The Art of the Feast

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.