0:00:03 > 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 > 0:01:10I'm starting a new rail journey through northern Italy,
0:01:10 > 0:01:15where Bradshaw tourists sought out picturesque coastal resorts
0:01:15 > 0:01:16and stunning mountain scenery.
0:01:24 > 0:01:26By the time of my guidebook,
0:01:26 > 0:01:30Italy had been a united kingdom for about 50 years,
0:01:30 > 0:01:33and was one of the largest countries in Western Europe.
0:01:33 > 0:01:37But its economy was relatively backward.
0:01:37 > 0:01:43And it had no empire to compare with those of Britain, Holland and France.
0:01:43 > 0:01:47What's more, some Italians argued that the unification process should
0:01:47 > 0:01:51continue, as numerous Italians lived outside the kingdom,
0:01:51 > 0:01:56as subjects of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary.
0:01:56 > 0:02:00The astute Bradshaw traveller might have detected a tendency towards
0:02:00 > 0:02:06nationalism and imperialism, which, as the 20th century progressed,
0:02:06 > 0:02:08would bring catastrophe to Italy.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14'Following railway lines carved through coastal cliffs
0:02:14 > 0:02:15'and mountain passes,
0:02:15 > 0:02:19'I'll learn how expansionist political ambitions
0:02:19 > 0:02:20'drove technology.'
0:02:20 > 0:02:22What do you say in Italian for "take that"?
0:02:22 > 0:02:24Prendi la mira.
0:02:24 > 0:02:25Prendi la mira!
0:02:25 > 0:02:29'And how modern innovation is reshaping the railway network today.'
0:02:29 > 0:02:30Fire!
0:02:34 > 0:02:35'I'll discover how, a century ago,
0:02:35 > 0:02:39'Britons made their mark on Italian culture, from motorsport...'
0:02:39 > 0:02:42He ordered a bottle of champagne and he poured a glass
0:02:42 > 0:02:45inside the radiator. Yeah.
0:02:45 > 0:02:46'..to football.'
0:02:46 > 0:02:49My country's future depends on this.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54'And get a taste of Edwardian era Italy.'
0:02:55 > 0:02:58Buono, buono, buono! I'm so excited!
0:02:58 > 0:03:00THEY SING IN ITALIAN
0:03:09 > 0:03:11Grazie.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17My journey will take me from the shores of the Mediterranean
0:03:17 > 0:03:19to the foothills of the Alps.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23Starting in Genoa, the capital of Liguria,
0:03:23 > 0:03:25I'll explore the Italian Riviera,
0:03:25 > 0:03:28taking in the luxury resort of Portofino
0:03:28 > 0:03:31and the naval city of La Spezia.
0:03:31 > 0:03:35Turning inland, I'll stop off at the gastronomic hot spot Parma,
0:03:35 > 0:03:37en route for the Alpine city of Trento,
0:03:37 > 0:03:41finishing my journey where the railway pierces the mountains
0:03:41 > 0:03:42at the Brenner Pass.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56My first port of call will be Genoa,
0:03:56 > 0:04:00which Bradshaw's tells me is the chief commercial city of Italy.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04"Viewed from the harbour, the beauty of the city is striking,
0:04:04 > 0:04:08"and this, associated with the number of its palaces, justifies
0:04:08 > 0:04:11"the qualification la superba."
0:04:11 > 0:04:15La superba means not so much superb as proud,
0:04:15 > 0:04:17possibly even arrogant.
0:04:17 > 0:04:21And I would like to know what made this city so high and mighty.
0:04:24 > 0:04:26TANNOY ANNOUNCEMENT IN ITALIAN
0:04:35 > 0:04:38I arrive at the Stazione Piazza Principe,
0:04:38 > 0:04:41which my Bradshaw's describes as the principal railway station
0:04:41 > 0:04:43close to the old harbour.
0:04:46 > 0:04:50The ornate decorations denote the city's pride in its railways,
0:04:50 > 0:04:53but Genoa's primary love was the sea.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57The first thing the rail traveller sees
0:04:57 > 0:05:01is a statute to the most famous of all Genoese, Christopher Columbus,
0:05:01 > 0:05:04the first European to set foot in the Americas,
0:05:04 > 0:05:07who made a fortune for his royal patrons.
0:05:07 > 0:05:11Unfortunately for Italy, they were the King and Queen of Spain.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14But he personally was very charitable.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16He gave one-tenth of his wealth
0:05:16 > 0:05:21to the bank of St George in Genoa for the relief of taxation on food.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38Columbus might not have made Genoa rich,
0:05:38 > 0:05:41but as I arrive in this stunning city today,
0:05:41 > 0:05:44it's clear to me that something or someone did.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52True to my guidebook's description,
0:05:52 > 0:05:56the modern bustling harbour is backed by historic streets
0:05:56 > 0:05:58where lavish palazzi abound.
0:06:03 > 0:06:05I love these Genoa palaces.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07They're so ornate.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10They've got balustrades, and carvings, and little figurines.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13And I imagine the competition between the great rich families,
0:06:13 > 0:06:17the Spinola family saying to their architect, "Look,
0:06:17 > 0:06:20"those Grimaldis have got a fantastic cornice
0:06:20 > 0:06:23"and we have to have an even better one."
0:06:23 > 0:06:25How to keep up with the Grimaldis.
0:06:31 > 0:06:35I followed Bradshaw's to the palazzo-lined Via Grimaldi,
0:06:35 > 0:06:38where guide Paola Terrile will tell me about
0:06:38 > 0:06:40the source of this maritime city's wealth.
0:06:41 > 0:06:45Paola, when was the heyday of Genoa?
0:06:45 > 0:06:46The real heyday,
0:06:46 > 0:06:52the golden centre of Genoa, was between the 16th and 17th century.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55And why did Genoa become so rich and so successful?
0:06:55 > 0:06:59Because after the discovery of America in 1528,
0:06:59 > 0:07:02the Admiral Andrea Doria was in charge of the government
0:07:02 > 0:07:04and he made an alliance with Spain.
0:07:04 > 0:07:08Spain had financed Christopher Columbus and for everything that was
0:07:08 > 0:07:11discovered in the New World, it belonged to the Spanish crown.
0:07:11 > 0:07:15Andrea Doria put his fleet of ships at the service of the Spanish
0:07:15 > 0:07:17to fight the pirates in the Mediterranean
0:07:17 > 0:07:20and in exchange he obtained for Genoa
0:07:20 > 0:07:22the monopoly of all the transportation
0:07:22 > 0:07:25from the New World to the Mediterranean.
0:07:25 > 0:07:29As Genoese ships crossed the Atlantic, laden with sugar,
0:07:29 > 0:07:33spices, precious metals and tobacco from the Americas,
0:07:33 > 0:07:35the city's ship-owning families made their fortunes.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39During that period, Genoa became
0:07:39 > 0:07:42one of the most important financial centres in Europe.
0:07:42 > 0:07:46The merchants became so wealthy trading with the New World that
0:07:46 > 0:07:48they started to work as bankers.
0:07:48 > 0:07:52There was a saying that went like this - gold and silver are born in
0:07:52 > 0:07:56America, they die in Spain, but they are buried in Genoa.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59And I suppose it's because of that wealth that we have these lovely
0:07:59 > 0:08:01palaces which are mentioned in Bradshaw's?
0:08:01 > 0:08:03That's right, yes.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06This is the historic context when these mansions were built.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10And this street was called the Strada Nuova when it was built,
0:08:10 > 0:08:12which means the New Street.
0:08:12 > 0:08:14Because it was a new way of living.
0:08:14 > 0:08:18It was the first time in Europe when a group of families decided to build
0:08:18 > 0:08:19a private district.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24MALE CHORAL SINGING IN ITALIAN
0:08:32 > 0:08:36Today, the area around the Via Garibaldi is considered
0:08:36 > 0:08:37the "old town".
0:08:37 > 0:08:39But the city is no museum -
0:08:39 > 0:08:43Genoa is very alive and the energy is palpable.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57What's this kind of singing called?
0:08:57 > 0:08:59- It's Trallalero.- Trallalero.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01And what's its origin?
0:09:01 > 0:09:02Do you know?
0:09:02 > 0:09:11Yes. The men who worked in the port began to sing to pass time.
0:09:11 > 0:09:15Then they exported everywhere in Genoa
0:09:15 > 0:09:20and it has become a very typical tradition here.
0:09:20 > 0:09:22- It's beautiful.- Yes.
0:09:27 > 0:09:28HE INVITES HIM IN ITALIAN
0:09:30 > 0:09:34Do I want to listen to it in the centre? Grazie! Si, si.
0:09:37 > 0:09:38THEY SING IN ITALIAN
0:10:02 > 0:10:04Grazie!
0:10:04 > 0:10:06What a special moment. Grazie.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18I could linger in these lively streets for hours,
0:10:18 > 0:10:22but to understand the city better, I head to the waterfront
0:10:22 > 0:10:27to explore what is still Italy's most important commercial port.
0:10:27 > 0:10:31Last year, over 12 million tonnes of goods, packed into containers,
0:10:31 > 0:10:32left its harbour.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37After the country was united in 1861,
0:10:37 > 0:10:39the north of Italy raced to industrialise
0:10:39 > 0:10:43and to compete with its European neighbours.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46I'm meeting history professor Ferdinando Fasce,
0:10:46 > 0:10:49to discover the role that Genoa played in that transformation.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53By the end of the 19th century and 20th century,
0:10:53 > 0:10:55the golden age of the palaces is over.
0:10:55 > 0:10:56What is happening to Genoa then?
0:10:56 > 0:10:58Well, it was actually undergoing a new...
0:10:58 > 0:11:01something like a new golden age,
0:11:01 > 0:11:04because Genoa becomes a global city again
0:11:04 > 0:11:08due to international trade, shipping, shipbuilding
0:11:08 > 0:11:09and so forth and so on.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12How did the industrialisation of Northern Italy work?
0:11:12 > 0:11:13What were the components?
0:11:13 > 0:11:16Well, the components were three main places.
0:11:16 > 0:11:18That is Turin, Milan and Genoa.
0:11:18 > 0:11:20The so-called industrial triangle.
0:11:22 > 0:11:26The factories of that triangle needed to import coal for power.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29Where was coal coming from?
0:11:29 > 0:11:32Mostly from Britain because of the quality of the coal
0:11:32 > 0:11:35and also because of the long-standing relationship
0:11:35 > 0:11:36between Britain and Genoa.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39It sounds as though at the end of the 19th century,
0:11:39 > 0:11:40beginning of the 20th century,
0:11:40 > 0:11:43it's quite a strong link between Genoa and Britain.
0:11:43 > 0:11:45Did it leave its mark on the city?
0:11:45 > 0:11:50Absolutely, because there was quite a conspicuous community of British
0:11:50 > 0:11:51people living in the city -
0:11:51 > 0:11:55merchants, brokers, professionals, technicians.
0:11:55 > 0:11:59Those British ships and workers brought with them British customs,
0:11:59 > 0:12:04including a sport that the Italians would soon clutch to their hearts.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07It was British people who brought here football.
0:12:07 > 0:12:08How did that happen?
0:12:08 > 0:12:12Some British professionals working here decided to
0:12:12 > 0:12:13establish a cricket club,
0:12:13 > 0:12:16and that extended to comprise footballs as well
0:12:16 > 0:12:19and it was a guy named Spensley,
0:12:19 > 0:12:22who was a doctor on the British coal ships,
0:12:22 > 0:12:25who started all this business.
0:12:25 > 0:12:30Dr James Richardson Spensley arrived in 1897
0:12:30 > 0:12:32to care for the crews of British coal ships.
0:12:32 > 0:12:37He joined the expatriates at Genoa Cricket and Athletic Club
0:12:37 > 0:12:40and persuaded them to add a new game to their repertoire.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43So, do you mean the Italians didn't have football then?
0:12:43 > 0:12:47Actually, there was some kind of a football but it was quite different
0:12:47 > 0:12:49from the British football.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52A year later, Dr Spensley became manager,
0:12:52 > 0:12:55opened the club to Italians and changed the name
0:12:55 > 0:12:57to Genoa Cricket and Football Club,
0:12:57 > 0:13:00creating Italy's first official football team.
0:13:01 > 0:13:06In 1898, Genoa won the inaugural Italian national football championships
0:13:06 > 0:13:08and the rest is history.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13Fernando, you must be proud of the Genoa football team
0:13:13 > 0:13:15since it is so historic?
0:13:15 > 0:13:16Absolutely, yes.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19It has a great tradition.
0:13:19 > 0:13:23I do admire it even though I must say that I pull for the other team, Sampdoria.
0:13:32 > 0:13:37Today, Genoa CFC remains one of Italy's top teams.
0:13:37 > 0:13:41To make sure that it lives up to the city's proud footballing heritage,
0:13:41 > 0:13:44the club needs to nurture future talent.
0:13:44 > 0:13:48I'm dropping in on the youth squad, which trains at the Sciorba Stadium.
0:13:50 > 0:13:54Coach Manuel Rimassa has invited me to put my best foot forward.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57Hello, Manuel, I'm Michael.
0:13:57 > 0:13:58Nice to meet you, Michael.
0:13:58 > 0:14:02Very nice to meet you. What are the chances that one of these lads could be a star one day, do you think?
0:14:02 > 0:14:03Depends by them, is a difficult way.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06They increase their level training by training,
0:14:06 > 0:14:08day by day, month by month.
0:14:08 > 0:14:09But it is not a simple way.
0:14:09 > 0:14:10You need to be also lucky.
0:14:10 > 0:14:12Are these Genoa lads or
0:14:12 > 0:14:13are they from all over Italy?
0:14:13 > 0:14:16They are from Genoa or close to Genoa.
0:14:16 > 0:14:21This is our idea to find a player in our region, Liguria.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25Good, that's good, that's good.
0:14:25 > 0:14:27This is Genoa Cricket and Football Club.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30Does the name James Richardson Spensley mean something to you?
0:14:30 > 0:14:32He is special for us.
0:14:32 > 0:14:37He founded Genoa and created the football in Italy.
0:14:37 > 0:14:38How good is your cricket, Manuel?
0:14:38 > 0:14:41Not very well. I prefer football, for sure.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43What does Genoa CFC mean for you?
0:14:43 > 0:14:47Frank Sinatra say I feel you under my skin.
0:14:47 > 0:14:48I can say that about Genoa.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51You can feel Genoa under your skin.
0:14:51 > 0:14:52It's pure passion.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56'Who could resist such enthusiasm?
0:14:56 > 0:14:59'Maybe Manuel can succeed where others have failed
0:14:59 > 0:15:01'and make a goalkeeper out of me.'
0:15:01 > 0:15:02Ready!
0:15:09 > 0:15:12Come on, Michael, you can do better. Come on!
0:15:15 > 0:15:17Close, Michael.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19My country's future depends on this.
0:15:26 > 0:15:28'Che fermata! What a save!'
0:15:36 > 0:15:39After all that effort, I need to refuel.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42There's no better way to fill up a hungry Genoese footballer
0:15:42 > 0:15:45or dock worker than with a hearty plate of pasta
0:15:45 > 0:15:48served in the traditional local style.
0:15:49 > 0:15:53I've come to Bar Greta to be schooled in Genoa's signature dish
0:15:53 > 0:15:55by Mariapia Merzagora.
0:15:55 > 0:15:56- Hello.- Hi. I'm Michael.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58Mariapia.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01Now, this is lovely. You have all the ingredients for pesto.
0:16:01 > 0:16:03Pesto. Genovese.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05This is very typical for Genoa, is it?
0:16:05 > 0:16:09Very, very typical - only in Genoa you can eat.
0:16:09 > 0:16:10So, what do you have here?
0:16:10 > 0:16:14So, is basil, then we have pine nuts, garlic,
0:16:14 > 0:16:19and Parmesan and hard Sardinian cheese.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22- I am your slave. Tell me how we make the pesto.- Allora.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26'The word pesto means something that has been pounded.'
0:16:28 > 0:16:31- It's a lot of work.- Yes.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35The great thing is, you lose more weight making it than you put on eating it.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37Yes, and then you can eat it again.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41Boss tells me that it's not done yet.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43Ancora un po'.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45Ancora un po'!
0:16:45 > 0:16:47Just a little.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50The secret of good pesto is...
0:16:50 > 0:16:51Muscle!
0:16:53 > 0:16:55- Basta.- Basta sounds pretty rude
0:16:55 > 0:16:58but it's the Italian word for "that's enough".
0:16:58 > 0:16:59That's enough.
0:17:02 > 0:17:03- Basta!- Basta!
0:17:04 > 0:17:08So, shall I put our lovely pesto on top?
0:17:10 > 0:17:11Shall we taste?
0:17:11 > 0:17:12- Shall we taste it?- OK.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21- Congratulations.- That's wonderful.
0:17:30 > 0:17:34A delicious end to a glorious day in Genoa.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37All that remains is to find a bed for the night
0:17:37 > 0:17:38and I'm sure that La Superba
0:17:38 > 0:17:39will not disappoint.
0:17:43 > 0:17:47I'm checking into the Bristol Hotel.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50An advertisement in Bradshaw's tells me that it is high-class in every
0:17:50 > 0:17:53respect, and patronised by royalty.
0:17:53 > 0:17:57It was also a favourite haunt of the film director Alfred Hitchcock
0:17:57 > 0:17:59and in his movie Vertigo
0:17:59 > 0:18:04a long flowing staircase like this one appears.
0:18:05 > 0:18:06Spooky.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23Arrivederci, Genoa.
0:18:23 > 0:18:25It's time I took to the tracks.
0:18:25 > 0:18:29I'm boarding my next train at Genova Brignole.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32This is the second railway station that I've used in Genoa
0:18:32 > 0:18:34and they're both magnificent.
0:18:38 > 0:18:42My short journey will take me 25km south-east
0:18:42 > 0:18:45along the rugged Riviera di Levante.
0:18:51 > 0:18:55The landscape of Italy, the topography, is uncompromising.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58Over much of the country you have steep-sided mountains,
0:18:58 > 0:19:01from coast to coast, that reach right down to the sea.
0:19:01 > 0:19:03And so in the 19th-century,
0:19:03 > 0:19:08the railway engineers had no option but to build vast numbers of tunnels
0:19:08 > 0:19:11linked by very large numbers of viaducts.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15And when, a century later, Italy came to build its motorways,
0:19:15 > 0:19:18the whole process had to be repeated.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31The tracks that won their battles with the landscape here in
0:19:31 > 0:19:34the 19th century made previously remote settlements
0:19:34 > 0:19:37accessible for Edwardian tourists.
0:19:41 > 0:19:43I've arrived at Santa Margherita Station
0:19:43 > 0:19:46and Bradshaw's tells me that "a beautiful road leads
0:19:46 > 0:19:49"to the village of Portofino.
0:19:49 > 0:19:54"A little port snugly sheltered in a bay near the south-east extremity of
0:19:54 > 0:19:58"a headland. Population of 1,500, mostly fishermen,
0:19:58 > 0:20:01"here lace is made by the women."
0:20:01 > 0:20:03Well, I should think that in the last century
0:20:03 > 0:20:06few places have changed more than Portofino.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19Apparently, Portofino was founded by the Romans
0:20:19 > 0:20:21with the name Portus Delphini
0:20:21 > 0:20:26because of the plethora of dolphins that populated its waters.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29Bellissimo. Gracie. Arrivederci.
0:20:32 > 0:20:37This natural harbour once provided a safe haven for the merchant fleet
0:20:37 > 0:20:41of Genoa. As trade expanded, it soon outgrew its confines,
0:20:41 > 0:20:43leaving only the fishing vessels
0:20:43 > 0:20:45that remained at the time of my guidebook.
0:20:45 > 0:20:50These days it's glamorous pleasure craft rather than working boats
0:20:50 > 0:20:52that first strike the visitor.
0:20:52 > 0:20:54I took an early train this morning,
0:20:54 > 0:20:59and because of that I'm seeing Portofino as it is now rarely seen,
0:20:59 > 0:21:00with no people in it.
0:21:00 > 0:21:05It just makes it a little bit easier to imagine it with those fishermen
0:21:05 > 0:21:07and those lacemaking women.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09'I'm overdue for breakfast,
0:21:09 > 0:21:13'and I'm meeting Natalie Mayor from the Hotel Splendido.'
0:21:13 > 0:21:15- Hello.- Good morning, hello.
0:21:15 > 0:21:17- It is lovely to see you. - Very good to see you.
0:21:17 > 0:21:19- How are you?- Oh, very well.
0:21:19 > 0:21:21What a lovely breakfast. Thank you very much.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24I see these enormous yachts here of the rich and famous,
0:21:24 > 0:21:27so Portofino has changed quite a bit, hasn't it?
0:21:27 > 0:21:29Well, it's changed in a certain way
0:21:29 > 0:21:32because it was a fisherman village a long time ago
0:21:32 > 0:21:33but it is still today.
0:21:33 > 0:21:38Each day our fishermen on the little boats that you can see over there,
0:21:38 > 0:21:41they will go to fish, to refurnish all the local restaurants.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44So there is a big contrast here in Portofino
0:21:44 > 0:21:46between tradition and luxury.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49When did Portofino begin to attract tourists?
0:21:49 > 0:21:52It started maybe thanks to the railway
0:21:52 > 0:21:55because before, there was just one road to come to Portofino,
0:21:55 > 0:22:01or by boat, and the railway helped people to be able to come in.
0:22:01 > 0:22:03Portofino started to become famous.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07It's easy to see why this lovely town
0:22:07 > 0:22:10appealed to early railway tourists.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13But 77 years after the tracks arrived,
0:22:13 > 0:22:15Portofino's future hung in the balance.
0:22:15 > 0:22:20In April 1945, as German troops retreated from Italy,
0:22:20 > 0:22:24the local commandant was ordered to destroy Portofino.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27The town is beautifully preserved and I'm quite surprised.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30I mean, for example, why was it not damaged during the war?
0:22:30 > 0:22:34Portofino was very, very lucky thanks to a very important woman.
0:22:34 > 0:22:35She's called Jeannie Von Mumm.
0:22:35 > 0:22:37Actually, she was from Glasgow.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40So a British woman married with a German.
0:22:40 > 0:22:42They were living here during the Second World War.
0:22:42 > 0:22:47She knew that the German commandant had the order to blow up the village
0:22:47 > 0:22:51and she just implored him and asked him not to do it,
0:22:51 > 0:22:52so she saved the village of Portofino,
0:22:52 > 0:22:56and that's why today it is such a beautiful place.
0:22:58 > 0:22:59Six months later,
0:22:59 > 0:23:02Jeannie received a letter from the imprisoned commandant.
0:23:02 > 0:23:07It read, "I can say to you today that I had the order to blow up
0:23:07 > 0:23:09"the whole mountain. You were my good angel."
0:23:11 > 0:23:15In 1949, she was made an honorary citizen of Portofino.
0:23:18 > 0:23:20That is a fantastic story.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23So Portofino has to be very grateful to Jeannie from Glasgow.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26Absolutely. Fantastic, isn't it?
0:23:26 > 0:23:31Portofino has since been a playground for a Who's Who of 20th-century power and glamour.
0:23:31 > 0:23:36Many have stayed at the Hotel Splendido, which opened in 1902
0:23:36 > 0:23:39on the site of a 16th-century clifftop monastery.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44The main period was in the '50s, you know.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48During La Dolce Vita, when Liz Taylor came here several times.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51She came four times for the honeymoon, with four different husbands.
0:23:51 > 0:23:56Ava Gardner, Alain Delon, Humphrey Bogart but also Winston Churchill,
0:23:56 > 0:23:57or the Prince of Monaco.
0:23:57 > 0:24:02Royal persons, royal families and nowadays we have a lot of VIPs,
0:24:02 > 0:24:06important designers are living here like Dolce and Gabbana, or Armani.
0:24:13 > 0:24:17Tempting though it is to idle in La Dolce Vita of Portofino,
0:24:17 > 0:24:22I'm continuing 47km south-east with my Bradshaw's.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33The line along the coast from Genoa to Pisa
0:24:33 > 0:24:37was completed in 1874 and this section,
0:24:37 > 0:24:40clinging to the cliffs from Sestri Levante to La Spezia,
0:24:40 > 0:24:43was the toughest engineering challenge on the route.
0:24:47 > 0:24:51Bradshaw's description in this area is absolutely on track.
0:24:51 > 0:24:53"Numerous cuttings and short tunnels,
0:24:53 > 0:24:59"villages huddled in narrow valleys or on the equally narrow seaboard.
0:24:59 > 0:25:03"Lemon groves, palm trees, handsome villas."
0:25:03 > 0:25:07I'm headed for Vernazza, after changing at Levanto,
0:25:07 > 0:25:10to find out how, amongst all the tourism,
0:25:10 > 0:25:12the traditional way of life survives.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33This rail journey is the big tease - between the tunnels,
0:25:33 > 0:25:35tiny glimpses of paradise.
0:25:41 > 0:25:45This dramatic strip of coast on the Riviera di Levante
0:25:45 > 0:25:49encloses five isolated and impossibly picturesque villages
0:25:49 > 0:25:51known as the Cinque Terre.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59Amongst them, Vernazza has the only secure harbour
0:25:59 > 0:26:04and it presents a striking spectacle, lined with quaint houses,
0:26:04 > 0:26:07painted in a dizzying array of colours.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10It's even suggested that fishermen offshore could easily identify
0:26:10 > 0:26:14their homes, and check that their wives were hard at work.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21One of the great things about these villages, the Cinque Terre,
0:26:21 > 0:26:25is that they are inaccessible, or virtually inaccessible, by car.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27You either go by train or you walk,
0:26:27 > 0:26:30and there are the most fantastic walks
0:26:30 > 0:26:32between one village and the next.
0:26:32 > 0:26:36You go up steps, they're very vertiginous, they're exhausting,
0:26:36 > 0:26:41you get very hot - they're one of the best experiences of your life,
0:26:41 > 0:26:44and they get you away from the tourists.
0:26:53 > 0:26:54What a stunning place.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57I mean, you can complain that it is absolutely mobbed with tourists,
0:26:57 > 0:26:59but just look at it.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02The buildings are just lovely and the rock formation,
0:27:02 > 0:27:05the topography, just spectacular.
0:27:09 > 0:27:14The villages and coast line were named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997.
0:27:17 > 0:27:18And two years later,
0:27:18 > 0:27:21the Cinque Terre became an Italian national park.
0:27:28 > 0:27:33'Fisherman Pepe Martelli is my guide to the local azure waters.'
0:27:33 > 0:27:36THEY SPEAK IN ITALIAN
0:27:41 > 0:27:44Pepe, these lovely villages are now full of tourists.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47Is there still a business for fishermen?
0:27:47 > 0:27:49Well, not exactly.
0:27:49 > 0:27:53For us, when the national park was born
0:27:53 > 0:27:56and when tourists became to come much more than before
0:27:56 > 0:28:00it was the beginning of the end.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03I'm sorry to hear that. But you still go fishing?
0:28:03 > 0:28:07Yes. I still go fishing and I am happy to be a fishermen but it was
0:28:07 > 0:28:11necessary for the park to have a no-fishing area
0:28:11 > 0:28:13and the area was declared
0:28:13 > 0:28:16in the place in which we were used to go fishing,
0:28:16 > 0:28:19by our lamps during the night.
0:28:19 > 0:28:23Now I try to continue my work with the possibility that I have,
0:28:23 > 0:28:24but I had to change.
0:28:24 > 0:28:27I am a supporter of sustainable fishing
0:28:27 > 0:28:31and so I want to work with the park.
0:28:31 > 0:28:35The Cinque Terre are moving with the times.
0:28:35 > 0:28:36Just as they did back in 1874,
0:28:36 > 0:28:40when the new coastal line between Sestri Levante and La Spezia
0:28:40 > 0:28:42opened for business.
0:28:42 > 0:28:45The railways must have made an enormous change to these villages.
0:28:45 > 0:28:47Yeah, of course, it is true.
0:28:47 > 0:28:49When the train arrived it was so important.
0:28:49 > 0:28:52I remember, also, when I was a little boy,
0:28:52 > 0:28:57I went to La Spezia with 500 kilos of sardines, by train.
0:28:57 > 0:29:01It was the only possibility that we had to go to the market.
0:29:01 > 0:29:03What other change did the railway make?
0:29:03 > 0:29:07When someone was ill and it was necessary to bring him to the hospital,
0:29:07 > 0:29:13they went to the train station and they stopped any train,
0:29:13 > 0:29:16because they had no ambulance, no car, no street.
0:29:16 > 0:29:19And so it was absolutely necessary.
0:29:19 > 0:29:21You know, most of us who come as tourists,
0:29:21 > 0:29:23we see these lovely villages from the land
0:29:23 > 0:29:25but we don't see them from the water.
0:29:25 > 0:29:27You get a very special view.
0:29:27 > 0:29:31Yes. I know that I have a privilege.
0:29:31 > 0:29:33And today, Pepe, you've shared the privilege with me.
0:29:33 > 0:29:35- Thank you.- Thank you.
0:29:35 > 0:29:36Yeah.
0:29:36 > 0:29:38Ciao, Pepe!
0:29:54 > 0:29:58A new day, and my next train beckons.
0:30:08 > 0:30:10Having followed the coastline from Genoa,
0:30:10 > 0:30:13I'm now embarking on the final stretch of my Riviera route
0:30:13 > 0:30:15towards La Spezia.
0:30:15 > 0:30:17From there, I'll turn inland
0:30:17 > 0:30:21towards the cultural and culinary treasures of Parma.
0:30:21 > 0:30:23My journey then takes me north
0:30:23 > 0:30:26to the Alpine towns of Rovereto and Trento
0:30:26 > 0:30:29before finishing at the Brenner Pass on Italy's Austrian border.
0:30:36 > 0:30:40It's well known that the First World War was preceded by a dangerous
0:30:40 > 0:30:44arms race between the German and British navies, but listen to this,
0:30:44 > 0:30:45from Bradshaw's -
0:30:45 > 0:30:50"The Italian Navy at the time had 15 battleships, 21 cruisers,
0:30:50 > 0:30:56"35 destroyers and 18 submarines" - the navy of an ambitious country.
0:30:56 > 0:30:58I'm arriving in La Spezia.
0:30:58 > 0:31:05The guidebook tells me that it's "a naval port with the largest arsenal and dockyard in Italy."
0:31:17 > 0:31:22Edwardian travellers came here to admire the so-called Bay of Poets,
0:31:22 > 0:31:25frequented by Lord Byron, where Percy Bysshe Shelley drowned.
0:31:26 > 0:31:30By the time of my guide, verses had given way to vessels.
0:31:32 > 0:31:37The royal government commissioned a naval arsenal here in 1861,
0:31:37 > 0:31:40as Italy consolidated its unification.
0:31:40 > 0:31:45And La Spezia is still one of the most important Italian naval bases.
0:31:45 > 0:31:49Gregory Alecci is an expert in Italian military history.
0:31:49 > 0:31:53Gregory, why is it that La Spezia becomes, as my guidebook tells me,
0:31:53 > 0:31:57the premier naval port and dockyard for Italy?
0:31:57 > 0:32:01Well, La Spezia as such is a natural harbour.
0:32:01 > 0:32:04Well defended, which is something navies always look for.
0:32:04 > 0:32:05In broader terms,
0:32:05 > 0:32:09the newly-minted Italian nation intended to build up its navy.
0:32:09 > 0:32:13It grew fourfold within 30 years.
0:32:13 > 0:32:16By the turn of the century, it was the world's third-largest navy.
0:32:17 > 0:32:21Then, in 1911, just before my guidebook was published,
0:32:21 > 0:32:24Italy decided to flex its new-found military muscle.
0:32:25 > 0:32:29In a bid to compete with its imperial neighbours,
0:32:29 > 0:32:30Italy invaded Libya,
0:32:30 > 0:32:32then controlled by the Ottoman Empire.
0:32:34 > 0:32:37The invasion was welcomed by Italian nationalists,
0:32:37 > 0:32:41but the Libya campaign also marked a seminal moment
0:32:41 > 0:32:43in European military history.
0:32:43 > 0:32:46To hear the story, Gregory and I are taking to the sky.
0:32:54 > 0:32:58La Spezia was where the Italian Navy had its first flight experiments.
0:32:58 > 0:33:00During the war with Libya,
0:33:00 > 0:33:05Italy made the first real war operational flights in the world.
0:33:05 > 0:33:09And what use did Italy make of aircraft in Libya?
0:33:09 > 0:33:12Well, over the eight or nine months of the campaign,
0:33:12 > 0:33:15they actually tried everything.
0:33:15 > 0:33:17Scouting, so looking for the enemy.
0:33:17 > 0:33:20Messages. They would report what they had seen
0:33:20 > 0:33:22to troops on the ground,
0:33:22 > 0:33:26literally scribbling notes and dropping them out of the window.
0:33:26 > 0:33:30And eventually something more offensive - dropping bombs.
0:33:30 > 0:33:33An engineer by the name of Giulio Gavotti
0:33:33 > 0:33:38took to the air carrying a small case of 3lb bombs.
0:33:38 > 0:33:39He would put the bomb in a tube,
0:33:39 > 0:33:43and it would be projected well clear of any obstacles.
0:33:43 > 0:33:44And it worked.
0:33:44 > 0:33:47The first hits had great psychological effect.
0:33:47 > 0:33:50The troops and the people on the ground were frightened.
0:33:50 > 0:33:52This was completely new to them.
0:33:53 > 0:33:56Gavotti's bombing had only a modest direct effect,
0:33:56 > 0:34:00but with his flights over Libya, he expanded the scope of warfare,
0:34:00 > 0:34:04helping to shape the conflicts of the 20th century.
0:34:04 > 0:34:08So, the Italians invent aerial bombardment.
0:34:08 > 0:34:10As an historian, what's the significance of that?
0:34:10 > 0:34:13Rather than having to take every inch of ground
0:34:13 > 0:34:14as in the First World War,
0:34:14 > 0:34:18from a great distance, you can achieve results.
0:34:18 > 0:34:21You can hit Germany from Britain.
0:34:21 > 0:34:26You can hit Japan from an obscure island in the Pacific.
0:34:26 > 0:34:28And the idea is that you can shorten war.
0:34:28 > 0:34:31And that idea is still with us today.
0:34:35 > 0:34:39While the Mediterranean remains the focus for the Italian military....
0:34:39 > 0:34:40Buon giorno.
0:34:40 > 0:34:45'..the challenges and the technologies available to confront them are always changing.'
0:34:47 > 0:34:49WHISTLE BLOWS
0:34:50 > 0:34:52'Captain Giancarlo Ciappina honours me
0:34:52 > 0:34:54'by piping me aboard his frigate.'
0:34:54 > 0:34:56Good morning, Michael.
0:34:56 > 0:34:59Welcome onboard the ITS Virginio Fasan.
0:34:59 > 0:35:02Captain Ciappina. Onore e privilegio mio.
0:35:02 > 0:35:04- Oh, very nice meeting you. - Thank you.
0:35:07 > 0:35:10Captain, this ship, which I think you call a frigate,
0:35:10 > 0:35:12is actually extremely capable.
0:35:12 > 0:35:14What is it built to do?
0:35:14 > 0:35:15This is a multipurpose frigate.
0:35:15 > 0:35:18So it's supposed to do a lot of missions.
0:35:18 > 0:35:22Conventional warfare, anti-piracy, illegal immigration control,
0:35:22 > 0:35:26protection of our traffic lines in the Mediterranean Sea.
0:35:26 > 0:35:28Today, how big is the Italian Navy?
0:35:28 > 0:35:31The Italian Navy is going through a programme of renewal.
0:35:31 > 0:35:36This frigate is the second one of a programme of ten frigates that are
0:35:36 > 0:35:40being delivered to the navy, and this is the newest ship in the navy.
0:35:40 > 0:35:43The Italian Navy is getting smaller and smaller,
0:35:43 > 0:35:47but of course it is increasing in its technology and capabilities.
0:35:49 > 0:35:51In today's unpredictable world,
0:35:51 > 0:35:53armed forces must be prepared for anything.
0:35:55 > 0:35:58Should piracy re-emerge as a threat in the Mediterranean,
0:35:58 > 0:36:00frigates like this will be in the front line.
0:36:03 > 0:36:07Meanwhile, Captain Ciappina allows me to indulge
0:36:07 > 0:36:09my swashbuckling fantasies.
0:36:11 > 0:36:15Please, Michael, I'm going to show you right now our self-defence gun.
0:36:15 > 0:36:18This gun is a 25mm gun.
0:36:18 > 0:36:21And this is used, of course, against small targets.
0:36:21 > 0:36:23Just have a comfortable seat over here.
0:36:23 > 0:36:26And just be very gentle.
0:36:26 > 0:36:28Now, lift this, and you can move it.
0:36:28 > 0:36:31Ah, bene.
0:36:31 > 0:36:33Here we go. That's the way.
0:36:33 > 0:36:35Up and down, you move the barrel, this way.
0:36:36 > 0:36:38- All right.- Captain,
0:36:38 > 0:36:42I'm just going to drop the barrel to take aim at that pirate.
0:36:42 > 0:36:44What do you say in Italian for "take that!"?
0:36:44 > 0:36:46- Prendi la mira!- Prendi la mira!
0:36:51 > 0:36:54I'm leaving La Spezia and the Italian Riviera behind.
0:36:56 > 0:37:00My next train is carrying me inland into the province of Emilia Romagna,
0:37:00 > 0:37:03which lies between Italy's Mediterranean shores
0:37:03 > 0:37:06and the cooler mountains to the north.
0:37:10 > 0:37:14This region's unique microclimate has helped to make it a magnet
0:37:14 > 0:37:15for gastronomes.
0:37:17 > 0:37:18I'll shortly be arriving in Parma.
0:37:18 > 0:37:21Bradshaw's promises, "a cathedral, libraries,
0:37:21 > 0:37:25"collections of paintings and antiquities."
0:37:25 > 0:37:28But at this stage of the journey, I need not just food for thought,
0:37:28 > 0:37:34but food, and Parma goes together with ham like love and marriage.
0:37:34 > 0:37:35And I want a slice of it.
0:37:53 > 0:37:55According to my 1913 guide,
0:37:55 > 0:37:58"Parma is a place of very old foundation
0:37:58 > 0:38:00"but presents a quite modern appearance."
0:38:00 > 0:38:02On first impressions,
0:38:02 > 0:38:06Parma has lost none of its fin de siecle charm.
0:38:06 > 0:38:08For a classic taste of the city,
0:38:08 > 0:38:11I head for a traditional shop run by Silvano Romani,
0:38:11 > 0:38:13and his father before him,
0:38:13 > 0:38:15since 1965.
0:38:15 > 0:38:17- Buona sera.- Michael.- Ciao.
0:38:17 > 0:38:19Sono Silvano.
0:38:19 > 0:38:20- Piacere.- Ciao.
0:38:20 > 0:38:22You want to cut some prosciutto with us?
0:38:22 > 0:38:24Yes, grazie!
0:38:24 > 0:38:25De la?
0:38:26 > 0:38:31Parma ham has been recognised as a delicacy for centuries.
0:38:31 > 0:38:34The pigs are fed on the whey that's drained from the curd while making
0:38:34 > 0:38:36Parmesan cheese.
0:38:36 > 0:38:41The resulting ham is air dried and the humidity in Parma contributes to
0:38:41 > 0:38:42its unique flavour.
0:38:43 > 0:38:45- Molto gentile.- Molto gentile.
0:38:48 > 0:38:51- Piu veloce.- Piu rapido. A bit faster.
0:38:51 > 0:38:52OK, bravissimo!
0:38:52 > 0:38:54Bring the knife up...
0:38:54 > 0:38:55HE SPEAKS ITALIAN
0:38:57 > 0:38:59- Oh!- Buono, buono! - Buono, buono, buono!
0:38:59 > 0:39:00I'm so excited!
0:39:00 > 0:39:02Michael, number one!
0:39:02 > 0:39:05- Can we taste it?- Si, si!
0:39:07 > 0:39:10I'm going to start with some Parmesan cheese.
0:39:10 > 0:39:12Trenta mesi in montagna.
0:39:12 > 0:39:1430 months old...
0:39:14 > 0:39:16HE CONTINUES IN ITALIAN
0:39:20 > 0:39:22Absolutely pure. Milk and salt.
0:39:24 > 0:39:26Milk from the mountain. Wonderful.
0:39:26 > 0:39:27Mmm!
0:39:27 > 0:39:30The longer it sits, the more flavourful it is.
0:39:30 > 0:39:32Well, this is immensely flavourful.
0:39:33 > 0:39:35Fantastico! Auguri!
0:39:35 > 0:39:38- Congratulations!- Grazie!
0:39:38 > 0:39:40You may think me cheesy,
0:39:40 > 0:39:42but in Parma, I'm a ham!
0:39:45 > 0:39:46Ha-ha!
0:39:46 > 0:39:49- She does understand!- Yes, I did!
0:39:54 > 0:39:58As well as its culinary delights, Parma provides a musical feast.
0:39:58 > 0:40:03Composer Giuseppe Verdi was born just 20 miles away, in 1813.
0:40:05 > 0:40:09A century later, when my guidebook was still hot off the press,
0:40:09 > 0:40:12tourists flocked here to honour Parma's most famous son.
0:40:17 > 0:40:21I'm thrilled to be invited to the world-famous Teatro Regio,
0:40:21 > 0:40:24one of Italy's most prestigious opera houses,
0:40:24 > 0:40:28to hear the story from general manager Anna Maria Meo.
0:40:28 > 0:40:33Anna, it seems that in 1913 you had the most enormous celebration
0:40:33 > 0:40:35of Verdi's centenary.
0:40:35 > 0:40:39Of course. It was a need to celebrate Verdi.
0:40:39 > 0:40:43It was a special need by all the population here in Parma.
0:40:43 > 0:40:48They wanted to honour the composer in the best way possible.
0:40:48 > 0:40:51The three month-long exhibition
0:40:51 > 0:40:54featured a dazzling array of attractions,
0:40:54 > 0:40:55including performances,
0:40:55 > 0:40:58displays of industrial and agricultural prowess
0:40:58 > 0:41:00and sporting tournaments.
0:41:01 > 0:41:05So, what does Parma feel about Verdi?
0:41:05 > 0:41:07Something that is part of the heart.
0:41:07 > 0:41:11Verdi's lovers, they know every single note,
0:41:11 > 0:41:14they know every single word of the librettos,
0:41:14 > 0:41:19so whoever sings here has a very difficult judgment
0:41:19 > 0:41:20from the loggionna,
0:41:20 > 0:41:24which is the balcony, which are the more popular seats.
0:41:24 > 0:41:27So the singers are worried about what's going on in the cheap seats?
0:41:27 > 0:41:29Very, very worried
0:41:29 > 0:41:33because if the loggionna doesn't like your interpretation,
0:41:33 > 0:41:35they don't hesitate to boo.
0:41:35 > 0:41:38They are like soccer fans.
0:41:43 > 0:41:47Entering the exquisite auditorium of the Teatro Regio,
0:41:47 > 0:41:51it's hard to imagine fans heckling from the ornate balcony.
0:41:53 > 0:41:57I'd love to settle into a seat here for a performance of Rigoletto
0:41:57 > 0:42:01or Aida, but I have the privilege of getting behind the curtain
0:42:01 > 0:42:03with a backstage pass.
0:42:04 > 0:42:07For centuries, before television and cinema,
0:42:07 > 0:42:13these buildings were the places where performers hatched illusions,
0:42:13 > 0:42:18and I like opera because it is today I think the most complex thing,
0:42:18 > 0:42:21bringing together orchestra, soloists,
0:42:21 > 0:42:26chorus, dancers, sets, lighting,
0:42:26 > 0:42:28magic.
0:42:31 > 0:42:36Every October, the Teatro Regio organises a Verdi season.
0:42:36 > 0:42:40Co-director Saskia Boddeke is rehearsing her production
0:42:40 > 0:42:43of his early work, Giovanna D'Arco,
0:42:43 > 0:42:46which tells the story of the martyred Joan of Arc.
0:42:48 > 0:42:50- Hello, I'm Michael. - Hello, nice to meet you.
0:42:50 > 0:42:53Very good to see you. Thank you for taking a moment while you're putting
0:42:53 > 0:42:55your production together.
0:42:55 > 0:42:58Why is Verdi enduringly popular, do you think?
0:43:00 > 0:43:02I think because it's possible to
0:43:02 > 0:43:05connect the content of what he's saying,
0:43:05 > 0:43:07it's very political,
0:43:07 > 0:43:10to what's happening now, and that is, I think, why he stays popular.
0:43:12 > 0:43:15Verdi strongly supported
0:43:15 > 0:43:19the unification of Italy's disparate states into a single country.
0:43:19 > 0:43:20Some of his works,
0:43:20 > 0:43:23such as the famous Chorus Of The Hebrew Slaves,
0:43:23 > 0:43:28were adopted as unofficial anthems of Italian nationalism,
0:43:28 > 0:43:33and Verdi even served in the united Italy's first parliament.
0:43:33 > 0:43:36Saskia's interpretation of Joan Of Arc
0:43:36 > 0:43:39will itself raise plenty of political issues.
0:43:39 > 0:43:42I don't know how a director works.
0:43:42 > 0:43:44What are you working out now with these cubes?
0:43:44 > 0:43:47Well, this is the end of the opera,
0:43:47 > 0:43:52because I'll use actually nothing of stage or props, only these cubicles.
0:43:52 > 0:43:55At the end of the opera, Giovanna has died
0:43:55 > 0:43:58and we build up with these cubicles a wall
0:43:58 > 0:44:00and then we will have a video on it of a dance,
0:44:00 > 0:44:03and the children, refugee children, around Europe.
0:44:03 > 0:44:05A contemporary reference.
0:44:05 > 0:44:07Yes, absolutely.
0:44:07 > 0:44:09CHORUS SINGS IN ITALIAN
0:44:13 > 0:44:15HE GIVES INSTRUCTIONS
0:44:33 > 0:44:36The great Verdi choruses were repeated
0:44:36 > 0:44:39by crowds of patriotic Italians in their day,
0:44:39 > 0:44:43but it's fascinating to see how the professional chorus has to
0:44:43 > 0:44:47rehearse again and again to achieve perfection.
0:45:07 > 0:45:10Un cappuccino, per favore.
0:45:14 > 0:45:18My train ride today will take me to a huge change of scenery
0:45:18 > 0:45:20and of culture.
0:45:26 > 0:45:30With 170km to cover on this leg of my journey,
0:45:30 > 0:45:32I'm taking the fast train.
0:45:32 > 0:45:34It carries me north-east,
0:45:34 > 0:45:36across the fertile plains of the Po Valley
0:45:36 > 0:45:39and toward the foothills of the Alps.
0:45:46 > 0:45:51A century ago, the traveller on this line would shortly have crossed into
0:45:51 > 0:45:55Austria-Hungary, because the border in those days ran along
0:45:55 > 0:45:58the northern shore of Lake Garda,
0:45:58 > 0:46:03even though many Italian speakers lived further north.
0:46:03 > 0:46:05After the First World War,
0:46:05 > 0:46:09the victorious Allies redrew the border with Austria
0:46:09 > 0:46:14here at the Brenner Pass, and the rechristening of these towns
0:46:14 > 0:46:17with Italian names began.
0:46:25 > 0:46:29High-speed train, alpine scenery. Bradshaw's says,
0:46:29 > 0:46:35"In South Tyrol, a wonderful route leads over the Fugazza Pass."
0:46:35 > 0:46:39The Alps, which had so long been a challenge for railway engineers,
0:46:39 > 0:46:42proved, by the time of my Bradshaw's,
0:46:42 > 0:46:46to be a superb testing ground for the nemesis of the train -
0:46:46 > 0:46:48the motor car.
0:47:04 > 0:47:07Tucked into a beautiful mountain landscape,
0:47:07 > 0:47:10Rovereto is built along the Adige River
0:47:10 > 0:47:13and dominated by its 14th-century castle.
0:47:13 > 0:47:15In the early 20th century,
0:47:15 > 0:47:19all eyes turned to it during a celebrated challenge
0:47:19 > 0:47:22for the world's best-known carmakers, the Alpine Trial.
0:47:24 > 0:47:27I'm reliving the glamour and excitement
0:47:27 > 0:47:29in one of the most luxurious cars
0:47:29 > 0:47:32available to the 21st-century motorist,
0:47:32 > 0:47:33a Rolls-Royce Dawn.
0:47:36 > 0:47:40Sharing the thrill on the winding roads above Rovereto
0:47:40 > 0:47:43is motoring writer Davide Bassoli.
0:47:44 > 0:47:47What were these trials that were held here
0:47:47 > 0:47:49in the early part of the 20th century?
0:47:49 > 0:47:53Yeah, the Alpine Trial was an endurance test
0:47:53 > 0:47:59for the major car manufacturers. These endurance tests had rules.
0:47:59 > 0:48:02One of the rules was that the cars cannot stall,
0:48:02 > 0:48:05and this was for 1,800km,
0:48:05 > 0:48:071,200 miles.
0:48:07 > 0:48:10What sort of technology did they have in those days?
0:48:10 > 0:48:12The gearbox was very difficult to use
0:48:12 > 0:48:15because you needed the double-declutching,
0:48:15 > 0:48:18not just for the down change but also for the up change.
0:48:18 > 0:48:21So it was very, very difficult to drive those cars
0:48:21 > 0:48:24and also the steering - no power steering at all.
0:48:27 > 0:48:30Rolls-Royce knew that a win at the trial
0:48:30 > 0:48:33would show the world what British engineering could do.
0:48:33 > 0:48:37In 1912, British motorist James Radley
0:48:37 > 0:48:41tried and failed when his Silver Ghost stalled on the mountain roads.
0:48:41 > 0:48:44But Radley was not to be deterred.
0:48:45 > 0:48:50In 1913, the next year, they entered four cars.
0:48:50 > 0:48:54Three cars were official by Rolls-Royce
0:48:54 > 0:48:57and one private, by James Radley.
0:48:57 > 0:49:01When James Radley took delivery of the car in London,
0:49:01 > 0:49:02to christen the car,
0:49:02 > 0:49:04he ordered a bottle of champagne,
0:49:04 > 0:49:08and he poured a glass inside the radiator.
0:49:08 > 0:49:10So, at the end of the trial, what is the result?
0:49:10 > 0:49:12Oh, it was immense.
0:49:12 > 0:49:15James Radley was the man who won this race.
0:49:15 > 0:49:18In Europe, and outside Europe, also in America,
0:49:18 > 0:49:22everybody knew now about the Rolls-Royce and its reliability,
0:49:22 > 0:49:26and Europe and the world realised that that was
0:49:26 > 0:49:28the best car in the world.
0:49:35 > 0:49:39My four-wheeled alpine diversion has been invigorating
0:49:39 > 0:49:41but the rails beckon once more.
0:49:46 > 0:49:49The Brenner Railway transports me north,
0:49:49 > 0:49:51through the province of Trentino.
0:49:53 > 0:49:56My next stop will be Trent, or Trento.
0:49:56 > 0:50:01It's in Italy today but appears in Bradshaw's in the Austrian section.
0:50:01 > 0:50:04"It has many fine streets,
0:50:04 > 0:50:08"palaces and towers, and is thoroughly Italian in character."
0:50:10 > 0:50:12At the time of my guidebook,
0:50:12 > 0:50:16the status of Italian-speaking places like Trento
0:50:16 > 0:50:18was increasingly controversial.
0:50:22 > 0:50:27Some felt the unification of Italy wouldn't be complete until these
0:50:27 > 0:50:31so-called unredeemed lands were part of the motherland.
0:50:31 > 0:50:34An ardent campaigner was Cesare Battisti.
0:50:34 > 0:50:38Historian Francesco Frizzera is sharing the story.
0:50:38 > 0:50:41- Hello, Michael.- How are you? - I'm fine, thanks.
0:50:41 > 0:50:43- Nice to meet you.- Nice to be here.
0:50:43 > 0:50:48- Who was Battisti? - Well, Battisti was a socialist,
0:50:48 > 0:50:50he was born in Trento, just over there.
0:50:50 > 0:50:52He was convinced that the
0:50:52 > 0:50:54Italian-speaking population of Trentino
0:50:54 > 0:50:59could have better working opportunities in Italy
0:50:59 > 0:51:03because they were a minority group in Austria-Hungary.
0:51:03 > 0:51:07But the local population was used to the status quo
0:51:07 > 0:51:10and loyal to the Austro-Hungarian crown.
0:51:10 > 0:51:14Battisti set out to use the press to win hearts and minds.
0:51:15 > 0:51:20He founded a very important newspaper, whose name is Il Popolo.
0:51:20 > 0:51:22That was a socialist newspaper.
0:51:22 > 0:51:25He became a formidable journalist
0:51:25 > 0:51:31and he developed a great ability to manage the public opinion.
0:51:31 > 0:51:35The nationalist cause in Trentino gained momentum.
0:51:35 > 0:51:39But it was war that would change the province's destiny.
0:51:39 > 0:51:42When the First World War erupted, Italy took a neutral stance,
0:51:42 > 0:51:45but Battisti fought to change that.
0:51:45 > 0:51:49In 1914, he fled to Italy
0:51:49 > 0:51:52and then he organised a great campaign
0:51:52 > 0:51:54to convince the Italian middle class
0:51:54 > 0:51:58to join the war against Austria-Hungary.
0:51:58 > 0:52:03You have to think that Italy and Austria were allied since 1882
0:52:03 > 0:52:09and, also, the Italian parliament in 1914 was against the war.
0:52:09 > 0:52:13Nevertheless, he was able to convince the Italian public opinion
0:52:13 > 0:52:15to enter the war.
0:52:15 > 0:52:18The Allies had promised to redraw the Italian border
0:52:18 > 0:52:20in the event of victory.
0:52:20 > 0:52:23After four years of bloodshed,
0:52:23 > 0:52:27the Treaty of Saint-Germain gave Trentino to Italy.
0:52:27 > 0:52:31Battisti's vision was realised, but he didn't live to see it.
0:52:31 > 0:52:33Fighting for Italy in 1916,
0:52:33 > 0:52:37he was captured by Austrian troops and executed for treason.
0:52:38 > 0:52:43The skilful use of the media, the manipulation of public opinion,
0:52:43 > 0:52:47these are sometimes known as the black arts of politics.
0:52:47 > 0:52:50Starting from a position where the Italian population of Trento
0:52:50 > 0:52:54didn't feel discontent living under a foreign emperor,
0:52:54 > 0:52:58Cesare Battisti managed to persuade all of Italy
0:52:58 > 0:53:01to go to war with Austria-Hungary.
0:53:01 > 0:53:03Quite an achievement.
0:53:23 > 0:53:26I've re-joined the railway line north of Trento
0:53:26 > 0:53:28on a delightful morning
0:53:28 > 0:53:32at a beautiful railway station called Vipiteno.
0:53:36 > 0:53:39On the final leg of my journey,
0:53:39 > 0:53:43I'm climbing 21km north-east into the Alps
0:53:43 > 0:53:46to Brenner on what is now the Austrian border.
0:53:55 > 0:53:58Bradshaw's recommends the spa of Brennerbad,
0:53:58 > 0:54:044,390 feet above sea level at the watershed between the Adriatic
0:54:04 > 0:54:06and the Black Sea,
0:54:06 > 0:54:10at the highest point of the celebrated Brenner Railway.
0:54:10 > 0:54:14The Brenner Pass, for centuries the route for armies and pilgrims,
0:54:14 > 0:54:17was mastered by the railways in the 19th century.
0:54:17 > 0:54:21I'm keen to penetrate how they're boring ahead today.
0:54:32 > 0:54:38At 1,371 metres, the Brenner Pass is the lowest in the Alps.
0:54:38 > 0:54:43The Austria-Hungarian Empire built the first railway here in 1867,
0:54:43 > 0:54:45and almost half of all alpine freight
0:54:45 > 0:54:48still passes along this route.
0:54:48 > 0:54:53But the line is steep and curved, with inclines of up to 27%.
0:54:53 > 0:54:56Now a new high-speed railway
0:54:56 > 0:54:59will bore straight under the mountains in the
0:54:59 > 0:55:02world's second-longest tunnel, the Brenner Base Tunnel,
0:55:02 > 0:55:07and I'm privileged to get a look behind the scenes.
0:55:07 > 0:55:10Hi, Michael. Nice to have you here on the Brenner Base Tunnel Project.
0:55:10 > 0:55:12I can't wait to see it.
0:55:12 > 0:55:15To reveal the vast scale of the project,
0:55:15 > 0:55:18Simon Lochmann is driving me deep beneath the mountain,
0:55:18 > 0:55:22and the first thing that hits you is the smell.
0:55:22 > 0:55:24The smell is because of the explosions.
0:55:24 > 0:55:27When explosive gets in contact with concrete,
0:55:27 > 0:55:30it has a kind of sulphate-ammonia smell.
0:55:30 > 0:55:33On the current twisting rail route,
0:55:33 > 0:55:37speeds rarely exceed 70km per hour.
0:55:37 > 0:55:40The engineers here are literally moving mountains
0:55:40 > 0:55:44in order to cut journey times across the Alps.
0:55:46 > 0:55:50So what you are seeing here is the main tunnel
0:55:50 > 0:55:52of the Brenner Base Tunnel.
0:55:52 > 0:55:55We have two big tubes where the tracks are inside,
0:55:55 > 0:55:57there's just a single track,
0:55:57 > 0:55:59and the trains always go just in one direction.
0:55:59 > 0:56:02That permits us also to go at quite a high velocity,
0:56:02 > 0:56:06that means the trains can reach up to 250km per hour.
0:56:06 > 0:56:09And what size is all this going to be?
0:56:09 > 0:56:14From Innsbruck to Fortezza in Italy is 55km long.
0:56:14 > 0:56:19So we have an entire tunnel system of around 230km to do,
0:56:19 > 0:56:23and all this spoil has to come out of the mountain, of course.
0:56:23 > 0:56:28Immense tunnel-boring machines drill the main tunnel tubes,
0:56:28 > 0:56:32but for smaller sections, explosives are used.
0:56:32 > 0:56:35Simon, what are these guys here doing?
0:56:35 > 0:56:37So they are preparing the next explosion here.
0:56:37 > 0:56:39How far forward will that take them?
0:56:39 > 0:56:44Normally, we are making 1.7 metres every time we make an explosion,
0:56:44 > 0:56:47but it could be that we make 2 metres or 1.3.
0:56:47 > 0:56:49It's really depending on the rock.
0:56:49 > 0:56:52That's an awful lot of bangs to build your tunnel.
0:56:52 > 0:56:56This boring machine has two arms on each side,
0:56:56 > 0:57:01and they're used to thrust forward this drill into the mountain
0:57:01 > 0:57:05and into those boreholes the explosive will be placed,
0:57:05 > 0:57:08and following the explosion, with luck,
0:57:08 > 0:57:12we'll be 1.7 metres nearer to our destination.
0:57:12 > 0:57:17Travellers on the Brenner Railway above have no idea that beneath them
0:57:17 > 0:57:20there's an explosion every three to six hours.
0:57:20 > 0:57:23HE SHOUTS
0:57:26 > 0:57:29The Brenner Base Tunnel should open in 2026,
0:57:29 > 0:57:33revolutionising trade and travel throughout Europe,
0:57:33 > 0:57:36the project's ambition and complexity
0:57:36 > 0:57:39underlying the achievement of those 19th-century engineers
0:57:39 > 0:57:44on whose success we've relied for more than 100 years.
0:57:44 > 0:57:49On my journey through many tunnels, I've seen how brilliant were the
0:57:49 > 0:57:52Italian railway-builders of the 19th century.
0:57:52 > 0:57:56Some Italians thought that a modern nation's prestige
0:57:56 > 0:57:58required colonies too
0:57:58 > 0:58:01and were lured into the First World War
0:58:01 > 0:58:04by British promises of territorial gain.
0:58:04 > 0:58:07Italy then fell victim to the extreme nationalism
0:58:07 > 0:58:12of Mussolini's fascists and to defeat in World War II.
0:58:12 > 0:58:17It has emerged from that darkness into true modernity and, today,
0:58:17 > 0:58:22once more, expresses its ambition and its internationalism through
0:58:22 > 0:58:25dramatic civil engineering.
0:58:30 > 0:58:34'Next time, I take an invigorating dip in the Baltic Sea...'
0:58:34 > 0:58:38Absolutely FREEZING!
0:58:38 > 0:58:41'..I'm caught up in a macabre medieval tournament...'
0:58:41 > 0:58:43It seems to be very brutal.
0:58:43 > 0:58:47They're using their shields to strike each other's throats.
0:58:47 > 0:58:49'..the bell tolls for me...'
0:58:49 > 0:58:51BELL CLANGS
0:58:51 > 0:58:53That's an enormous noise.
0:58:53 > 0:58:56'..and I find peace on the water.'
0:58:56 > 0:58:59A completely different and special moment.