0:00:04 > 0:00:07I'm embarking on a new railway adventure that will take me
0:00:07 > 0:00:09across the heart of Europe.
0:00:11 > 0:00:12I'll be using this,
0:00:12 > 0:00:17my Bradshaw's Continental Railway Guide, dated 1913,
0:00:17 > 0:00:20which opened up an exotic world of foreign travel
0:00:20 > 0:00:22for the British tourist.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25It told travellers where to go, what to see,
0:00:25 > 0:00:29and how to navigate the thousands of miles of tracks
0:00:29 > 0:00:31crisscrossing the continent.
0:00:31 > 0:00:32Now, a century later,
0:00:32 > 0:00:37I am using my copy to reveal an era of great optimism and energy,
0:00:37 > 0:00:41where technology, industry, science and the arts were flourishing.
0:00:42 > 0:00:45I want to rediscover that lost Europe
0:00:45 > 0:00:50that in 1913 couldn't know that its way of life would shortly
0:00:50 > 0:00:52be swept aside by the advent of war.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09I'm continuing my railway adventure
0:01:09 > 0:01:12through the stunning landscapes of northern Italy
0:01:12 > 0:01:14from the shores of the Riviera
0:01:14 > 0:01:16to the Alps.
0:01:30 > 0:01:34I began in Genoa, and have travelled east along the coast.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37I'm now approaching the port of La Spezia
0:01:37 > 0:01:39from where I'll turn inland
0:01:39 > 0:01:42towards the cultural and culinary treasures of Parma,
0:01:44 > 0:01:47My journey then takes me north to the Alpine towns of Rovereto
0:01:47 > 0:01:51and Trento before finishing at the Brenner Pass
0:01:51 > 0:01:52on Italy's Austrian border.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57This time I defend the Mediterranean
0:01:57 > 0:01:59with the Italian Navy.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01What do you say in Italian for take that?
0:02:01 > 0:02:03- Prendi la mira!- Prendi la mira!
0:02:03 > 0:02:07Discover how an Edwardian Britain in Italy
0:02:07 > 0:02:10made motoring history.
0:02:10 > 0:02:12He ordered a bottle of champagne
0:02:12 > 0:02:15and he put a glass inside the radiator.
0:02:15 > 0:02:20And reveal a modern engineering marvel buried beneath the Alps.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22EXPLOSION
0:02:28 > 0:02:32It's well known that the First World War was preceded by a dangerous
0:02:32 > 0:02:37arms race between the German and British navies, but listen to this,
0:02:37 > 0:02:38from Bradshaw's -
0:02:38 > 0:02:42"The Italian Navy at the time had 15 battleships, 21 cruisers,
0:02:42 > 0:02:46"35 destroyers and 18 submarines" -
0:02:46 > 0:02:48the navy of an ambitious country.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51I'm arriving in La Spezia.
0:02:51 > 0:02:57The guidebook tells me that it's "a naval port with the largest arsenal and dockyard in Italy."
0:03:10 > 0:03:14Edwardian travellers came here to admire the so-called Bay of Poets,
0:03:14 > 0:03:18frequented by Lord Byron, where Percy Bysshe Shelley drowned.
0:03:19 > 0:03:23By the time of my guide, verses had given way to vessels.
0:03:24 > 0:03:29The royal government commissioned a naval arsenal here in 1861,
0:03:29 > 0:03:33as Italy consolidated its unification.
0:03:33 > 0:03:38And La Spezia is still one of the most important Italian naval bases.
0:03:38 > 0:03:42Gregory Alecci is an expert in Italian military history.
0:03:42 > 0:03:46Gregory, why is it that La Spezia becomes, as my guidebook tells me,
0:03:46 > 0:03:50the premier naval port and dockyard for Italy?
0:03:50 > 0:03:53Well, La Spezia as such is a natural harbour.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56Well defended, which is something navies always look for.
0:03:56 > 0:03:57In broader terms,
0:03:57 > 0:04:02the newly-minted Italian nation intended to build up its navy.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05It grew fourfold within 30 years.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08By the turn of the century, it was the world's third-largest navy.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13Then, in 1911, just before my guidebook was published,
0:04:13 > 0:04:17Italy decided to flex its new-found military muscle.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21In a bid to compete with its imperial neighbours,
0:04:21 > 0:04:23Italy invaded Libya,
0:04:23 > 0:04:25then controlled by the Ottoman Empire.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30The invasion was welcomed by Italian nationalists,
0:04:30 > 0:04:33but the Libya campaign also marked a seminal moment
0:04:33 > 0:04:35in European military history.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39To hear the story, Gregory and I are taking to the sky.
0:04:46 > 0:04:51La Spezia was where the Italian Navy had its first flight experiments.
0:04:51 > 0:04:52During the war with Libya,
0:04:52 > 0:04:58Italy made the first real war operational flights in the world.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01And what use did Italy make of aircraft in Libya?
0:05:01 > 0:05:05Well, over the eight or nine months of the campaign,
0:05:05 > 0:05:07they actually tried everything.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10Scouting, so looking for the enemy.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13Messages. They would report what they had seen
0:05:13 > 0:05:15to troops on the ground,
0:05:15 > 0:05:19literally scribbling notes and dropping them out of the window.
0:05:19 > 0:05:23And eventually something more offensive - dropping bombs.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26An engineer by the name of Giulio Gavotti
0:05:26 > 0:05:30took to the air carrying a small case of 3lb bombs.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32He would put the bomb in a tube,
0:05:32 > 0:05:35and it would be projected well clear of any obstacles.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37And it worked.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39The first hits had great psychological effect.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42The troops and the people on the ground were frightened.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45This was completely new to them.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49Gavotti's bombing had only a modest direct effect,
0:05:49 > 0:05:53but with his flights over Libya, he expanded the scope of warfare,
0:05:53 > 0:05:56helping to shape the conflicts of the 20th century.
0:05:56 > 0:06:00So, the Italians invent aerial bombardment.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03As an historian, what's the significance of that?
0:06:03 > 0:06:05Rather than having to take every inch of ground
0:06:05 > 0:06:07as in the First World War,
0:06:07 > 0:06:10from a great distance, you can achieve results.
0:06:10 > 0:06:14You can hit Germany from Britain.
0:06:14 > 0:06:18You can hit Japan from an obscure island in the Pacific.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21And the idea is that you can shorten war.
0:06:21 > 0:06:23And that idea is still with us today.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31While the Mediterranean remains the focus for the Italian military....
0:06:31 > 0:06:33Buon giorno.
0:06:33 > 0:06:37'..the challenges and the technologies available to confront them are always changing.'
0:06:40 > 0:06:41WHISTLE BLOWS
0:06:42 > 0:06:45'Captain Giancarlo Ciappina honours me
0:06:45 > 0:06:48'by piping me aboard his frigate.'
0:06:48 > 0:06:49Good morning, Michael.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52Welcome onboard the ITS Virginio Fasan.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54Captain Ciappina. Onore e privilegio mio.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56- Oh, very nice meeting you. - Thank you.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02Captain, this ship, which I think you call a frigate,
0:07:02 > 0:07:05is actually extremely capable.
0:07:05 > 0:07:06What is it built to do?
0:07:06 > 0:07:08This is a multipurpose frigate.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11So it's supposed to do a lot of missions.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14Conventional warfare, anti-piracy, illegal immigration control,
0:07:14 > 0:07:19protection of our traffic lines in the Mediterranean Sea.
0:07:20 > 0:07:22In today's unpredictable world,
0:07:22 > 0:07:24armed forces must be prepared for anything.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29Should piracy re-emerge as a threat in the Mediterranean,
0:07:29 > 0:07:31frigates like this will be in the front line.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38Meanwhile, Captain Ciappina allows me to indulge
0:07:38 > 0:07:40my swashbuckling fantasies.
0:07:42 > 0:07:46Please, Michael, I'm going to show you right now our self-defence gun.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49This gun is a 25mm gun.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52And this is used, of course, against small targets.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54Just have a comfortable seat over here.
0:07:54 > 0:07:58And just be very gentle.
0:07:58 > 0:07:59Now, lift this, and you can move it.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02Ah, bene.
0:08:02 > 0:08:04Here we go. That's the way.
0:08:04 > 0:08:06Up and down, you move the barrel, this way.
0:08:07 > 0:08:09- All right.- Captain,
0:08:09 > 0:08:13I'm just going to drop the barrel to take aim at that pirate.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15What do you say in Italian for "take that!"?
0:08:15 > 0:08:17- Prendi la mira!- Prendi la mira!
0:08:22 > 0:08:25I'm leaving La Spezia and the Italian Riviera behind.
0:08:27 > 0:08:31My next train is carrying me inland into the province of Emilia Romagna,
0:08:31 > 0:08:34which lies between Italy's Mediterranean shores
0:08:34 > 0:08:37and the cooler mountains to the north.
0:08:41 > 0:08:45This region's unique microclimate has helped to make it a magnet
0:08:45 > 0:08:47for gastronomes.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49I'll shortly be arriving in Parma.
0:08:49 > 0:08:53Bradshaw's promises, "a cathedral, libraries,
0:08:53 > 0:08:56"collections of paintings and antiquities."
0:08:56 > 0:08:59But at this stage of the journey, I need not just food for thought,
0:08:59 > 0:09:05but food, and Parma goes together with ham like love and marriage.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07And I want a slice of it.
0:09:24 > 0:09:26According to my 1913 guide,
0:09:26 > 0:09:29"Parma is a place of very old foundation
0:09:29 > 0:09:32"but presents a quite modern appearance."
0:09:32 > 0:09:37On first impressions, Parma has lost none of its fin de siecle charm.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39For a classic taste of the city,
0:09:39 > 0:09:42I head for a traditional shop run by Silvano Romani,
0:09:42 > 0:09:44and his father before him,
0:09:44 > 0:09:46since 1965.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48- Buona sera.- Michael.- Ciao.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51- Sono Silvano.- Piacere.- Ciao.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53You want to cut some prosciutto with us?
0:09:53 > 0:09:55Yes, grazie!
0:09:55 > 0:09:57De la?
0:09:57 > 0:10:01Parma ham has been recognised as a delicacy for centuries.
0:10:01 > 0:10:05The pigs are fed on the whey that's drained from the curd while making
0:10:05 > 0:10:07Parmesan cheese.
0:10:07 > 0:10:12The resulting ham is air dried and the humidity in Parma contributes to
0:10:12 > 0:10:13its unique flavour.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17- Molto gentile.- Molto gentile.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22- Piu veloce.- Piu rapido. A bit faster.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24OK, bravissimo!
0:10:24 > 0:10:25Bring the knife up...
0:10:25 > 0:10:26HE SPEAKS ITALIAN
0:10:28 > 0:10:30- Oh!- Buono, buono! - Buono, buono, buono!
0:10:30 > 0:10:32I'm so excited!
0:10:32 > 0:10:33Michael, number one!
0:10:33 > 0:10:35Can we taste it?
0:10:35 > 0:10:37Si, si!
0:10:38 > 0:10:41I'm going to start with some Parmesan cheese.
0:10:41 > 0:10:43Trenta mesi in montagna.
0:10:43 > 0:10:4530 months old...
0:10:45 > 0:10:47HE CONTINUES IN ITALIAN
0:10:51 > 0:10:53Absolutely pure, that is milk and salt.
0:10:55 > 0:10:57Milk from the mountain, it's wonderful.
0:10:57 > 0:10:58Mmm!
0:10:58 > 0:11:01The longer it sits, the more flavourful it is.
0:11:01 > 0:11:03Well, this is immensely flavourful.
0:11:04 > 0:11:06Fantastico! Auguri!
0:11:06 > 0:11:09- Congratulations!- Grazie!
0:11:09 > 0:11:11You may think me cheesy,
0:11:11 > 0:11:13but in Parma, I'm a ham!
0:11:16 > 0:11:18Ha-ha!
0:11:18 > 0:11:20- She does understand!- Yes, I did!
0:11:25 > 0:11:29As well as its culinary delights, Parma provides a musical feast.
0:11:29 > 0:11:34Composer Giuseppe Verdi was born just 20 miles away, in 1813.
0:11:36 > 0:11:40A century later, when my guidebook was still hot off the press,
0:11:40 > 0:11:44tourists flocked here to honour Parma's most famous son.
0:11:48 > 0:11:52I'm thrilled to be invited to the world-famous Teatro Regio,
0:11:52 > 0:11:55one of Italy's most prestigious opera houses,
0:11:55 > 0:11:59to hear the story from general manager Anna Maria Meo.
0:11:59 > 0:12:04Anna, it seems that in 1913 you had the most enormous celebration
0:12:04 > 0:12:06of Verdi's centenary.
0:12:06 > 0:12:10Of course. It was a need to celebrate Verdi.
0:12:10 > 0:12:14It was a special need by all the population here in Parma.
0:12:14 > 0:12:19They wanted to honour the composer in the best way possible.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22The three month-long exhibition
0:12:22 > 0:12:25featured a dazzling array of attractions,
0:12:25 > 0:12:26including performances,
0:12:26 > 0:12:29displays of industrial and agricultural prowess
0:12:29 > 0:12:31and sporting tournaments.
0:12:32 > 0:12:36So, what does Parma feel about Verdi?
0:12:36 > 0:12:38Something that is part of the heart.
0:12:38 > 0:12:42Verdi's lovers, they know every single note,
0:12:42 > 0:12:45they know every single word of the librettos,
0:12:45 > 0:12:50so whoever sings here has a very difficult judgment
0:12:50 > 0:12:51from the loggionna,
0:12:51 > 0:12:55which is the balcony, which are the more popular seats.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58So the singers are worried about what's going on in the cheap seats?
0:12:58 > 0:13:00Very, very worried
0:13:00 > 0:13:04because if the loggionna doesn't like your interpretation,
0:13:04 > 0:13:06they don't hesitate to boo.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09They are like soccer fans.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18Entering the exquisite auditorium of the Teatro Regio,
0:13:18 > 0:13:22it's hard to imagine fans in the ornate balcony heckling.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28Verdi was a staunch supporter of Italian unification.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31And this seems an appropriate setting for works that still
0:13:31 > 0:13:34stir the national soul.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38For centuries, before television and cinema,
0:13:38 > 0:13:44these buildings were the places where performers hatched illusions,
0:13:44 > 0:13:49and I like opera because it is today I think the most complex thing,
0:13:49 > 0:13:52bringing together orchestra, soloists,
0:13:52 > 0:13:57chorus, dancers, sets, lighting,
0:13:57 > 0:13:59magic.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04CHORUS SINGS IN ITALIAN
0:14:06 > 0:14:08HE GIVES INSTRUCTIONS
0:14:25 > 0:14:28The great Verdi choruses were repeated
0:14:28 > 0:14:31by crowds of patriotic Italians in their day,
0:14:31 > 0:14:35but it's fascinating to see how the professional chorus has to
0:14:35 > 0:14:39rehearse again and again to achieve perfection.
0:15:00 > 0:15:02Un cappuccino, per favore.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09My train ride today will take me to a huge change of scenery
0:15:09 > 0:15:12and of culture.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21With 170km to cover on this leg of my journey,
0:15:21 > 0:15:23I'm taking the fast train.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26It carries me north-east,
0:15:26 > 0:15:28across the fertile plains of the Po Valley
0:15:28 > 0:15:31and toward the foothills of the Alps.
0:15:38 > 0:15:43A century ago, the traveller on this line would shortly have crossed into
0:15:43 > 0:15:47Austria-Hungary, because the border in those days ran along
0:15:47 > 0:15:50the northern shore of Lake Garda,
0:15:50 > 0:15:54even though many Italian speakers lived further north.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57After the First World War,
0:15:57 > 0:16:00the victorious Allies redrew the border with Austria
0:16:00 > 0:16:05here at the Brenner Pass, and the rechristening of these towns
0:16:05 > 0:16:08with Italian names began.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23My next stop is beautiful Rovereto,
0:16:23 > 0:16:26built along the Adige River
0:16:26 > 0:16:29and dominated by its 14th-century castle.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32In the early 20th century,
0:16:32 > 0:16:35all eyes turned to it during a celebrated challenge
0:16:35 > 0:16:38for the world's best-known carmakers, the Alpine Trial.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44I'm reliving the glamour and excitement
0:16:44 > 0:16:45in one of the most luxurious cars
0:16:45 > 0:16:48available to the 21st-century motorist,
0:16:48 > 0:16:50a Rolls-Royce Dawn.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56Sharing the thrill on the winding roads above Rovereto
0:16:56 > 0:16:59is motoring writer Davide Bassoli.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03What were these trials that were held here
0:17:03 > 0:17:06in the early part of the 20th century?
0:17:06 > 0:17:10Yeah, the Alpine Trial was an endurance test
0:17:10 > 0:17:12for the major car manufacturers.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15These endurance tests had rules.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18One of the rules was that the cars cannot stall,
0:17:18 > 0:17:21and this was for 1,800km,
0:17:21 > 0:17:241,200 miles.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26What sort of technology did they have in those days?
0:17:26 > 0:17:29The gearbox was very difficult to use
0:17:29 > 0:17:31because you needed the double-declutching,
0:17:31 > 0:17:34not just for the down change but also for the up change.
0:17:34 > 0:17:38So it was very, very difficult to drive those cars
0:17:38 > 0:17:40and also the steering - no power steering at all.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46Rolls-Royce knew that a win at the trial
0:17:46 > 0:17:50would show the world what British engineering could do.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53In 1912, British motorist James Radley
0:17:53 > 0:17:58tried and failed when his Silver Ghost stalled on the mountain roads.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00But Radley was not to be deterred.
0:18:02 > 0:18:07In 1913, the next year, they entered four cars.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10Three cars were official by Rolls-Royce
0:18:10 > 0:18:13and one private, by James Radley.
0:18:13 > 0:18:17When James Radley took delivery of the car in London,
0:18:17 > 0:18:19to christen the car,
0:18:19 > 0:18:21he ordered a bottle of champagne,
0:18:21 > 0:18:24and he poured a glass inside the radiator.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27So, at the end of the trial, what is the result?
0:18:27 > 0:18:28Oh, it was immense.
0:18:28 > 0:18:32James Radley was the man who won this race.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35In Europe, and outside Europe, also in America,
0:18:35 > 0:18:39everybody knew now about the Rolls-Royce and its reliability,
0:18:39 > 0:18:42and Europe and the world realised that that was
0:18:42 > 0:18:44the best car in the world.
0:18:51 > 0:18:55My four-wheeled alpine diversion has been invigorating
0:18:55 > 0:18:58but the rails beckon once more.
0:19:03 > 0:19:05The Brenner Railway transports me north,
0:19:05 > 0:19:07through the province of Trentino.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12My next stop will be Trent, or Trento.
0:19:12 > 0:19:18It's in Italy today but appears in Bradshaw's in the Austrian section.
0:19:18 > 0:19:20"It has many fine streets,
0:19:20 > 0:19:24"palaces and towers, and is thoroughly Italian in character."
0:19:27 > 0:19:29At the time of my guidebook,
0:19:29 > 0:19:32the status of Italian-speaking places like Trento
0:19:32 > 0:19:34was increasingly controversial.
0:19:38 > 0:19:43Some felt the unification of Italy wouldn't be complete until these
0:19:43 > 0:19:47so-called unredeemed lands were part of the motherland.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50An ardent campaigner was Cesare Battisti.
0:19:50 > 0:19:54Historian Francesco Frizzera is sharing the story.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57- Hello, Michael.- How are you? - I'm fine, thanks.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00- Nice to meet you.- Nice to be here.
0:20:00 > 0:20:04- Who was Battisti? - Well, Battisti was a socialist,
0:20:04 > 0:20:07he was born in Trento, just over there.
0:20:07 > 0:20:08He was convinced that the
0:20:08 > 0:20:11Italian-speaking population of Trentino
0:20:11 > 0:20:15could have better working opportunities in Italy
0:20:15 > 0:20:20because they were a minority group in Austria-Hungary.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23But the local population was used to the status quo
0:20:23 > 0:20:27and loyal to the Austro-Hungarian crown.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30Battisti set out to use the press to win hearts and minds.
0:20:32 > 0:20:36He founded a very important newspaper, whose name is Il Popolo.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39That was a socialist newspaper.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41He became a formidable journalist
0:20:41 > 0:20:47and he developed a great ability to manage the public opinion.
0:20:47 > 0:20:51The nationalist cause in Trentino gained momentum.
0:20:51 > 0:20:55But it was war that would change the province's destiny.
0:20:55 > 0:20:59When the First World War erupted, Italy took a neutral stance,
0:20:59 > 0:21:02but Battisti fought to change that.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05In 1914, he fled to Italy
0:21:05 > 0:21:08and then he organised a great campaign
0:21:08 > 0:21:11to convince the Italian middle class
0:21:11 > 0:21:14to join the war against Austria-Hungary.
0:21:14 > 0:21:19You have to think that Italy and Austria were allied since 1882
0:21:19 > 0:21:26and, also, the Italian parliament in 1914 was against the war.
0:21:26 > 0:21:30Nevertheless, he was able to convince the Italian public opinion
0:21:30 > 0:21:31to enter the war.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34The Allies had promised to redraw the Italian border
0:21:34 > 0:21:37in the event of victory.
0:21:37 > 0:21:39After four years of bloodshed,
0:21:39 > 0:21:43the Treaty of Saint-Germain gave Trentino to Italy.
0:21:43 > 0:21:47Battisti's vision was realised, but he didn't live to see it.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49Fighting for Italy in 1916,
0:21:49 > 0:21:54he was captured by Austrian troops and executed for treason.
0:21:55 > 0:21:59The skilful use of the media, the manipulation of public opinion,
0:21:59 > 0:22:03these are sometimes known as the black arts of politics.
0:22:03 > 0:22:07Starting from a position where the Italian population of Trento
0:22:07 > 0:22:11didn't feel discontent living under a foreign emperor,
0:22:11 > 0:22:15Cesare Battisti managed to persuade all of Italy
0:22:15 > 0:22:17to go to war with Austria-Hungary.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20Quite an achievement.
0:22:39 > 0:22:43I've re-joined the railway line north of Trento
0:22:43 > 0:22:45on a delightful morning
0:22:45 > 0:22:48at a beautiful railway station called Vipiteno.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56On the final leg of my journey,
0:22:56 > 0:22:59I'm climbing 21km north-east into the Alps
0:22:59 > 0:23:02to Brenner on what is now the Austrian border.
0:23:11 > 0:23:15Bradshaw's recommends the spa of Brennerbad,
0:23:15 > 0:23:184,390 feet above sea level
0:23:18 > 0:23:22at the watershed between the Adriatic and the Black Sea,
0:23:22 > 0:23:26at the highest point of the celebrated Brenner Railway.
0:23:26 > 0:23:30The Brenner Pass, for centuries the route for armies and pilgrims,
0:23:30 > 0:23:33was mastered by the railways in the 19th century.
0:23:33 > 0:23:37I'm keen to penetrate how they're boring ahead today.
0:23:48 > 0:23:54At 1,371 metres, the Brenner Pass is the lowest in the Alps.
0:23:54 > 0:23:59The Austria-Hungarian Empire built the first railway here in 1867,
0:23:59 > 0:24:02and almost half of all alpine freight
0:24:02 > 0:24:05still passes along this route.
0:24:05 > 0:24:09But the line is steep and curved, with inclines of up to one in 37.
0:24:09 > 0:24:13Now a new high-speed railway
0:24:13 > 0:24:15will bore straight under the mountains in the
0:24:15 > 0:24:18world's second-longest tunnel, the Brenner Base Tunnel,
0:24:18 > 0:24:22and I'm privileged to get a look behind the scenes.
0:24:23 > 0:24:27Hi, Michael. Nice to have you here on the Brenner Base Tunnel Project.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29I can't wait to see it.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31To reveal the vast scale of the project,
0:24:31 > 0:24:35Simon Lochmann is driving me deep beneath the mountain,
0:24:35 > 0:24:38and the first thing that hits you is the smell.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41The smell is because of the explosions.
0:24:41 > 0:24:43When explosive gets in contact with concrete,
0:24:43 > 0:24:46it has a kind of sulphate-ammonia smell.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49On the current twisting rail route,
0:24:49 > 0:24:53speeds rarely exceed 70km per hour.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56The engineers here are literally moving mountains
0:24:56 > 0:25:01in order to cut journey times across the Alps.
0:25:02 > 0:25:06So what you are seeing here is the main tunnel tube
0:25:06 > 0:25:08of the Brenner Base Tunnel.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11We have two big tubes where the tracks are inside,
0:25:11 > 0:25:13there's just a single track,
0:25:13 > 0:25:15and the trains always go just in one direction.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18That permits us also to go at quite a high velocity,
0:25:18 > 0:25:23that means the trains can reach up to 250km per hour.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26And what size is all this going to be?
0:25:26 > 0:25:30From Innsbruck to Fortezza in Italy is 55km long.
0:25:30 > 0:25:35So we have an entire tunnel system of around 230km to do,
0:25:35 > 0:25:40and all this spoil has to come out of the mountain, of course.
0:25:40 > 0:25:45Immense tunnel-boring machines drill the main tunnel tubes,
0:25:45 > 0:25:48but for smaller sections, explosives are used.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51Simon, what are these guys here doing?
0:25:51 > 0:25:54So they are preparing the next explosion here.
0:25:54 > 0:25:56How far forward will that take them?
0:25:56 > 0:26:00Normally, we are making 1.7 metres every time we make an explosion,
0:26:00 > 0:26:03but it could be that we make 2 metres or 1.3.
0:26:03 > 0:26:05It's really depending on the rock.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09That's an awful lot of bangs to build your tunnel.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12This boring machine has two arms on each side,
0:26:12 > 0:26:17and they're used to thrust forward this drill into the mountain
0:26:17 > 0:26:22and into those boreholes the explosive will be placed,
0:26:22 > 0:26:24and following the explosion, with luck,
0:26:24 > 0:26:29we'll be 1.7 metres nearer to our destination.
0:26:29 > 0:26:33Travellers on the Brenner Railway above have no idea that beneath them
0:26:33 > 0:26:37there's an explosion every three to six hours.
0:26:37 > 0:26:39HE SHOUTS
0:26:42 > 0:26:46The Brenner Base Tunnel should open in 2026,
0:26:46 > 0:26:49revolutionising trade and travel throughout Europe.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52The project's ambition and complexity
0:26:52 > 0:26:56underline the achievement of those 19th-century engineers
0:26:56 > 0:27:00on whose success we've relied for more than 100 years.
0:27:00 > 0:27:05On my journey through many tunnels, I've seen how brilliant were the
0:27:05 > 0:27:09Italian railway-builders of the 19th century.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12Some Italians thought that a modern nation's prestige
0:27:12 > 0:27:14required colonies too
0:27:14 > 0:27:17and were lured into the First World War
0:27:17 > 0:27:20by British promises of territorial gain.
0:27:20 > 0:27:24Italy then fell victim to the extreme nationalism
0:27:24 > 0:27:28of Mussolini's fascists and to defeat in World War II.
0:27:28 > 0:27:33It has emerged from that darkness into true modernity and, today,
0:27:33 > 0:27:39once more, expresses its ambition and its internationalism through
0:27:39 > 0:27:42dramatic civil engineering.
0:27:46 > 0:27:51'Next time, I take an invigorating dip in the Baltic Sea...'
0:27:51 > 0:27:54Absolutely FREEZING!
0:27:54 > 0:27:58'..I'm caught up in a macabre medieval tournament...'
0:27:58 > 0:28:00It seems to be very brutal.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03They're using their shields to strike each other's throats.
0:28:03 > 0:28:05'..the bell tolls for me...'
0:28:05 > 0:28:07BELL CLANGS
0:28:07 > 0:28:09That's an enormous noise.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12'..and I find peace on the water.'
0:28:12 > 0:28:15A completely different and special moment.