phiki without returning to one of my favorite spots on the island Pini am these amazing creatures are called valel and they’re from the jellyfish family and here the locals friy them and eat them and they also eat them [Applause] raw it tastes like the sea I love this beach I love how smooth the stones are I’ve got a stack of these in London and I’m going to take another one home this time I wilded away many an afternoon at this remote little spot that was my favorite restaurant 14 years ago we used to come here all the time for raw fish it’s just Charming it doesn’t try too hard the surroundings are incredible and particularly out of season why would you want to be anywhere else here a specialty is the most simple yet Sublime almond spaghetti I’m really looking forward to eating here again I can’t believe it’s been 14 years since I last sat here that’s M this is a local dish again um I don’t think you’d eat it anywhere else in the world I remember why I like this place so much I’ve always felt that you can truly switch off from Life on filiki houses are few and far between electricity and water only arrived on the island 30 years ago and even today When Storms lash down the locals are prone to days of isolation from the rest of the world but for some of the residents here that sense of Detachment is the real appeal phyi in a way feels quite Lawless as if you can do anything you want just the fact that so few people live here there’s only about 250 300 people live here all year round and it’s a big island it tracks people who are trying to escape from the ordinary run of the world people like local artist Madina 25 years ago she came to fiki in search of an escape from the chaos and Corruption of her home in Naples Vista let’s see do and she found it in a [Music] cave how much work did this Take Years Years everything here has been fashioned from Marina’s bare [Music] hands and I love all your lights Bella Ana I love this I made them it’s my job I prefer to use a piece uh of something that I find around in the island on the beach or also in the mountain so everything you have in here you brought up that path up the steps you must be so fit yes in the years over the years but it’s not just energy you need I think it takes a certain strength of character to live here the first four months I was without electricity and then after 10 years finally I had uh water you must need to like your own company I learned you learned to be happy in your own yeah lesson for us all I must say romantic though the idea is I’m so glad I’m not living there I wouldn’t last a year slepping up and down this path it’s a lovely idea but not for me for the adventure traveler it’s possible to experience the wild beauty of this island from the water and if you’re lucky you may be treated to a rare [Music] sight Monica is a marine biologist she runs a rescue unit for marine Turtles but she also runs boat trips for those hoping to explore the abundance of sea life here tell Monica nice to meet you I’m Alex mon okay M the aolian islands are colonized by Dolphins but Monica is researching a species that is rarely seen here the bottl nose fingers crossed that we see them today it’s been a year since you last caught sight of these creatures so I’m not holding out too much hope only 38 bottl noos dolphins exist around all the oan islands making them an endangered species sadly this doesn’t feel like it’s going to be our day we didn’t find Dolphins today but boat is still the best way to see fudi in fact it’s the best way to see any Island as far as I’m concerned but just as we’ve given up hope Monica spot [Music] something yay woo wow wow don’t not don’t see of it yeah wonderful they are my my dogies it’s very rare to sit down while I see you before [Music] yeah course has lots of them astonishingly Monica can identify every one of these Dolphins from their distinctive Dorsal fins oh look it’s just there you are very lucky I’ve can’t believe how calm they are and how many there are of them Al together it’s really really [Music] exciting go gosh well I didn’t think we were going to get to see this so I feel very very lucky sorry for my click clicking away with her camera she can’t believe it either I’ve seen Dophin before but I’ve never seen so many or so close these are just hanging [Music] out I can think of few other Mornings in my life like this one you could tell from Monica’s excitement how rare it is to see bottlenose dolphins she said she hadn’t seen them for a year that’s why she took photo after photo after photo I feel incredibly lucky to have been with her when she saw them again feels like a once in a lifetime experience it’s been incredible traveling around Italy’s minor Islands spending time on these much smaller very distinctive communities has just strengthened my belief that Island life is [Music] unique I think it takes a particular kind of person to live on an island it’s a life of extremes it’s a life of extreme Beauty and extreme solitude ude and wild stormy seas I’ve seen an enormous amount of community spirit and passion and pride on every island I’ve been which is admirable you have to make your own Society on an island and that’s something that it would be nice to replicate elsewhere and to see me off fiki is treating me to a spectacular sight absolutely incredible I still love this place and I still think it’s got something so special about it that nowhere else I’ve ever been in the world can touch when you travel this far south there is no shortage of iconic Beauty spots in fact here you’ll discover some of the cleanest Sapphire seas and sandy beaches in the country but I think the whole character of Italy begins to change and the region of pulia found at the heel of the country’s boot has its own very distinctive identity with its Lush Farmland magical trui sparkling whitewash towns sin seering climate Pula somehow feels nearer to The Wilds of nearby Greece than the nobility of distant [Music] Rome this Region’s mile upon mile of arid Farmland reflects its humble agricultural past and today it’s famous for its produce which includes exceptionally good [Music] wine but deep in the heart of of rural pulia you’ll find a vineyard with a difference where the wine is a reminder of the South’s most Sinister side it’s no secret that Italy has a serious problem with the mafia and this corner of the country has felt the force of it more than most here there is a constant invisible threat of organized crime but there are Grassroots organizations now fighting it [Music] frante is part of an anti-mafia Cooperative named Liberia both inspiring and courageous its aim is to bring good from land that has been confiscated from the mafia The Cooperative organically Farms the land here and they’ve built up a reputation for award-winning wines even though there is a terrifying tension over what the Mafia might do next the biggest problem when they started was that no one would work for them because they were scared it’s a pretty frightening reality to live with but in a show of support for the anti-af movement people now queue up to work here Among The Vineyards like head agronomist Fabio does [Music] nevertheless standing here at the entrance to the chapel where reputedly the mafia used to initiate new members it’s difficult not to be cowed by the sobering history behind these wines [Music] f [Music] the names they call these wines honor the memories of victims of the mafia but they do not bang on about it of course they think it’s important to present a font against the mafia but first of all they want people to buy their products because they’re stupendous while the war against the everpresent mafia is still being fought I think this is a beautiful way to pay tribute to its victims and a hint that there’s much more than meets the eye to the surprising South [Music] there are parts of the region of pulia that have a distinctly foreign feel and to understand why you need to look to its past the geography of the region made it right for Invasion and for centuries every major power of the period colonized Pula each country left a lasting Legacy on the landscape from the Turkish to the Greek but it’s the Baro beauty of the city of leche that makes it one of the most celebrated ated sites of the South for me leer is the jewel in pula’s Crown this is called the Florence of the South every single building in the historic Center is made out of the same local [Music] Stone you know the architecture changes so dramatically between the North and the South [Music] cities are more decaying and uh there’s a greater attrition of time in a way but they are romantic with the capital r these wonderful Barack facades that you won’t find anywhere else in the world a city of Golden Honey Hues lecher is becoming an increasingly popular part of Italy’s tourist Trail as visitors experience its relaxed Rhythm and laidback Cafe [Music] culture but for all its Grandeur it’s not the only example of pure architectural beauty that can be found in this [Music] region even the smallest towns can be visually striking my favorite being the little known Hillside town of loc Rotondo its Labyrinth of lanes have afforded it listed status as one of the most beautiful villages in Italy and deservedly so it is perfect it’s like this little [Music] jeel the impression is of very clean Beauty it’s the kind of place you dream of living to come across an unexpected gem like this which feels more connected to its Southern Mediterranean neighbors than to Italy is all part of the appeal of Pula it’s like a lot of little towns in Greece whitewashed to keep reflect the sun to keep the heat away white was also historically used to repel the plague don’t know how effective it was but it’s certainly pretty perched 400 m up the stunning Vista out across the Arid landscape is a reminder of how precious water is here and a reason for the distinct pitch roofs of the Town these roofs are called Keda and they’re very particular to this part of the world there’s very little rain here and so every single bit of rain water has to be harvested so that it can be reused and this design makes sure that it is an hour or two wandering these peaceful streets allows you to immerse yourself in its culture one that even now nods to its peasant par P here the butcher has always been at the heart of village life and it’s no different today inside you can indulge in the tradition of forelo pronto a concept that was born out of peasant life oh God my belly my poor fat belly for the butcher there was money to be made from their otherwise less appealing leftovers each day so that is pork okay so it’s a bit of the neck that has had the bone taken out of it is rolled with cheese in the middle they would Grill the meat for the locals in a Woodfired oven and serve it to them straight away in the shop The Village folk would save on charcoal and wood with the added bonus of enjoying an evening out with the neighbors [Music] finger looking good I mean I can’t say I believe it’s very dietetic but my goodness it’s good age-old Traditions like these were what brought people together in pula’s towns and Villages but some are more Curious than others spending time in pulia you may discover that the region has its own unique soundtrack It’s Not Unusual to happen upon a crowd of people dancing maniacally to the frenzied rhythm of tambourines and [Music] violins this is a folk dance known as a Piza fast fonetic and hypnotic the Piza deres from a centuries old concoction of Faith healing and peasant culture [Music] [Applause] [Music] this devilish dance was thought to have been the only way to banish the poison of a tarantula bite it’s almost like an exorcism a musical catharsis it can go on for hours [Music] the Piza music is merely a hint of the rich history and folklore of the [Music] region head the iconic truly District around Lo Rondo and it’s likely you’ll be met by the atmospheric sights and sounds of its people women like are the real Spirit of pul grella lives in a trulo a curious beehive shaped house that you only find here these fairy tale looking structures have peppered this landscape for the last 5,000 years today most have been converted into shishi bmbs and Holiday Homes but grella has lived in her true law for most of her life no Years of Living with our in-laws well it’s lucky times are different in a land where Cuisine is King P’s cuchina po peasant cooking is legendary fa beans have fed the poor here for hundreds of years 500 kilos of these they H and her husband and she’s 80 by the way took a week to harvest so as evening entertainment when it’s raining or when they’re sitting by the fire they sit there and they take off the hard [Music] skin [Applause] no for okay these have got to be placed into boiling water for 5 minutes the time to say a Catholic Credo and then they are spread out in the sun on the fields to become completely dry to then have this work done to them at which point they will be ready to be cooked so next time you have a bean salad think of that [Music] a stapled dish here is the classic fa Bean puree she is mashing up the fa beans with a bit of potato boiled potato as well and some olive oil and that is it she’s just got the technique look at that the more you beat them the smoother and the whiter the paste becomes in the old days she used to make this every single day so she must have done it thousand times in her life she’s getting tired she says it’s not like used to [Music] beab this is a Poor People’s dish she says uh this this is a dish that you can always eat this part of my adventure has been unexpected but the further I head in to this remote part of Italy the more rugged rustic and surreal it [Music] becomes a world away from the Sun bleached fairy tale landscape of Pula the heart of southern Italy is eaten up by the Majestic expanse of the country’s largest National Park Monte poino here the sublime scenery is a complete surprise to me the vast landscape stretches across the regions of Calabria and basilicata its imposing Peaks wooded glends and rushing streams retain an ancient rugged charm still yet to be tainted by mass tourism it is an Undiscovered treasure for many Italians too the park is peppered with several sleepy Villages and small towns many of them with an intriguing history this one the peaceful town of chivita hints at why this part of the country has a distinctly foreign [Music] feel Pepe is a guide to the local area good morning good morning how are you the albanians crossed the Adriatic Sea 500 years ago fleeing the Ottoman Empire they settled in vintages throughout poino bringing their culture with [Music] them a quiet stroll around chivita makes for a great start to the day but its positioning within the park also makes it a gateway to the Wilderness [Music] Beyond 200,000 blessing the Epic vistas of Monte poino are an adventurers playground apparently there’s extreme mountain biking here there’s canyoning there’s rafting and there’s free climbing or for the more Sentry amongst us there is merely marveling at The View but if that wasn’t appealing enough you can also discover an abundance of wildlife here from golden eagles to a few shy wolves and a band of feral mountain goats [Music] for [Music] I’ve got no idea how they get up there or more importantly how you’d get down it’s pretty inhospitable place to live but for some the remoteness of the park make it an idilic place to call [Music] home and for Carpenter quido the abundance of w all around offers a perfect if unexpected way to make a [Music] [Music] living from the piece of his Workshop in the wilderness using locally sourced wood quirino a musician himself handcrafts what looks like a complicated cousin of the Scottish bag pipes [Music] [Music] spe [Music] [Applause] I really wasn’t expecting to find this [Music] here and such an enchanting sound [Music] [Applause] yes it’s party music you can tell from the kind of beat that it’s music people to dance to uh particularly couples and I’m must saying I was tapping away with my foot to me Italy is like a rich tapestry each region another colorful patch on the quilt basilicata is no exception it’s one of the least populated least visited and least understood regions in the country one of the smallest too but hidden in this remote arid landscape is one of the most intriguing places I’ve ever been to the ancient city of Mata is both haunting and beautiful [Music] I came here on my honeymoon and I’ve longed to uncover more of its enchanting Secrets ever since I love [Music] Mata it’s one of the first continuously inhabited sites in Europe and so it’s got this immense resonance and history which I find most appealing it’s a very Timeless landscape and it’s unusual that you have so little modern that intrudes into your Consciousness I mean this is one of the glories of Italy and if you haven’t seen it you really should come walking through its atmospheric streets it’s easy to feel like you’ve stepped back in time it’s almost been [Music] biblical today it’s hard to imagine that not so long ago Mata was known as The Shame of Italy in the 1950s families were crammed into its cave houses living along livestock with no running water or sanitation in abject poverty the swallow and malaria ridion conditions became a national Scandal the entire population of 20,000 people were forcefully relocated to new housing projects leaving it an empty shell a ghost [Music] town Franchesco has some astonishing memories of Mata Francisco what’s your connection to this place it’s a very strong connection all my family was born here I was born here as well and uh ancestors going back to time Century after Century or my family was from here and so I have a very strong relation to Mata this area was completely abandoned where I was born after when I was 20 years old and so I used to come here because it was everything was deserted was a big ghost town and for a kid for a teenager it was like a big playground so I was feeling like a little Indiana Jones with all friends of mine and as everything was uh for us to know and to explore and to discover there was nobody around just as this is the part of the historic City this is the newer bit though isn’t it this is the newer the newest part of the Old Town yes so when was when do it I mean when was it it got back to the 1400 1400 so 600 years ago roughly go and that so that’s the new bit and the old bit they are the caves and they are thousands of years old and all the caves that are hidden beyond the buildings they that back 10,000 years ago 6,000 years ago so in every house people sleep in the same place of their ancestor of 10,000 years ago which is quite amazing until recently the caves remained damp derelict and abandoned but now Mata has emerged from the Dark Shadows of its recent past in the ’90s UNESCO declared it a world heritage site and since then there has been a complete Renaissance in the fortunes of this National Treasure these War my Grand parents home where my mother was born as well now he a hotel room gosh would this have been for one family yes that’s correct and there were just three people my my grandparents and my mother was it in a terrible State when you got your hands on it again yes it was in a very terrible State I still have the pictures everything was black on on the ceiling there was rabbish around the place it’s like you felt like you in Pompei that’s that alve yes and this is the ceiling is the ceiling with now it’s painted there was a big fire here that’s why everything is black in the picture there was a big fire during the abandoned time this was taken in uh 1952 oh my go and you can see all the clothes hanging people and old woman chatting the little C the wheelbarrows yes and this is just 20 years later a everything is abandoned unbelievable yes it was like this till the ’90s it’s astonishing It’s a Wonderful comparison now one of these lady was my grandmother and they had to leave [Music] how did your grandparents feel when they had to move out well most people of their generation they were quite quite happy to move because we were the shame of Italy the disgrace of Italy so they were happy to move to new neighborhoods they were modern and so they just abandoned them it was my generation to understand the value that we were losing as this was not just the disgrace of Italy it was an incredible Heritage that we were losing and it’s not a coincidence that in their generation Mata was the shame and the disgrace of Italy in my generation is a world heritage everything has changed and now we do understand that what the the Italy thought it was a shame was just a picture of a very long film yes that which is going on and has been going on for 10,000 years and will last for 10,000 years [Music] more Mata may be Europe’s most dramatic story of rebirth t forests are now flooding back to the city but this is not a landscape that’s been blemished by Modern Life luxury hotels are concealed within its honeycomb of caves I’m told that nothing can quite prepare you for a visit to Lego de laita a luxury hotel with a difference so tell me a bit how long this hotel has been here and the idea behind it the idea is to preserve the history the cultural uh tradition of the places and the uh people from this place these case were abandoned in the 50s and now it’s possible to come back and leave this atmosphere this ancient feeling of the past it took 10 years to restore these ancient caves into 18 Boutique bedrooms wow this is lovely very [Music] beautiful look at that view as well it’s amazing I mean it’s very rarely that I’m Blown Away by somewhere but this is completely blown me away it’s romantic and it’s done with just such Immaculate Immaculate taste the lighting the furniture the linen and the candles everywhere and and and and it’s just really very nice so let’s should we and these caves were just houses houses for peasant and uh for poor people they used to live with animals with donkeys and now it’s completely different we tried to restore this Cav in the most authentic way possible it’s lovely to see something that has been restored so lovingly and so carefully and that is kind of quite true still to certain elements of how things used to be [Music] go I’ve always felt that you should be able to wake up in a hotel and know exactly where you are in the world but this is something [Music] else makes me very dissatisfied with my current living [Music] arrangements it really is is amazing I can’t think of a hotel that’s captured my imagination more actually but Mata is a city of two extremes as I’m about to discover until 25 years ago the southern Italian city of Mata was a desolate deserted and dirty secret of Italy it was called Italy’s shame Mata um and it’s lovely to see it blossom into a pride of it today its Subterranean slums have become a luxury destination unlike any other in the country and Mata is now fated around the [Music] world but what’s less celebrated outside of the city is the annual Festival the centuries old Feast of the Madonna de la Bruna in a workshop in the Heart of the City the finishing touches are being applied to a lovingly handmade float it forms the scent piece of the Festa the float is a real work of art built out of papier masche and decorated with ornaments and statues of saints it takes 4 months to design build and decorate at a cost of about €25,000 [Music] but for all its Glory this masterpiece always meets an ugly end in the days leading up to the Festa no one in the city sleeps Italians love a Festa and this is one of the more impressive ones that I’ve ever heard about I’ve never seen it before it’s all tied up with a historic religious significance but it’s become more than that it’s become a sign of pride not just in your region but in your specific town or city I believe they going to be 60,000 people here tonight I ask specifically to be removed from the crowd because quite honestly I’ve never seen more armed police than a rather violent football match I mean they’re they’re three deep the police down there I don’t know what they think is going to happen but they’re obviously prepared for the worst it may be little known outside of Mata but this Festa is a very big deal to the people [Applause] [Music] here do you think it would be wrong to do a [Music] selfie look now quite a lick is coming it all looks terribly unsafe the float makes a ritual journey through Central Mata teasing and dividing the crowds as it passes the twinkling decorations before returning to the square to meet its ultimate fate it’s the tension is definitely building what can I say they are putting their helmets on I think that is a sign that they expect something to happen quite soon oh my God all the guys are trying to get already preparing to get over the barricade oh my God it’s so [Music] [Applause] excited here they come here they come [Music] oh my God the Bing crowds have set upon the Chariot like wild animals it’s a right of Destruction a frenzy of religious devotion look they’re Gathering trophies they’re Gathering [Applause] trophies taking home any piece of the float is thought to bring good luck and the competition is ferocious [Applause] look at the guy holding an angel a full height Angel W oh my God oh my [Applause] God look at him with Jesus [Music] in less than 70 seconds the wreckage is complete the float is nothing more than a carcass a skeleton of its former self four months of this artist’s work of creating this flow to have gone in seconds [Applause] this Festival is a fitting finale to my Italian [Music] travels I consider myself incredibly fortunate to have had the opportunity to step outside of my everyday life and experience the length and breadth of a country that means so much to [Music] me I’ve borrowed into its great cities [Music] immersed myself in its Rich culture and Revisited the people and places that are so dear to me Alex hi darling and what’s become more and more apparent to me is there something wonderful something unusual something unexpected around every corner there’s so much to Italy there’s this huge interior that very few relatively speaking still discover which is a shame because there’s so many jewels here culinary architectural historical you could keep coming back here for 20 years and always find something [Music] new but more than anything this trip has allowed me to learn about myself when I was younger I always used to think that as an Italian I felt rather too loud and too emotional for England when I came to Italy I was considered very British now I feel as if I’ve Got The Best of Both Worlds how lucky I am to have such a rich jeel Heritage it’s kind of strengthened my ties to Italy again it’s reminded me of why I feel Italian and what I love about it so much here it’s very hard not to love Italy I always have but it’s nice to be reminded of why [Music] [Music]