Andrew Graham-Dixon and chef Giorgio Locatelli travel through Italy exploring the country's history, culture, food, art and landscape. Their journey begins in Bologna, the capital of Emilia-Romagna, one of the richest regions in Italy. They find out why the city is known as la Dotta (the Learned), la Grassa (the Fat) and la Rossa (the Red), while visiting its shops, art institutions and the oldest university in the world. Andrew and Giorgio experience the social and friendly atmosphere of the region and meet fishermen casting huge nets at the mouth of the river Po. From there, it is a short journey to Ferrara, where they discover the legacy left by the famous dynasty d'Este, and to Modena, home of balsamic vinegar and Ferrari. Finally, Giorgio reveals the source of modern Italian cuisine; at the Palatina Library in Parma, he views an original copy of the first cook book of the newly united Italy - Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well by Pellegrino Artusi - while Andrew admires Correggio's magnificent fresco Assumption of the Virgin decorating the dome of the Cathedral of Parma.
The second leg of Andrew Graham-Dixon and Giorgio Locatelli's journey takes Giorgio home to Lombardy, a region brimming with engineering innovations and the influences brought by the proximity to northern Europe, always with an eye to the future. The first stop is of course Corgeno, Giorgio's hometown, where Andrew is the guest at a typical Sunday lunch at the Locatelli home. Andrew repays him with a visit to some very unusual frescos by Lorenzo Lotto, hidden in a private chapel. The Christ with long fingernails is one of Andrew's favourite frescos. And then it is time to reach Milan, the capital of the region, with its temples dedicated to the gods of religion, The Duomo; art, La Scala; and capitalism, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II and the surrounding streets which are full of luxury shops. At his restaurant inside La Scala, the chef Gualtiero Marchesi, father of the modern Italian cuisine, would intrigue his customers with a risotto made with saffron and gold. But Milan is not just about beauty and style, it has a dark centre. It is an arena of extreme political contrasts. Fascism was very strong here and so was the opposition to it. In Milan the futurist movement embraced the world of modern art and expressed the violence that would shape modern Italy under Fascism - a dark but fascinating story that Andrew and Giorgio investigate with a visit to the Museum of 900. More amazing art is waiting for them outside Milan in the gem that is Mantua, a town full of mesmerizing buildings. Among those, the diamond in the crown is Palazzo Te, a former hunting lodge built for the amusement of the Duke Federico Gonzaga and his guests, designed and covered in frescos by Giulio Romano, a disciple of Raphael. And to end this fascinating trip another well-kept secret: Cremona, hometown to the one of the most famous luthiers in the world, Antonio Stradivari, where Giorgio and Andrew have the privilege of witnessing a very private concert.
The final leg of Andrew Graham-Dixon and Giorgio Locatelli's journey moves north to Piedmont, a land of luxuriant forests and tall mountains. They visit an abbey along the Via Francigena, an ancient road running from Rome to Canterbury, to reflect with the monks who live there, and to admire the fresco in their chapel. Giorgio and Andrew go truffle hunting with Sandrino and his dog, and have a succulent breakfast with one of the precious nuggets, straight from the soil. There are many more gastronomic treasures to discover in this region, from the famous rice fields of Vercelli, to the Gianduiotti in Turin, the region's capital. Giorgio chats to the founder of slow food, Carlo Petrini. Andrew explores the baroque architecture all over Turin. Stupinigi, a former hunting lodge made for the Savoia dynasty, and the Castle of Rivoli, now a captivating museum and home to the artists of the Arte Povera, are highlights. Finally, another incredible pilgrimage site: Sacro Monte, Holy Mountains, in Varallo. A series of gruesome chapels on top of a mountain full of waxworks enacting scenes like the Massacre of the Innocents.
Beginning in Liguria, a region bordered by mountains and a beautiful rocky coastline which inspired the English Romantic poets, Andrew Graham-Dixon and Giorgio Locatelli travel along the west coast of Italy, exploring the culture and cuisine of the diverse regions. Their first stop is the city of Genoa, once a great maritime republic, whose former glory is reflected it its opulent Baroque palaces with their imposing facades, glamorous decor and splendid paintings by artists such as van Dyck and Bernardo Strozzi. In contrast to these grand statements of wealth, Giorgio makes the simple dish that the city is famous for - pesto alla genovese. The two travellers then move on to the Cinque Terre, a rugged portion of coastline featuring a national park and five picturesque villages seemingly wedged into the cliff face beside sea. Finally, Andrew and Giorgio cross over into Tuscany and, managing to stay off the tourist trail, visit a hidden gem of Renaissance art in Pistoia and one of Pisa's best-kept secrets. They finish back by the sea at the port city of Livorno, where the fishermen's catch of the day dictates the menu.
The second leg of Andrew Graham-Dixon and Giorgio Locatelli's journey down the west coast of Italy finds them in Lazio, a region whose capital Rome has always taken centre stage - but not this time. The two deliberately avoid the eternal city and discover the legacy of those who took refuge away from the cauldron of city life and the politics of power and Popes. The gardens of the Villa d'Este boast some incomparable fountains, while the tombs of the Etruscans are a haunting reminder of the people who were here before the ancient Romans. Giorgio just has to visit the beautiful city of Viterbo, to find out more about the first Papal conclave which he remembers learning about in school, and then it is time to treat Andrew to a meal fit for a Pope with recipes from a historic cookbook. They end their trip in the south of Lazio at Latina, a glimpse into what Italy might have become if one man had got his way.
The final stretch of Andrew Graham-Dixon and Giorgio Locatelli's journey takes them all the way down to the toe of Italy and the southern regions of Campania and Calabria. Invaders and foreign empires have shaped the culture and cooking here over millennia, making this Italy's most exotic area. First stop Naples, a city unlike anywhere else in the country or the world, attracting visitors for centuries with its vibrant street life and Baroque masterpieces. Further down the coast Amalfi and Paestum reveal outside influences that date back millennia, and then it is on to Italy's Wild West, Calabria, with its extraordinary, untouched countryside and art.
Andrew and Giorgio travel from the tip of the heel up Italy's dramatic east coast. Their journey starts in the instep of Italy and the region of Basilicata. Its most famous town is the spectacular Matera, also known as Sassi or 'Stones' after its caves inhabited since Palaeolithic times, and a UNESCO World Heritage site. There, Giorgio cooks a peasant recipe of mutton 'pignata' in a restored cave. Next is the south eastern tip of the Italian peninsula, and Puglia - a generous, rich land with year-long sunny weather surrounded by azure sea. Staying off the tourist track they visit the baroque gem that is the town of Lecce, and discover the trulli of Alberobello and a unique Greek vase in the little town of Ruvo. They discover southern Italy is no stereotypical sleepy backwater, but a place where the younger generation are going back to their roots and rediscovering traditions.
The second leg of Andrew Graham-Dixon and Giorgio Locatelli's journey takes them to the heart of Italy and the regions of Le Marche and Umbria. After a snack of Le Marche style stuffed olives they uncover the Renaissance city of Urbino and the palace of Federico da Montefeltro. Scholar, connoisseur and commander of a private army; Federico is one of the driving forces of the Italian Renaissance. Then, in the dark depths of the Apennine Mountains, they explore one of the largest underground caves in the world, the Grotte di Frassasi. In Umbria, the green heart of Italy, Andrew shows Giorgio one of the greatest Renaissance paintings by Pinturicchio in the little town of Spello. Giorgio takes Andrew to the Norcia Valley where for centuries people have made mouth-watering pork sausages and salamis. Giorgio makes a succulent dish using the ingredients from the fertile land - fresh pork sausages and lentils.
The last leg of Andrew and Giorgio's journey is the Veneto - a true melting pot thanks to its geographical position in north-eastern Italy. Andrew and Giorgio don't stop in the region's most famous city, Venice. Instead, they follow in the footsteps of the Venetian merchants through their great inland empire. They begin their journey harvesting clams which Giorgio cooks as spaghetti alle vongole in the middle of the Venetian lagoon. They continue their tour with amazing frescoes in Padua, travelling down the river Brenta looking at the outstanding Palladian villas, and then on land in Vicenza to admire one of the most beautiful paintings in Italy - Giovanni Bellini's Baptism of Christ. Andrew and Giorgio end their journey where the Venetians ended theirs - at the top of the Dolomites, one of the most amazing and surprising landscapes Italy has to offer.
