0:00:04 > 0:00:07I'm embarking on a new railway adventure
0:00:07 > 0:00:09that will take me across the heart of Europe.
0:00:11 > 0:00:15I'll be using this, my Bradshaw's Continental Railway Guide
0:00:15 > 0:00:17dated 1913,
0:00:17 > 0:00:22which opened up an exotic world of foreign travel for the British tourist.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26It told travellers where to go, what to see
0:00:26 > 0:00:31and how to navigate the thousands of miles of tracks criss-crossing the continent.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34Now, a century later, I'm using my copy
0:00:34 > 0:00:38to reveal an era of great optimism and energy,
0:00:38 > 0:00:42where technology, industry, science and the arts were flourishing.
0:00:42 > 0:00:46I want to rediscover that lost Europe
0:00:46 > 0:00:48that in 1913 couldn't know
0:00:48 > 0:00:53that its way of life would shortly be swept aside by the advent of war.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15This new journey occurs in one of my favourite countries - Italy.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17La Bella Italia.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19I'll be crossing its northern plain
0:01:19 > 0:01:22and with my Bradshaw's, hoping to find out how things stood
0:01:22 > 0:01:25on the eve of the First World War
0:01:25 > 0:01:30in this region of factories, Fiats, fashion and infatuation.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37My Italian travels begin in the Piedmont region,
0:01:37 > 0:01:40where I will visit the city of Turin,
0:01:40 > 0:01:45from where I'll travel into Lombardy to another major northern city, Milan.
0:01:45 > 0:01:47Away from the urban sprawls,
0:01:47 > 0:01:50Como and its famous Lake will be my third stop
0:01:50 > 0:01:54before I visit the romantic city of Verona.
0:01:54 > 0:01:58The journey will end in the east, on the islands of Venice.
0:01:58 > 0:02:02I explore some of the great passions of Italy,
0:02:02 > 0:02:05from Milan's material magic...
0:02:05 > 0:02:09Being measured for a suit in Italy is more like being measured for a body cast.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12- Cinquanta cinque.- Mm-hm.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15..to the extraordinary diversity of Italian cookery.
0:02:15 > 0:02:19That looks a bit like a Ravioli?
0:02:19 > 0:02:23- Agnolotti!- Sorry.- Agnolotti del plin! - Yeah, yeah, it's different.
0:02:23 > 0:02:25I find out how the Edwardian traveller discovered
0:02:25 > 0:02:27a love of the high life.
0:02:27 > 0:02:32A traveller with my Bradshaw's guide in 1913 could have gone up in a plane
0:02:32 > 0:02:35- and seen this wonderful view? - Absolutely.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37And on the Grand Canal,
0:02:37 > 0:02:41I hear about the amorous conquests of Venice's most famous son.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44Casanova loved women. He only had a 130 lovers.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47- That's extremely moderate! - Absolutely.
0:02:49 > 0:02:51Viva Italia!
0:02:55 > 0:02:58My first stop will be Turin - Torino in Italian.
0:02:58 > 0:03:05Bradshaw says that from 1860 to 1865 it was the capital of the Kingdom of Italy.
0:03:05 > 0:03:09I'd like to know how the city held that privileged position
0:03:09 > 0:03:13and why it hugged the limelight for so short a period.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19When Bradshaw's guide was written in 1913,
0:03:19 > 0:03:21Italy was still a very young country.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23Until just a few decades earlier,
0:03:23 > 0:03:28Turin's kingdom of Piedmont existed alongside a jumble of states
0:03:28 > 0:03:31controlled by competing European superpowers.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34One of the busiest stations in Italy,
0:03:34 > 0:03:40Turin's Stazione Centrale would have been the Edwardian traveller's first major stop in Italy.
0:03:41 > 0:03:47Construction began in 1861, a crucial date in Italy's history.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03This magnificent chamber
0:04:03 > 0:04:06with its paintings and mirrors and chandeliers
0:04:06 > 0:04:10was the waiting room for the royal family of Italy.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13And their majesties then just had the briefest of excursions
0:04:13 > 0:04:16from here to their waiting train.
0:04:16 > 0:04:20I sometimes get a little bit excited about using the first class lounge at Paddington,
0:04:20 > 0:04:24where you get a free cup of coffee and a biscuit.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28But it's not just royalty who are catered for in this station.
0:04:28 > 0:04:32There's also a plaque honouring British railway pioneers
0:04:32 > 0:04:35Giorgio and Roberto Stephenson,
0:04:35 > 0:04:37"who perfected the locomotive,
0:04:37 > 0:04:42"opening new trade routes to the advantage of the brotherhood of peoples."
0:04:42 > 0:04:46Turin has been at the heart of Italian industry
0:04:46 > 0:04:48since my Bradshaw's was published,
0:04:48 > 0:04:50so I'm curious to find out
0:04:50 > 0:04:54how much of the old city centre described in my trusty guide remains.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57This lovely square is called the Piazza Castello,
0:04:57 > 0:05:00named after the sturdy castle,
0:05:00 > 0:05:02and Bradshaw's refers to the Palazzo Madama
0:05:02 > 0:05:05and the royal palace, the Palazzo Reale,
0:05:05 > 0:05:07which apparently dates from 1646.
0:05:07 > 0:05:09This is my first visit to Torino
0:05:09 > 0:05:12and I'd been expecting a city of factory chimneys
0:05:12 > 0:05:18and to find so much elegance and history is a very pleasant surprise.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21Located on the Po river at the foot of the Alps,
0:05:21 > 0:05:24Turin is a city with ancient roots.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26But it's known for one thing above all -
0:05:26 > 0:05:29it's the cradle of Italian liberty.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32Its first prime minister was Count Camillo di Cavour,
0:05:32 > 0:05:36who was an architect of the unification of Italy.
0:05:36 > 0:05:41To find out more, I'm meeting historian Silvia Cavicchioli.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43Who was Count Cavour?
0:05:43 > 0:05:48Cavour was one of the most important Italian politicians during the 19th century.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51He was the leader of the Liberal Party
0:05:51 > 0:05:55and at the beginning he just wanted to modernise the kingdom.
0:05:55 > 0:06:01Then he came to idea of a single unified great state
0:06:01 > 0:06:05and a very modern state.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08You have to know that when he was young he travelled a lot
0:06:08 > 0:06:12and he made many journeys across Europe.
0:06:12 > 0:06:16He was very interested in the British rail system.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19He sounds like my kind of man.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22I know that you are very interested in railways
0:06:22 > 0:06:27and in fact, Cavour, he was amazed by the speed of this travel.
0:06:27 > 0:06:32He realised that the railways were very important
0:06:32 > 0:06:36in the modernisation of a country, of course,
0:06:36 > 0:06:41and to overcome the barriers between people.
0:06:41 > 0:06:42It's very interesting.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45I often think about the social effects of the railways.
0:06:45 > 0:06:49But here we are talking about the political effects of the railways as well.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51Cavour's promotion of the railways
0:06:51 > 0:06:53brought him to the attention of the British,
0:06:53 > 0:06:56who sent envoy Sir James Hudson to Piedmont.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59He and Cavour became very close friends.
0:06:59 > 0:07:04The plaque suggests that Hudson was "a maker of Italian unification."
0:07:04 > 0:07:06Why would the British be interested in Italian unification?
0:07:06 > 0:07:12Because Great Britain wanted a stable and constitutional ally
0:07:12 > 0:07:14in the southern part of Europe.
0:07:14 > 0:07:20They wanted to play a role in the development of the industrialisation of Italy.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23The British wanted to sell the Italians railways, that's what it was.
0:07:23 > 0:07:27Ah, yes, and in fact after unification,
0:07:27 > 0:07:33Great Britain produced 80 per cent of the railway machinery
0:07:33 > 0:07:36and steam engines for Italy.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39Britain was keen to have an ally in southern Europe
0:07:39 > 0:07:43and was the first of the Great Powers to acknowledge the Kingdom of Italy,
0:07:43 > 0:07:48actively undermining French influence in the peninsula.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51Well, Michael, for you as a former politician,
0:07:51 > 0:07:53it would be interested to know
0:07:53 > 0:07:56that we are in front of Carignano Palace.
0:07:56 > 0:08:02And this was the very building which housed the first Italian parliament.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05On the 17th March 1861,
0:08:05 > 0:08:10King Victor Emanuel II ceased to be the King of Piedmont
0:08:10 > 0:08:13and became the King of all Italy.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15Well, Cavour must have been delighted to see that.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17Yes, he was very happy.
0:08:17 > 0:08:23But the pity was that he died just a few weeks after that memorable day.
0:08:23 > 0:08:27Well, at least he lived to see the Kingdom of Italy proclaimed.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31Cavour was prime minister of Italy for just two months.
0:08:31 > 0:08:35After his death, Turin remained the capital for only four years.
0:08:35 > 0:08:39The title passed first to Florence
0:08:39 > 0:08:41and then finally to Rome in 1870.
0:08:41 > 0:08:46In time, Cavour's dream of a modern, industrialised Italy
0:08:46 > 0:08:47would be realised
0:08:47 > 0:08:50and one company became a driving force.
0:08:50 > 0:08:56Founded in 1899, the Fabrica Italiana Automobili Torino, or Fiat,
0:08:56 > 0:09:00went on to produce an icon of Italian car manufacture.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07And here it is the Cinquecento!
0:09:07 > 0:09:09- Bella machina! - Fabulosa di lei!
0:09:11 > 0:09:13Fabulous indeed!
0:09:17 > 0:09:19En route, we pass their first factory.
0:09:20 > 0:09:22Questa la vecchia fabrica della Fiat.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25Ah! This is the old Fiat factory.
0:09:25 > 0:09:27Very small in those days.
0:09:27 > 0:09:32This pioneering company exploded in size in the early 20th century.
0:09:32 > 0:09:37Founded by Giovanni Agnelli, it went on to construct an icon of modernism -
0:09:37 > 0:09:41the first Futurist building in Italy the Lingotto.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45I'm driving onto the roof of this former factory
0:09:45 > 0:09:49to meet the head of the company archive, Maurizio Torchio.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57Grazie. Arrivederci.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02- Maurizio.- Hi, Michael. Welcome.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05This is an amazing building! Tell me about it.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08The first director of this building used to say
0:10:08 > 0:10:14that the perfect plant has to be a concrete dress around the productive process.
0:10:14 > 0:10:20And this has to conceal as little as possible of the flow of the materials.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23You can imagine it as a kind of an Italian dress.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26It is very, very beautiful. What does the process consist of here?
0:10:26 > 0:10:29I mean, the raw materials arrived at the bottom
0:10:29 > 0:10:33and then they started to go round and round, up and up,
0:10:33 > 0:10:36until here on the rooftop, on the test track,
0:10:36 > 0:10:38arrived the final product.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42The cars were tested here and then again they would go down
0:10:42 > 0:10:45and they would go to the railway to be delivered to the customers.
0:10:45 > 0:10:49Ah! So even cars had to travel then by railway to be delivered!
0:10:49 > 0:10:51Absolutely!
0:10:51 > 0:10:53At the time of Bradshaw's guide,
0:10:53 > 0:10:57the company was just one of many small car manufacturers in Turin.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00But it already had global ambition,
0:11:00 > 0:11:04opening a showroom in London's Piccadilly in 1915.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07This was a boom time for the car industry.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10It was common in Italy and most of all in Turin
0:11:10 > 0:11:14to get into this new, marvellous business of making cars.
0:11:14 > 0:11:18I mean, the car industry was absolutely the technology of the future
0:11:18 > 0:11:23and at the time it was something like the internet bubble.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26In 1913, the company was expanding at a rapid rate.
0:11:26 > 0:11:30As the demand for vehicles exploded with the advent of the First World War,
0:11:30 > 0:11:35the workforce increased massively from 4,000 in 1914
0:11:35 > 0:11:38to 40,000 in 1918.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40What happened to Fiat during World War One?
0:11:40 > 0:11:43If this plant was built, it's because of World War One.
0:11:43 > 0:11:47I mean, during World War One, finally Fiat sold many, many trucks.
0:11:47 > 0:11:49And with the profits from the war,
0:11:49 > 0:11:52made possible to create a new plant,
0:11:52 > 0:11:56styled after the way plants were built in the United States.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59Though Britain was the first industrial nation,
0:11:59 > 0:12:01the Italians were modernists,
0:12:01 > 0:12:06adopting the latest ideas on industrial efficiency from America.
0:12:06 > 0:12:10And thereafter, Fiat gets into all sorts of things, doesn't it?
0:12:10 > 0:12:12I mean, for example, in Britain we're very well aware
0:12:12 > 0:12:16that we have trains, Pendolinos, that are made by Fiat.
0:12:16 > 0:12:21In the '70s, some countries hadn't the possibilities to invest.
0:12:21 > 0:12:25So they decided, well, maybe if we create trains that can tilt
0:12:25 > 0:12:28it will go faster in the existing railways
0:12:28 > 0:12:31and we didn't need to create new infrastructure
0:12:31 > 0:12:33and that's actually the Pendolino -
0:12:33 > 0:12:39something that permits higher velocity on traditional railways.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41And that is exactly the case with the United Kingdom.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46To top off my adventure at the Lingotto factory,
0:12:46 > 0:12:50I'm invited to carry out a test drive on this historic track.
0:12:50 > 0:12:55This is where, famously, Michael Caine and others drove cars round and round
0:12:55 > 0:12:56in that film The Italian Job
0:12:56 > 0:13:01and I just hope that as I go round I don't blow the bloody doors off!
0:13:01 > 0:13:05MUSIC: # "Theme from the Italian Job"
0:13:05 > 0:13:06OK!
0:13:13 > 0:13:16# This is a self-preservation society
0:13:16 > 0:13:20# This is a self-preservation society
0:13:21 > 0:13:22# Gotta get a bloomin' move on
0:13:22 > 0:13:24# Babadab-babadabadab-bab-ba
0:13:24 > 0:13:28# Jump in the jam jar Gotta get straight Hurry up mate, don't wanna be late
0:13:28 > 0:13:32# How's your father? Gotta get a bloomin' move on. #
0:13:34 > 0:13:36Cars may have been a twentieth century passion for Italians
0:13:36 > 0:13:43but the country's love affair with food dates back to the Roman Empire and before.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46Edwardian visitors to Turin would have had their taste buds titillated
0:13:46 > 0:13:48by new, exciting flavours.
0:13:48 > 0:13:52My stomach has steered me to a traditional Piedmontese restaurant,
0:13:52 > 0:13:56La Taverna di Fra Fiusch, in the hills above Turin.
0:13:56 > 0:14:02Chef Ugo Fontanone has kindly invited me to join him in his kitchen.
0:14:03 > 0:14:08- Hello!- Oh, hello.- Michael.- Ugo. - Ugo. Ugo.
0:14:08 > 0:14:12So Ugo is obviously making pasta. What sort of pasta is he making?
0:14:12 > 0:14:14Well, the chef is making agnolotti del plin.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17- Would it be possible to have a taste this already? - Yes, it's very good.
0:14:17 > 0:14:19Is it already good?
0:14:20 > 0:14:25Mm. It is. A lovely mixture of meats and vegetables.
0:14:25 > 0:14:27Mm. That's a great taste.
0:14:27 > 0:14:31That looks a bit like a ravioli.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33- Agnolotti!- Sorry. - Agneootti del plin!
0:14:33 > 0:14:37- Yeah, yeah. It's different. - Plin!- Ah! There's his plin.
0:14:37 > 0:14:41- That's the thing. - May I have a go? Si, si.- Prego.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44So I have to take one teaspoon...
0:14:46 > 0:14:48- Cosi?- OK, perfect.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51Perfect? He does speak English! I knew it!
0:14:51 > 0:14:53- Me no speak English! - He doesn't speak English.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56Right, so now, Ugo, I should cut, should I?
0:14:58 > 0:15:02- L'acqua.- Little bit of water on there with what looks like a paint brush.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09- And now...- Roll over. - All the way over? Cosi?
0:15:09 > 0:15:12- Er... No.- No, no, no.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15- Sorry. Cosi.- Ah! Cosi.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20OK. And now the all-important pinch! Like this.
0:15:20 > 0:15:24Plin. Cosi e cosi.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27It's all in the technique of these fingers and thumbs.
0:15:27 > 0:15:28Look at that.
0:15:28 > 0:15:33And now I cut along here. Look at that lovely wiggly line it leaves.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36And now I cut across here.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43- Quasi perfetto. - Quasi perfetto, yes.- Wonderful.
0:15:43 > 0:15:45Yes almost perfect but not quite perfect.
0:15:45 > 0:15:52In fact, look - that is decidedly wonky or asymmetrical.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56And now what do you do next?
0:15:56 > 0:15:59THEY SPEAK ITALIAN
0:16:02 > 0:16:03And then we cook them and then we eat them.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06That sounds a very good idea. Grazie tanti! Thank you so much.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09- Arrivederci.- Arrivederci.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13What a wonderful view! And what a spread of food!
0:16:13 > 0:16:16- Is this all from Piedmont? - Yeah, it is.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18So I recognize these. These are the agnolotti.
0:16:18 > 0:16:20Exactly, the one you made.
0:16:20 > 0:16:25These local specialities include a raw veal dish, carne cruda,
0:16:25 > 0:16:28finanziera, a dish of offal,
0:16:28 > 0:16:30vitello tonnato - veal with tuna sauce -
0:16:30 > 0:16:33and this bagna cauda dip.
0:16:33 > 0:16:35- Bon appetito!- Grazie.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41As I tuck into this dish of delicious Piedmontese tripe,
0:16:41 > 0:16:44it's a reminder that whilst Italy has been politically united,
0:16:44 > 0:16:48it's still incredibly varied in terms of culture and food.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52And in this mountainous region I've been offered mountains to eat!
0:16:59 > 0:17:03A new day and I'm following in the tracks of Edwardian train travellers
0:17:03 > 0:17:04across Northern Italy
0:17:04 > 0:17:08and I'm riding on a commuter service from Turin to Milan.
0:17:30 > 0:17:35THEY SPEAK ITALIAN
0:17:35 > 0:17:37Un'espresso. Grazie.
0:17:41 > 0:17:45Isn't that lovely? My espresso made freshly in the machine.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48You get a lot of businessmen on this line?
0:17:48 > 0:17:52Yes, at rush hour there are many businessmen heading into Milan.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55- Milan is still the centre of business? - Yes, but it's fashion of course.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57- Fashion?- Yeah, true.
0:17:57 > 0:18:02- You look very smart yourself.- Yeah? - Very nice uniform.- You, too.
0:18:02 > 0:18:06- Thank you very much. - You're welcome.- Cheers!- Cheers.
0:18:06 > 0:18:11Only in Italy would you see an espresso machine on the refreshments trolley!
0:18:12 > 0:18:15This magnificent Red Arrow Italian train
0:18:15 > 0:18:17is taking me to Milan,
0:18:17 > 0:18:20which Bradshaw's tells me is "the capital of Lombardy,
0:18:20 > 0:18:24"the most important commercial centre of Italy.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26"The silk trade is the largest in Europe
0:18:26 > 0:18:29"and the manufacture of woollen goods and machinery
0:18:29 > 0:18:31"are prominent industries."
0:18:31 > 0:18:34Well, I'm wearing a little bit of Italian tailoring myself
0:18:34 > 0:18:39and I'm more than happy to exchange fashion tips with the Milanese.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55After the fall of the Roman Empire,
0:18:55 > 0:18:58Milan was ruled by a succession of foreign powers,
0:18:58 > 0:19:00including Spain, Austria and France,
0:19:00 > 0:19:05until the Risorgimento made it part of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861.
0:19:08 > 0:19:12This Milan station is named after Giuseppe Garibaldi,
0:19:12 > 0:19:15the 19th century revolutionary, whose rebellion in Sicily
0:19:15 > 0:19:18and intrepid march into the peninsula
0:19:18 > 0:19:21freed vast tracts of Italy from foreign rule.
0:19:21 > 0:19:25It made him a cult figure, both nationally and internationally.
0:19:26 > 0:19:31Garibaldi visited the UK in 1860 to thank Britain for its support
0:19:31 > 0:19:34during the struggle for liberation.
0:19:34 > 0:19:36Viewed as a dashing, romantic hero,
0:19:36 > 0:19:41he drew such massive crowds that he incurred Queen Victoria's displeasure,
0:19:41 > 0:19:45perhaps because his popularity outstripped hers.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48As I make my way into the centre of Milan,
0:19:48 > 0:19:52there's no doubt that the Piazza del Duomo is the heart of the city.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56Bradshaw's quite rightly has long paragraphs
0:19:56 > 0:20:00about the cathedral of Milan, which it tells me was started in 1386.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03I think of it as being shaped like a child's drawing of a house.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06In the corners figures support the building
0:20:06 > 0:20:08as though they were still helping to build it.
0:20:08 > 0:20:10It's recently been restored
0:20:10 > 0:20:15and we now see the marble as white and pink and brown and translucent
0:20:15 > 0:20:20and we have a view of the cathedral that people probably haven't enjoyed for centuries.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30Bradshaw's tells me that on the north side of the Piazza is
0:20:30 > 0:20:34the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, a handsome arcade.
0:20:34 > 0:20:36Yes - for beautiful people.
0:20:36 > 0:20:40For Milan is the global capital of fashion.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45Completed in 1877,
0:20:45 > 0:20:48this is one of the world's oldest shopping arcades.
0:20:48 > 0:20:52Its towering structure and wonderfully ornate details reflect
0:20:52 > 0:20:56the city's long-held obsession with fashion and beauty.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58Here I'm meeting Lucia Mantero,
0:20:58 > 0:21:02the director of a century-old, family-run silk manufacturer,
0:21:02 > 0:21:04to find out more about Milanese style.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10Why do Milanese have a sense of style?
0:21:10 > 0:21:15We are lucky because first of all we are in a very beautiful country
0:21:15 > 0:21:20and moreover we are really next to very, very cities -
0:21:20 > 0:21:22first of all Venice and then Turin as well.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26So I think it is also due to this that they really developed
0:21:26 > 0:21:31a little bit of really... a sense of beauty
0:21:31 > 0:21:34that then they put into the fabrics and then in the clothes.
0:21:34 > 0:21:39At the time of my guidebook, 1913, what was happening in Milan?
0:21:39 > 0:21:42Very important things. First of all, many companies started.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45And one of these absolutely is Prada.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48They started producing leather goods first
0:21:48 > 0:21:52and they open in 1913 a store in Milan,
0:21:52 > 0:21:55that was something, I think, very, very important for that day.
0:21:55 > 0:21:57This blossoming Milanese fashion business
0:21:57 > 0:22:00drew wealthy Edwardians here
0:22:00 > 0:22:02who wanted the finest clothing that money could buy.
0:22:02 > 0:22:07Over the years, Milan has become the birthplace of global fashion labels
0:22:07 > 0:22:10like Dolce & Gabbana and Versace.
0:22:10 > 0:22:15And while I'm here, I really should experience Milan's material magic first hand.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17On Lucia's recommendation,
0:22:17 > 0:22:25I'm visiting a traditional Milanese gentleman's tailor, Caraceni.
0:22:25 > 0:22:30- Ah, buongiorno.- Mi chiamo Michael. - Carlo Andreacchio.- Carlo.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33- Buongiorno. Nice to meet you. - Very nice to meet you.
0:22:33 > 0:22:35I find you with some lovely cloths.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38I've been learning about the Italian fashion industry.
0:22:38 > 0:22:40These look very, very beautiful.
0:22:40 > 0:22:44- Yes, these come from England. - From England!
0:22:44 > 0:22:47Yes, we use a lot of English fabric.
0:22:47 > 0:22:52- This is from Huddersfield. - Made in Huddersfield, England.- Yes.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55Do you make the entire suit from English cloth?
0:22:55 > 0:23:00No, it's a mixture, because inside we put the Italian silk.
0:23:00 > 0:23:02What is the Italian style? I see for example your jacket.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05Very slimly tailored. Is that the key to it?
0:23:05 > 0:23:10Yes, this is the Italian style but depend on your measurements.
0:23:12 > 0:23:14As we head into the fitting room,
0:23:14 > 0:23:18it's clear that Massimiliano is interested in more than just my measurements.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23HE SPEAKS ITALIAN
0:23:23 > 0:23:25He wants to know what my profession is.
0:23:25 > 0:23:29Well, I travel by train a great deal
0:23:29 > 0:23:35and I carry this book - I carry it like that, I carry it like that, and I carry it like that.
0:23:35 > 0:23:39- And I always need room for my passport.- Importante.- OK.
0:23:39 > 0:23:43HE SPEAKS ITALIAN
0:23:43 > 0:23:44Si, si.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48Jacket has to be off for measuring purposes.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51Massimiliano takes pride in making suits for those with challenging professions,
0:23:52 > 0:23:54for example, musicians and conductors.
0:23:54 > 0:23:56They have highly physical jobs,
0:23:56 > 0:24:00yet still need to look their best for a performance.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02It's very important that he should feel me
0:24:02 > 0:24:05because he needs to feel how these muscles work
0:24:05 > 0:24:07and whether the shoulder is going in at this point
0:24:07 > 0:24:08or whether it's stretched back.
0:24:08 > 0:24:12I'm afraid in my case it's pushing in a little bit.
0:24:12 > 0:24:14They take 26 measurements for a suit.
0:24:14 > 0:24:18With these measurements we can imagine your body.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21And some of the numbers are not very flattering.
0:24:21 > 0:24:26- Trenta due.- 32 round there. My goodness. Who would have guessed that?
0:24:26 > 0:24:29Cinquanta. Setantta sei.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32I never remember having this particular measurement here
0:24:32 > 0:24:34taken by an English tailor.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37No, this is our particular measurement.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42Settantotto.
0:24:43 > 0:24:4478.
0:24:47 > 0:24:51Being measured for a suit in Italy is more like being measured for a body cast!
0:24:51 > 0:24:56Every single contour has been accounted for.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59- Cinquanta cinque.- Mm-hm.
0:24:59 > 0:25:04Now, just before we get too involved here, I need to ask you about price.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06What might this cost me?
0:25:06 > 0:25:10THEY SPEAK ITALIAN
0:25:14 > 0:25:18From 5,400 euros upwards.
0:25:18 > 0:25:22- And what does it get to? - Venticinque mille massimo, massimo.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24Up to 25,000. Mm.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27Would it be all right if you just keep my measurements on file
0:25:27 > 0:25:30and I maybe I'll come back when I'm a little richer?
0:25:32 > 0:25:35The burgeoning Milanese fashion business of the early 20th century
0:25:35 > 0:25:38was just one attraction of Milan.
0:25:38 > 0:25:40Another was the opera.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43The British King Edward VII was a keen opera goer
0:25:43 > 0:25:47and the educated Edwardian traveller followed suit.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50Sadly I don't have tickets to La Scala,
0:25:50 > 0:25:53so I'm on the tram to find the next best thing.
0:25:53 > 0:25:57One of the great tourist attractions of Milan is its old trams.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00This one dates from 1928 and has been running ever since.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03It's not that Milan can't afford new ones
0:26:03 > 0:26:07but the Milanese love the old trams and I don't blame them!
0:26:12 > 0:26:19For my overnight stay, Bradshaw's mentions the Grand Hotel of Milan near La Scala Opera House
0:26:19 > 0:26:24and "frequented by the elite of English and American society."
0:26:24 > 0:26:26I must join them.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30Hello.
0:26:34 > 0:26:39OK, so, Mr Portillo, this is your room. The Verdi's apartment.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46It's a beautiful apartment.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49Is it called the Verdi suite because La Scala is so close by?
0:26:49 > 0:26:55No, it's called Verdi's apartment because he lived here for 27 years.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57- He lived in a hotel!- Exactly!
0:26:57 > 0:27:00We used to consider him our first corporate account.
0:27:00 > 0:27:02Did he write any music here?
0:27:02 > 0:27:09- Yes, he wrote the entire Falstaff right at this desk.- How fantastic!
0:27:09 > 0:27:12Giuseppe Verdi was a prolific composer
0:27:12 > 0:27:15who wrote some of the most beloved operas in the repertoire,
0:27:15 > 0:27:19including Aida, La Traviata and Nabucco,
0:27:19 > 0:27:24which features the famous Chorus Of The Hebrew slaves.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27This was adopted as the anthem of Italian liberation
0:27:27 > 0:27:29and Verdi became a hero
0:27:29 > 0:27:34and was elected as a member of the new parliament of a united Italy.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37There is another interesting story about Otello.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39The opera was successful
0:27:39 > 0:27:45and once Maestro Verdi and the tenor Tamagno went back to the room,
0:27:45 > 0:27:47people was crowding from outside,
0:27:47 > 0:27:53so Verdi told to the tenor Tamagno "Sing to the crowd."
0:27:53 > 0:27:57- And, of course, no orchestra, unaccompanied, he sang to the crowd. - Exactly.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00MUSIC: TENOR SINGING ARIA
0:28:26 > 0:28:29Today I am heading away from the city
0:28:29 > 0:28:32to visit some of Italy's most spectacular scenery.
0:28:35 > 0:28:42- Buongiorno. Uno biglietti di treno per Como Lago, per favore. - One?- Uno, si. Sola.
0:28:42 > 0:28:46This is very unusual for us. You can buy your railway ticket in the newsagent.
0:28:47 > 0:28:50- OK.- Buongiorno. Grazie.
0:29:12 > 0:29:15This double decker train is taking me towards Como.
0:29:15 > 0:29:19Bradshaw's tells me that it was a centre of silk manufacture.
0:29:19 > 0:29:22Apparently the region was covered in mulberry trees.
0:29:22 > 0:29:24But there's a hint here of a change.
0:29:24 > 0:29:30"The Lake of Como is incontestably the most beautiful and picturesque in the Alps.
0:29:30 > 0:29:34"It's 32 miles long, two to three miles in width,"
0:29:34 > 0:29:37and already in 1913 Bradshaw's tells me
0:29:37 > 0:29:41that villas of the wealthier Milanesi were to be found here.
0:29:41 > 0:29:43Yes, it was converting to tourism.
0:29:53 > 0:29:56The railway line to Como was completed in 1875
0:29:56 > 0:30:01and by the early 20th century the British had established their own community.
0:30:01 > 0:30:06But our love affair with this place goes back to early Victorian times.
0:30:06 > 0:30:09John Ruskin, a writer later much admired by the Edwardians,
0:30:09 > 0:30:13wrote of Lake Como, "There was blue above, and blue below,
0:30:13 > 0:30:16"And the gleam of the eternal snow."
0:30:20 > 0:30:23It's hard to believe that so very close to the city of Milan
0:30:23 > 0:30:26you can be in such wonderful countryside. It is delightful.
0:30:26 > 0:30:32The houses, villas and hotels blend into the green hillsides.
0:30:32 > 0:30:35And even on a summer's day like today,
0:30:35 > 0:30:38I suppose the deep water of the lake keeps it delightfully cool.
0:30:38 > 0:30:40Just perfect!
0:30:43 > 0:30:46It wouldn't be right to travel all the way here
0:30:46 > 0:30:48and not to take to the lake,
0:30:48 > 0:30:51so I've joined boatman Max to get a feel for the place from the water.
0:30:54 > 0:30:56Viva Italia!
0:31:19 > 0:31:24I'd like to learn more about how British tourists amused themselves in Como
0:31:24 > 0:31:27and sample some of the delights of the lake,
0:31:27 > 0:31:31so I've arranged lunch with tourism officer Monica Neroni.
0:31:32 > 0:31:36So, welcome, Michael, how are you? Nice to meet you.
0:31:36 > 0:31:37Monica. So nice to be here.
0:31:39 > 0:31:44Monica, for how long have travellers from my country been coming to this beautiful place?
0:31:44 > 0:31:47Tourism started on Lake Como thanks to the British,
0:31:47 > 0:31:51because for them we built the first hotels on the shores of the lake
0:31:51 > 0:31:54and still today a few of them preserve the name
0:31:54 > 0:31:57in honour of your country or of your Queen Victoria.
0:31:57 > 0:32:01- Lake Como was - the- holiday destination,
0:32:01 > 0:32:03welcoming not only Queen Victoria
0:32:03 > 0:32:08but also writers such as Byron, Shelley and, later, EM Forster.
0:32:08 > 0:32:11It was the playground for the rich and famous
0:32:11 > 0:32:13and remains so to this day.
0:32:13 > 0:32:15Ecco, signori.
0:32:15 > 0:32:19HE SPEAKS ITALIAN
0:32:19 > 0:32:22- Thank you very much indeed. - Enjoy your meal.- Grazie.
0:32:23 > 0:32:29So this fish has been dried and then it's served, obviously, with a little polenta here.
0:32:29 > 0:32:31- Mm-hm. - Mmm. It's excellent.
0:32:31 > 0:32:34At the time of my guidebook, 1913,
0:32:34 > 0:32:37what sort of people were coming here?
0:32:37 > 0:32:41You know, the middle-class tourists started to come here
0:32:41 > 0:32:43because of the railway.
0:32:43 > 0:32:45It was the time when they could use the train.
0:32:45 > 0:32:49What did people find to do here in those days?
0:32:49 > 0:32:53They relaxed, they enjoyed the landscape, they visited the gardens.
0:32:53 > 0:32:56They talk about music and poetry
0:32:56 > 0:32:58and, of course, they fall in love
0:32:58 > 0:33:01because, you know, the lake was called the romantic lake.
0:33:01 > 0:33:03The lake of lovers.
0:33:03 > 0:33:05You're referring, of course, to married people.
0:33:05 > 0:33:07Not really!
0:33:07 > 0:33:13In 1913 a new toy landed on Lake Como to amuse British tourists -
0:33:13 > 0:33:16the seaplane.
0:33:16 > 0:33:20So after my delightful lunch, I want to follow in their slipstream.
0:33:25 > 0:33:27- Hello.- OK, hello.
0:33:27 > 0:33:31- Nice to meet you. Hello. - I'm Michael.- I'm Caesar.
0:33:31 > 0:33:33- Very good to see you. - Here we are.
0:33:33 > 0:33:35- OK, this is your book.- Thank you.
0:33:57 > 0:34:00Such a fantastic view!
0:34:02 > 0:34:03Marvellous!
0:34:03 > 0:34:07Cesare, how long have people been flying on Lake Como?
0:34:07 > 0:34:10- Since 1913 exactly. - The year of my guidebook.
0:34:10 > 0:34:12Ah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
0:34:30 > 0:34:32Were the public able to fly as well?
0:34:42 > 0:34:46So a traveller with my Bradshaw's guide in 1913
0:34:46 > 0:34:49could have gone up in a plane and seen this wonderful view!
0:34:58 > 0:34:59Wonderful.
0:34:59 > 0:35:02It wasn't just tourists who were interested in seaplanes.
0:35:02 > 0:35:05Though Italy was neutral for the first year of The Great War,
0:35:05 > 0:35:07they were building up their air defences.
0:35:07 > 0:35:11When they did join the Allies in May 1915,
0:35:11 > 0:35:15their air force dominated the skies against their Austrian foes.
0:35:15 > 0:35:20Here on Lake Como, the navy tested the Macchi seaplane in 1917
0:35:20 > 0:35:23as it was considered an excellent way
0:35:23 > 0:35:26to patrol Italy's long, exposed coastline.
0:35:44 > 0:35:46After the splendour of Lake Como,
0:35:46 > 0:35:49I'm moving deeper into the romantic heart of Italy.
0:35:49 > 0:35:52My journey takes me via Milan to catch the mainline
0:35:52 > 0:35:57to a town where the most famous love story of all was set.
0:35:59 > 0:36:03Milan central station, where I'm changing en route from Como to Verona.
0:36:03 > 0:36:07It is enormous. You might say it's fascist architecture.
0:36:07 > 0:36:10It was opened during the dictatorship of Benito Mussolini,
0:36:10 > 0:36:12but actually it's always reminded me
0:36:12 > 0:36:14of some of the great American stations.
0:36:14 > 0:36:15It turns out in a way I was right
0:36:15 > 0:36:19because the original design from around the time of my Bradshaw's guide was based
0:36:19 > 0:36:22on Union Station in Washington DC.
0:36:43 > 0:36:45After my sun-drenched day,
0:36:45 > 0:36:49I shall spend the night in the city that Shakespeare described as "fair Verona"
0:36:49 > 0:36:54and I shall rest my head where Romeo and Juliet found eternal rest.
0:37:00 > 0:37:03The ancient city of Verona boasts
0:37:03 > 0:37:06some of the finest Roman and medieval architecture in Italy.
0:37:07 > 0:37:09The city straddles the Adige river,
0:37:09 > 0:37:11which reaches the sea just south of Venice.
0:37:11 > 0:37:14Before I turn in, I've come to enjoy a nightcap
0:37:14 > 0:37:17by the spectacular Roman amphitheatre.
0:37:36 > 0:37:40Whilst Verona's rich Roman history was enticing,
0:37:40 > 0:37:43it's not the only thing that drew the Edwardian visitor.
0:37:43 > 0:37:47British tourists had already started to come here in the 19th century
0:37:47 > 0:37:50in search of Shakespeare's classic story of love.
0:37:51 > 0:37:54Bradshaw's tells me that "in the Via Cappello, is a house,
0:37:54 > 0:37:58"marked by a tablet, where Juliet's parents are said to have lived."
0:37:58 > 0:38:01Over the centuries since Shakespeare wrote his play
0:38:01 > 0:38:05about the star-crossed lovers, Juliet and her Romeo,
0:38:05 > 0:38:08people have been moved by their story.
0:38:08 > 0:38:10And I won't be the first British traveller,
0:38:10 > 0:38:12clutching a Bradshaw's guide,
0:38:12 > 0:38:15to make my way to the house of the Capulets.
0:38:19 > 0:38:21At this fictional house of the Capulets,
0:38:21 > 0:38:25bought by the city of Verona as a tourist attraction in 1905,
0:38:25 > 0:38:31I've been told I'll find Shakespeare expert Eleonora Oggiano.
0:38:32 > 0:38:35Eleonora, Eleonora!
0:38:36 > 0:38:39Hello, Michael! Come up here and join me!
0:38:40 > 0:38:42You're on the balcony! Do I climb up?
0:38:42 > 0:38:43Yes, please!
0:38:43 > 0:38:46There's no ivy.
0:38:48 > 0:38:52Now, Romeo and Juliet were fictitious characters,
0:38:52 > 0:38:56so how can this be Juliet's house and Juliet's balcony?
0:38:56 > 0:39:00Actually the balcony was added in the 1930s
0:39:00 > 0:39:06after the success of George Cukor's Hollywood adaptation of the play.
0:39:06 > 0:39:10Tourists expected a balcony, so Verona gave them one!
0:39:10 > 0:39:13That's rather disappointing. But at least this is an old house, is it?
0:39:13 > 0:39:17Yes, it is. It dates back to the 13th century.
0:39:17 > 0:39:22- So it could have been the Capulets' house. - Yes, it could be.
0:39:22 > 0:39:26Why do you think he chose to set Romeo and Juliet here in Verona?
0:39:26 > 0:39:29Shakespeare was inspired by an Italian novella
0:39:29 > 0:39:32written by Mateo Bandello, in 1554,
0:39:32 > 0:39:34which was translated by Arthur Brook.
0:39:34 > 0:39:40So to some extent Shakespeare did what Hollywood producer do today.
0:39:40 > 0:39:44He adapted an Italian story based in Verona to the stage.
0:39:44 > 0:39:49- It is- the- classic story of tragic love, isn't it?
0:39:49 > 0:39:53And I see people leave things and they draw hearts on the wall and so on.
0:39:53 > 0:39:56So it's still a magnet for lovers and people obsessed with love.
0:39:56 > 0:39:58Yes, it is.
0:39:58 > 0:40:02They're opening the gates and already people have come.
0:40:02 > 0:40:05It's 8:30 in the morning but they've torn themselves away from their breakfasts.
0:40:05 > 0:40:07They must be very lovesick!
0:40:11 > 0:40:13- Why have you come here? - WOMAN: The romance.
0:40:13 > 0:40:17- You're romantically involved? - Yes.- Yes.- Ah, that's very, very nice.
0:40:17 > 0:40:20So what's the attraction of Romeo and Juliet, do you think?
0:40:20 > 0:40:25I think that it's one of the largest love stories out there.
0:40:25 > 0:40:28So do you think your relationship will be stronger and warmer now you've been here?
0:40:28 > 0:40:33Yeah, it's so cute and all the little history and love and romance
0:40:33 > 0:40:36and all that, so it's cute, it's fun - it's fun.
0:40:36 > 0:40:39- Well, enjoy it.- Thank you.- Bye.- Bye.
0:40:42 > 0:40:45What's brought you to Juliet's house?
0:40:45 > 0:40:48Ah, just to get caught up in the romance of it all.
0:40:48 > 0:40:50A-ha! Is love on your mind at the moment?
0:40:50 > 0:40:52It's on everyone's mind, isn't it?
0:40:52 > 0:40:57And what do you think of Romeo and Juliet? What's the attraction of them?
0:40:57 > 0:41:00- Er, forbidden love.- Mm.
0:41:00 > 0:41:05Yeah. Forbidden love. I guess it shows that love conquers all.
0:41:06 > 0:41:10You're in for a bit of forbidden love?
0:41:10 > 0:41:12Maybe!
0:41:12 > 0:41:14Well, I hope that Romeo and Juliet help you on your way!
0:41:14 > 0:41:16- Thank you very much. - Great to talk to you. Bye-bye.
0:41:16 > 0:41:22Star-struck lovers, forlorn lovers, thwarted lovers,
0:41:22 > 0:41:25unrequited loves write letters to Juliet.
0:41:25 > 0:41:27She must get almost as many as Father Christmas!
0:41:27 > 0:41:29I just wonder what happens to them all.
0:41:32 > 0:41:36These letters to Juliet were first penned in the 1930s
0:41:36 > 0:41:39and left here at her fictional tomb.
0:41:39 > 0:41:41I'm amazed to discover
0:41:41 > 0:41:43that these precious love letters continue to be collected
0:41:43 > 0:41:48and carefully replied to here at the Club di Giulietta.
0:41:49 > 0:41:53- Buongiorno, tutti! - Buongiorno.
0:41:53 > 0:41:57- Who is Manuela? Ah! - Nice to meet you. - Very nice to meet you.
0:41:57 > 0:41:59- Welcome.- Thank you very much.
0:41:59 > 0:42:03So this is the Juliet Club where people write letters to Juliet.
0:42:03 > 0:42:08- When did they first start doing that?- The club was born in 1972.
0:42:08 > 0:42:11Mr Giulio with some friends started this club.
0:42:11 > 0:42:14- Buongiorno, Signor Giulio. - Buongiorno.
0:42:14 > 0:42:17It's easy to make fun of people writing to Juliet,
0:42:17 > 0:42:20who never existed and anyway is dead.
0:42:20 > 0:42:22Why do they write to Juliet?
0:42:22 > 0:42:25People consider Juliet a very strong character.
0:42:25 > 0:42:31People writing to Juliet just want someone to take care of their pains.
0:42:31 > 0:42:36She had the strength to fight against her parents' will
0:42:36 > 0:42:41and she was not afraid to express directly her feelings to Romeo.
0:42:41 > 0:42:45Those are very good reasons. How many letters does Juliet receive?
0:42:45 > 0:42:48About 10,000 letters per year.
0:42:48 > 0:42:51- Do you try to reply to everything? - Yes, we try to reply to everybody.
0:42:51 > 0:42:54It's an enormous undertaking and you're all volunteers!
0:42:54 > 0:42:56Yes, we are.
0:42:56 > 0:42:59Maybe I should try my hand at replying to a letter.
0:42:59 > 0:43:02- Have you got one there? - Yes. I suggest you do this.
0:43:02 > 0:43:07"I am a 6-year-old and live in England.
0:43:07 > 0:43:09"When I grow up I want to get married
0:43:09 > 0:43:11"but I don't like any of the boys at school.
0:43:11 > 0:43:17"My granddad says I should find a nice Italian man with a villa and a boat.
0:43:17 > 0:43:18"Do you know any?"
0:43:20 > 0:43:23- OK, let's try that one. - There you are.
0:43:23 > 0:43:26Very good. Erm...
0:43:26 > 0:43:30"Thank you for your lovely letter.
0:43:30 > 0:43:35"You are still so young.
0:43:35 > 0:43:37"Even younger than Juliet!
0:43:39 > 0:43:45"Romeo was a nice Italian
0:43:47 > 0:43:51"but Juliet loved him
0:43:51 > 0:43:57"even though he had no boat!
0:43:59 > 0:44:02"Juliet's secretary."
0:44:04 > 0:44:06I think that had better not be the final version!
0:44:06 > 0:44:08A very nice answer.
0:44:13 > 0:44:16All these passionate letters inspire me
0:44:16 > 0:44:19to continue in the footsteps of those Edwardians looking for love
0:44:19 > 0:44:21here in Italy.
0:44:21 > 0:44:24I'm now embarking on the final leg of my journey
0:44:24 > 0:44:26to the most romantic city in the world.
0:44:54 > 0:44:59And now for the climax of my Italian journey Venice.
0:44:59 > 0:45:03Bradshaw's says, "it's an agglomeration of about 117 small islands
0:45:03 > 0:45:06"and also upon intermediate piles,
0:45:06 > 0:45:09"the houses and palaces have been built.
0:45:09 > 0:45:12"There are 150 canals, crossed by nearly 400 bridges."
0:45:12 > 0:45:17When I first approached Venice 40 years ago it was also by train
0:45:17 > 0:45:19and I couldn't believe that moment when I stepped from the station
0:45:19 > 0:45:24and saw that ahead I could only proceed on foot or by boat.
0:45:24 > 0:45:29It remains one of the great experiences open to the European traveller.
0:45:37 > 0:45:38- Are you going to Venice?- Yes.
0:45:38 > 0:45:42- Are you excited to be going to Venice?- Very excited.
0:45:42 > 0:45:45- Your first time in Venice? - Yes, the same.
0:45:45 > 0:45:47- Are you excited?- Yeah, of course.
0:45:47 > 0:45:50It's a beautiful city, you know, built on water.
0:45:50 > 0:45:54- I hope you enjoy it very much. - Yeah, thank you.- Thank you.
0:45:54 > 0:45:59Can we just swap books for a moment? Would you like to look at my book and I'll maybe look at your book?
0:45:59 > 0:46:01- Thank you very much.- You're welcome.
0:46:13 > 0:46:16This long causeway carries the railway
0:46:16 > 0:46:17towards the islands that are Venice
0:46:17 > 0:46:22and it's a bridge between a world of tarmac and a world of water.
0:46:22 > 0:46:24We exchange the screech of brakes
0:46:24 > 0:46:27for the low throaty throb of motorboats.
0:46:36 > 0:46:39- Enjoy Venice.- Yeah!- Bye-bye.- Bye.
0:46:58 > 0:46:59And though I've experienced this before,
0:46:59 > 0:47:03I somehow still can't believe it that as you leave the station,
0:47:03 > 0:47:05you enter a different universe.
0:47:05 > 0:47:08And such a concentration of beauty!
0:47:11 > 0:47:15The Edwardians weren't the first Britons to fall for this unique city.
0:47:16 > 0:47:18To learn how we became transfixed with Venice,
0:47:18 > 0:47:22author Michelle Lovric will take me back in time.
0:47:22 > 0:47:25- Hello, Michelle.- Ciao, Michael. Benvenuto Venezia.
0:47:25 > 0:47:26Thank you very much indeed.
0:47:26 > 0:47:30- What an elegant form of transport! - Absolutely beautiful, isn't it?
0:47:30 > 0:47:31I've just arrived at the railway station,
0:47:31 > 0:47:33which is obviously quite a modern building,
0:47:33 > 0:47:37but arriving here in 1913, what would I have seen here?
0:47:37 > 0:47:39There would have been a huge pack of gondolas,
0:47:39 > 0:47:41all touting for business.
0:47:41 > 0:47:45So you'd arrive to an enormous chiasso, a great noise and bustle.
0:47:45 > 0:47:50The railway arrived here in the mid-19th century. What impact did it have on Venice?
0:47:50 > 0:47:53In my opinion, it was deeply disturbing for the Venetians.
0:47:53 > 0:47:56For hundreds of years, Venice had been an island state
0:47:56 > 0:48:00and suddenly a huge industrial construction arrives in Venice
0:48:00 > 0:48:02and the rest of the world can get here.
0:48:02 > 0:48:07The extraordinary two mile long rail causeway across the lagoon
0:48:07 > 0:48:10was built by the Austrians and opened in 1846.
0:48:10 > 0:48:16Only two years later the Venetians rose in revolt against their foreign masters.
0:48:16 > 0:48:20In the end, the Austrians were expelled but the railway remained,
0:48:20 > 0:48:24heralding a new business opportunity - tourism.
0:48:24 > 0:48:28An educated British traveller arriving here in 1913
0:48:28 > 0:48:31would have had in one pocket John Ruskin's Stones Of Venice
0:48:31 > 0:48:34and maybe in the other pocket Casanova's memoirs.
0:48:34 > 0:48:37But John Ruskin's Stones Of Venice shaped
0:48:37 > 0:48:40what every British person thought about Venice.
0:48:40 > 0:48:42He had a mission here.
0:48:42 > 0:48:47He wanted to teach the world about the virtues of gothic architecture.
0:48:47 > 0:48:50Gothic architecture was God's architecture, God's geometry.
0:48:50 > 0:48:52God never made a straight line.
0:48:52 > 0:48:55And that was good enough for God and that was good enough for Ruskin.
0:48:55 > 0:48:57But there's something in Venice
0:48:57 > 0:49:00that particularly binds the British imagination to the place
0:49:00 > 0:49:03and that something usually seems to be romance.
0:49:03 > 0:49:06Yes, well, I think of it as a very romantic place.
0:49:06 > 0:49:07A place where people fall in love.
0:49:07 > 0:49:11So when can we trace the British connection with Venice back to?
0:49:11 > 0:49:13Oh, goodness. Very early.
0:49:13 > 0:49:18The British tended to come here because it was the place that invented sexual tourism.
0:49:18 > 0:49:23And as early as 1611, Thomas Coryat came here
0:49:23 > 0:49:26and said that the city was full of 20,000 courtesans,
0:49:26 > 0:49:28loose women who were so loose
0:49:28 > 0:49:31that they would open their quivers to every arrow.
0:49:31 > 0:49:32Sounds pretty unhealthy!
0:49:32 > 0:49:38I suppose one of the reasons why Venice is associated with love and indeed licentiousness
0:49:38 > 0:49:40is because of Casanova - he lived here, didn't he?
0:49:40 > 0:49:44Casanova was born here in 1725
0:49:44 > 0:49:46and he probably is the most famous son of Venice.
0:49:46 > 0:49:48I consider him to be dreadfully misunderstood.
0:49:48 > 0:49:52Casanova loved women, he was no Don Giovanni.
0:49:52 > 0:49:55So Casanova, though, develops this idea
0:49:55 > 0:49:57of the man who has many, many lovers
0:49:57 > 0:50:02which is then handed down into the Don Juan, Don Giovanni theme.
0:50:02 > 0:50:06He did but in fact in all his life, he only had 130 lovers.
0:50:06 > 0:50:10It's basically only three lovers a year, which isn't that extraordinary.
0:50:10 > 0:50:12- That's extremely moderate. - Absolutely. Yes.
0:50:12 > 0:50:15In his memoirs, only a third of those are devoted to sex.
0:50:15 > 0:50:19The rest of it is a kind of Hello! magazine for the whole 18th century.
0:50:19 > 0:50:23- Well, I think I've met the president of the Casanova appreciation society.- Absolutely.
0:50:23 > 0:50:26Michelle, thank you. An unforgettable tour!
0:50:30 > 0:50:31Recalling those British visitors
0:50:31 > 0:50:35intoxicated by the licentiousness of Venice,
0:50:35 > 0:50:38I've found a suitably romantic place for my evening meal.
0:50:40 > 0:50:42As evening falls in Venice,
0:50:42 > 0:50:46I've decided to treat myself to a dessert that was invented in this region.
0:50:46 > 0:50:50It contains coffee, which is important in the history of Venice,
0:50:50 > 0:50:52and Savoyard biscuits,
0:50:52 > 0:50:55which in turn were devised for the Counts of Savoy
0:50:55 > 0:50:58who were the distant ancestors of Victor Emmanuel I, King of Italy.
0:50:58 > 0:51:01And with all that caffeine and sugar,
0:51:01 > 0:51:06not surprisingly, it's called tiramisu "pick me up".
0:51:14 > 0:51:16This morning I've decided to get up early
0:51:16 > 0:51:19to experience something of the timeless romance of Venice
0:51:19 > 0:51:22before the crowds descend.
0:51:22 > 0:51:25I turn to my 1913 tome for guidance.
0:51:26 > 0:51:28Here's a tip from Bradshaw's.
0:51:28 > 0:51:32"When the traveller has only a day or two, hire a gondola.
0:51:32 > 0:51:37"Nervously affected persons will find the noiseless highway a relief."
0:51:41 > 0:51:44- Thank you very much.- OK. - Bellissimo.
0:51:44 > 0:51:47- Where you want to go, sir? - Just show me Venice, please.
0:51:55 > 0:51:59I love this place because the composition is perfect.
0:52:03 > 0:52:07There are two sides to walk, the flowers -
0:52:07 > 0:52:09different styles of construction.
0:52:09 > 0:52:13After all that hard work, I'm in search of a good cup of coffee
0:52:13 > 0:52:15and I know just the place.
0:52:15 > 0:52:18A beautiful cafe on St Mark's Square,
0:52:18 > 0:52:20where I'm meeting Sylvia Zamella.
0:52:20 > 0:52:26- Hello, Sylvia.- Hello and welcome. - Thank you very much.
0:52:26 > 0:52:29Cafe Florian is very, very famous and very old.
0:52:29 > 0:52:30Is it one of the oldest?
0:52:30 > 0:52:36It's the oldest in Italy and I'm quite sure it's the oldest in Europe.
0:52:36 > 0:52:39It was founded in 1720.
0:52:39 > 0:52:41The most famous cafe in Venice,
0:52:41 > 0:52:45it's long been a haunt for the world's elite.
0:52:45 > 0:52:48One of the most famous Venetians is Casanova.
0:52:48 > 0:52:50Did he come to the Cafe Florian?
0:52:50 > 0:52:52Yes, he used to come to the Cafe Florian
0:52:52 > 0:52:58because Cafe Florian was the only coffee shop in Venice that allowed women to come in.
0:52:58 > 0:53:02So it was the hunting ground for Casanova.
0:53:02 > 0:53:04It's all part of the British love affair with Venice.
0:53:06 > 0:53:08Of all the sites in Venice,
0:53:08 > 0:53:10St Mark's Square, with its great bell tower,
0:53:10 > 0:53:12has to be the most famous.
0:53:12 > 0:53:18It's extraordinary to think that it had only just been reconstructed in 1912.
0:53:18 > 0:53:21Bradshaw's tells me about the new campanile or bell tower
0:53:21 > 0:53:26on the site of the old tower, which collapsed on July 13th 1902.
0:53:26 > 0:53:30Extraordinary to think that for a decade, tourists coming to Venice
0:53:30 > 0:53:32could not see this famous landmark.
0:53:32 > 0:53:34What's so interesting to me about it is
0:53:34 > 0:53:38that it's completely out of scale and style with anything else in the square
0:53:38 > 0:53:43and yet somehow, the juxtaposition works perfectly.
0:53:51 > 0:53:53For those travellers in 1913,
0:53:53 > 0:53:57clutching their Bradshaw's in one hand and John Ruskin in the other,
0:53:57 > 0:54:01Venice was the ultimate art-lover's destination.
0:54:01 > 0:54:04It was a reputation that Venice was quick to make the most of.
0:54:06 > 0:54:08At the end of the 19th century,
0:54:08 > 0:54:12a highly cultured mayor of Venice, meeting with some friends at the Cafe Florian,
0:54:12 > 0:54:15had the idea of an international art exhibition.
0:54:15 > 0:54:18It's been going on since 1895
0:54:18 > 0:54:21and I'm very lucky that my visit coincides with it
0:54:21 > 0:54:25because it's only held every two years and hence its name.
0:54:25 > 0:54:27It's the Venice Biennale.
0:54:38 > 0:54:41Held in the park, or Giardini,
0:54:41 > 0:54:45the Venice Biennale is the international showcase for art.
0:54:45 > 0:54:48Everyone who's anyone wants to be here.
0:54:48 > 0:54:52Andrea Rose is Director of Visual Arts at the British Council
0:54:52 > 0:54:54and is showing me around.
0:54:54 > 0:54:58I've not been to the Biennale before and I'm surprised to find
0:54:58 > 0:55:01that it has permanent national pavilions.
0:55:01 > 0:55:02Was it like that from the early days?
0:55:02 > 0:55:07At the very beginning, everything was in one big building
0:55:07 > 0:55:10but the Italians asked countries to have a room of their own.
0:55:10 > 0:55:13The Belgians built their pavilion first in 1907,
0:55:13 > 0:55:16and then the Italians were keen that the Brits got in on the act,
0:55:16 > 0:55:21so they came to London to persuade us to do it and we did in 1909.
0:55:21 > 0:55:24It's fascinating that what we see today at the Biennale is
0:55:24 > 0:55:27a microcosm of Europe on the brink of the First World War.
0:55:27 > 0:55:31While I'm here, Andrea takes me to the British Pavilion,
0:55:31 > 0:55:36where artist Jeremy Deller presents an exhibition entitled English Magic,
0:55:36 > 0:55:39which he describes as "wistfully aggressive."
0:55:39 > 0:55:42It opens with this provocative image
0:55:42 > 0:55:45of a giant hen harrier crushing a Range Rover.
0:55:46 > 0:55:49What was the state of British art at the beginning of the Biennale in Venice?
0:55:49 > 0:55:53It was fairly conservative. It was genteel, I suppose.
0:55:53 > 0:55:55The Italians weren't too happy
0:55:55 > 0:55:57about anything that was controversial or provocative
0:55:57 > 0:55:59or indeed very modern.
0:55:59 > 0:56:03Curiously enough, Spain tried to show Picasso in 1910
0:56:03 > 0:56:05and the work was removed
0:56:05 > 0:56:08because it was regarded as far too daring and provocative.
0:56:08 > 0:56:10When did it become, as it is now, more provocative?
0:56:10 > 0:56:13I think really after the Second World War.
0:56:13 > 0:56:17It became the showcase for international contemporary art,
0:56:17 > 0:56:18as daring as possible.
0:56:18 > 0:56:22In fact, if you come to Venice and you're not daring, you're damned!
0:56:23 > 0:56:25What do you think has been the significance of the Biennale?
0:56:25 > 0:56:27This is really like the Olympics.
0:56:27 > 0:56:29If you're not here, you're not in the race.
0:56:29 > 0:56:32It's an enormous platform. A global platform.
0:56:32 > 0:56:34This is a cultural coming of age.
0:56:34 > 0:56:38If you Azerbaijan, if you're Colombia, if you're Kuwait,
0:56:38 > 0:56:40and you don't have a pavilion, you still want to be here.
0:56:40 > 0:56:42It shows that you have a creative heart
0:56:42 > 0:56:45and that the world will recognise it.
0:56:45 > 0:56:49And it strikes me that with countries like China and Russia coming back to the fold,
0:56:49 > 0:56:54actually the makeup of the Biennale is something that would be recognisable
0:56:54 > 0:56:57to the Bradshaw traveller of a hundred years ago.
0:56:58 > 0:57:02In 1913 British tourists criss-crossed Europe in search of adventure,
0:57:02 > 0:57:06drawn by the eternal romance of Italy.
0:57:06 > 0:57:09This international love affair continues to this day,
0:57:09 > 0:57:13overwhelming Venice, this ancient floating city.
0:57:14 > 0:57:17It's a place with which the traveller falls in love over and again,
0:57:17 > 0:57:21being irresistible to every generation.
0:57:21 > 0:57:25Britons have been infatuated with Italy for centuries
0:57:25 > 0:57:27and I'm no exception.
0:57:27 > 0:57:33I think the reason is that we find in Italians what we fear we lack.
0:57:33 > 0:57:37For example, a sense of style expressed in a zippy little car,
0:57:37 > 0:57:40a sexy dress or a natty suit
0:57:40 > 0:57:46and we flock to Verona and Venice magnetised by their romance,
0:57:46 > 0:57:50hoping that somehow a little of the Italian knowhow in fashion -
0:57:50 > 0:57:53and in love - may rub off on us.
0:57:58 > 0:58:03Next time, I'll discover how Kaiser Wilhelm II's militarism
0:58:03 > 0:58:06threatened Europe's fragile balance of power.
0:58:06 > 0:58:10I'll let Bradshaw steer me towards Germany's music
0:58:10 > 0:58:12and culture...
0:58:12 > 0:58:16..meinen bosen geist!
0:58:16 > 0:58:19..attempt a 1913 equivalent of a Jane Fonda workout...
0:58:21 > 0:58:25see model railway making on the grandest of scales
0:58:25 > 0:58:28and sample Germany's favourite tipple.
0:58:29 > 0:58:31Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd