Alberto Angela, well-known presenter of historical TV documentaries, takes us on a journey to discover some of the "wonders" — both man-made and natural — of this "treasure peninsula" called Italy. The journey begins at the Royal Palace in Caserta.

It's hard to fathom the scale of this royal palace. We learn how many workers it took and how long it took to build. The grand staircase is of amazing dimensions, and, when seen from the top, our host seems like a small dot at the bottom of it.

We visit the magnificent, immense Throne Room, with its small but elegant throne, and vaulted, frescoed ceiling.

Alberto Angela takes us from the public throne room to the private chambers of the Royal Palace. In order to obtain the desired wall coverings, a whole complex was built for manufacturing silk. It's still operating today. Incredibile!

The narrator makes us aware of the vast number of people necessary to run the Palace. We visit the most intimate place in the Palace: the queen's dressing room and bathroom. It is fascinating to learn all the ways in which it was outfitted to both pamper and protect the queen.

If we thought the interior of the Royal Palace of Caserta was amazing, we should get ready for even more amazement as we go outside and see the spectacular park — a true capolavoro (masterpiece) — which Luigi Vanvitelli, architect and engineer, designed, giving water the starring role.

Exploring the gardens further, we come upon a grotto, as well as what looks like an ancient Roman site, replete with original statues. It was all part of Vanvitelli's plan.

We leave the Royal Palace of Caserta and head towards Cilento in Campania where there is a huge Benedictine monastery. When we see the term convento, we might assume it is a convent for nuns, but in Italian, un convento can be a religious community for either monks or nuns (or both).

Alberto Angela us takes back in time, to a city that came about in a totally different way: splendid Matera in Basilicata. It's definitely worth a trip.

Matera is all about caves and grottoes. There were many natural caves that were expanded to be used as dwellings and churches, and other man-made grottoes as well.

We enter a fascinating church carved right into the rock: the Church of the Madonna di Idris. There are some surprising discoveries awaiting us.

We see the inside of house built into the rock. It is fascinating to learn how families coped with the problems of water, humidity, and cramped quarters.

Living conditions were so different at the time of the cave dwellings. Imagine having a mule and rabbits running around the house! The government eventually put a stop to this type of dwelling, and much was gained, but much was lost. On the other hand, people had to live somewhere. The Civita, the oldest part of Matera, filled up quickly around the imposing cathedral, and there was no more room for building houses.

In Matera, various epochs shake hands, as Alberto Angela put it. Matera continues to amaze us with what's hidden underneath the piazza of the Baroque quarter: Il Piano.

There is more to tell about the incredible, huge cistern in the center of Matera. With this, the episode concludes, with an invitation to join in the next journey of discovery.

We're in the south of Italy, where many cultures have merged. Alberto Angela takes us to visit the magnificent Valley of the Temples in Agrigento, Sicily.

The temple dedicated to Concordia was built on an ancient seabed from two million years ago, and is one of the most remarkable structures from the Greek world. Alberto Angela explains why it is the only one still standing.

Alberto Angela talks about how Akragas came to be, how its name changed over time, and about what information has been obtained from archeological digs.

Alberto Angela shows us how the Greek Temple of Zeus was built to be seen from great distances.

Although we don't know their function, the Telamons, gigantic statues alternating with the semi-columns of the Temple of Jupiter, were as high as a six-story building. A reconstruction of the temple in the Pietro Griffo Regional Archeological Museum allows us to imagine just how imposing they must have been.

The Ephebe of Agrigento is considered to be one of the masterpieces of Greek sculpture of the fifth century BC in Sicily. It is held in the Regional Archeological Museum of Agrigento, in which we also find a Roman sarcophagus in marble from the second century AD with scenes depicting the life of a child who died at an early age.

We say goodbye to Agrigento's Valley of the Temples and get a close look at the awesome Riace Bronzes in Reggio Calabria. The two life-size Greek bronzes date to the 5th century BC and were discovered off Riace by a scuba diver in 1972.

The first stop is Italy's easternmost point, the Punta Palascìa and its 19th century lighthouse. Alberto Angela then shows us another site in the Apulia region, Castel del Monte, a breathtaking crown-shaped castle built by Frederick II in the early 1200s.

Wonderful aerial photography shows Castel del Monte and its crown-like octagonal shape. Frederick II was particularly fond of the castle because it was an ideal location to hunt small game with his falcons.

Alberto Angela takes us inside Castel del Monte and helps us imagine what it might have looked like when it was "alive." He uses the term piano nobile, which indicates the floor of a mansion where the noblemen or landowners lived, as opposed to the floors where the servants' quarters and kitchens would have been.

As opposed to the classical palaces of the powerful, with their throne rooms and great halls, Castel del Monte has some smaller and more intimate spaces, conducive to more personal encounters. Over the centuries, the castle was exploited in different ways, well into modern times.

We visit the land of the trulli, curious dry stone huts. Alberto Angela gives us some background about these unique dwellings.

Alberto Angelo tells us the fascinating story of how trulli are built. Some of the most characteristic trulli can be found in Alberobello.

We are now in the heart of Italy: Tuscany. One of the most beautiful and important cities in Tuscany is Siena with its very particular piazza.

Alberto Angela brings medieval Siena to life, with the help of some breathtaking aerial shots.

The Siena Cathedral is one of the most notable examples of Italian Romanesque-Gothic cathedrals, and is well worth a visit, for both the beauty of the exterior and the unique marble artwork on the interior.

Alberto Angela focuses on one of the floor inlays depicting the story of Siena according to tradition. Siena shares a city symbol with Rome.

Alberto Angela explores the Piccolomini Altarpiece with sculptures by Michelangelo, and the beautiful frescoed Piccolomini Library within the walls of the Siena Cathedral

The Siena Cathedral is large, but it was supposed to have become much, much bigger. Alberto Angela tells the fascinating story.

We have a look at two important medieval manuscripts in the State Archives. They are the original Constitution of the Republic of Siena. Alberto Angela gives us some fascinating facts concerning it that reaffirm how wise the rulers of that republic were.

How could accounting books be so fascinating? The ones from the State Archives in Siena are veritable works of art and tell some interesting stories.

Alberto Angela shows us a volume from 1554 that bears witness to one of the most dramatic moments in Sienese history. We then go on to the beautiful city of Pienza.

The Republic of Siena ends in the 16th century and power goes to Florence, where we go next, to see some of the architectural wonders there.

This video focuses on one of the most famous artists of all time, Leonardo da Vinci. In particular, we start looking at one of his greatest masterpieces, the Last Supper.

We look at Leonardo's Last Supper from close up — the details, the symbolism — but also from the refectory floor, seeing how Leonardo's genius made the fresco part of the room itself.

Two geniuses left their indelible marks on civilization: Leonardo with the Last Supper and Michelangelo with his David.

This episode will take us to Umbria. We start with one of the most beautiful cities in the region, Assisi, a city that's practically synonymous with the Franciscan monastic order and its founder, Saint Francis.

People often wonder how the Basilica of St. Francis could be as imposing and rich as it is, when the saint to whom it is dedicated had taken an oath of poverty. Alberto Angela explains this and other contradictions.

What did Saint Francis look like? There are clues in a fresco in the lower basilica of the church dedicated to him in Assisi.

We move from the lower basilica to the upper one, which has an entirely different feel to it. Here, we are surrounded by a show of light and color in colorful frescoes and stained-glass windows.

Alberto Angela points out how realistic Giotto's frescoes are compared to earlier ones. He also mentions the important fact that Saint Francis composed one of the first poems in the vernacular

We move from Umbria to Tuscany and visit the evocative ruins of the abbey of San Galgano. Next will be Pisa, a prime example of how Tuscany, in medieval times, was experimenting with very "modern" ideas.

Alberto Angela gives us a look at one of the most famous monuments in the world. We look at the Leaning Tower of Pisa through the lens of those who wanted it built.

Why does the Leaning Tower of Pisa lean? Alberto answers this question and others about one of the most famous monuments in the world.

We go inside the Pisa Cathedral and see how marvelous it is, from the granite columns to the majestic pulpit designed by Giovanni Pisano, which, miraculously, survived the fire of 1595.

We learn a great deal about the third structure at the Piazza dei Miracoli in Pisa: the Baptistery. We learn about wonders we can see and wonders we can't see.

Alberto Angela recounts some interesting facts and legends surrounding the roof of the Bapistery and the Camposanto [cemetery].

Alberto Angela takes us through what is actually a gallery of ancient art inside this cemetery, and focuses on the sarcophagi, each with its story to tell.

We're still at the Camposanto in Pisa. Alberto Angela shows us a wonderful fresco of the Last Judgment, and tells us the story of the artist as well as what is depicted.

The fresco depicting the Last Judgement is almost like a photograph of the Middle Ages. Alberto Angela shows us where the sinners ended up and what happened to them in Hell.

The final segment of this tour of Umbria and Tuscany brings to the walls of Pisa and its famous schools of higher learning. As usual, Alberto Angela gives us some insight into how and why things happened as they did, as Pisa developed into one of the most beautiful and important cities in Italy.

We go to the northern part of Italy: Piedmont, and here, in the southern part of the region, called le Langhe, what's worthy of being a World Heritage Site is about the land itself and what it produces, rather than about art and architecture.

This segment is about how the famous wine Barolo came into being. It all started in the Grinzane Castle in the mid-1800s.

The Grinzane Castle houses a Museum of Peasant Civilization. Alberto Angela shows us a huge wine press and explains how it worked.

We discover an amazing spot in the Italian Alps that overlooks the Chisone valley: an eighteenth-century fortified boundary wall, one of the longest in the world.

Alberto Angela takes us to some of the most beautiful mountains in the world, the Dolomites. How did they become so popular? It's a fascinating story.

Alberto Angela takes us to the place where the best wood for making stringed instruments can be found: the Paneveggio Forest.

Alberto Angela explains how these wooden boards of red spruce become important parts of stringed instruments. The Dolomites are also a very unique place in terms of the land itself and how it is managed by the people who live there.

We finally learn where the name "Dolomites" comes from. We also learn the fascinating story of how these mountains came to be.

Alberto Angela gives us a simplified but fascinating description of how the Alps, and the Dolomites in particular, were formed from the sea. He goes on to tell a completely different story involving the Dolomites.

There is a legend about the Dolomites, which has to do with a famous rose garden.

We say goodbye to the Dolomites and, after enjoying the extraordinary panorama from those peaks, go on to Venice, one of the most marvelous cities in the world.

Amazing aerial views of Venice and the Venetian Lagoon provide an introduction to this episode on the Veneto Region. Andrea Palladio, one of the world's greatest architects, was from Vicenza and some of his most famous villas are highlighted in this segment.

The city of Vicenza and its surroundings enjoyed an architectural golden age in the middle of the 16th century with, as its shining star, architect Andrea Palladio. Alberto Angela tells us the story of how it all came about.

We visit the interior of Villa Coldogno and see to what extent Andrea Palladio was ahead of his time as an architect, and how he was able to combine functionality and elegance.

This episode of Wonders concludes, as we await more treasures to discover.

This episode takes us to Sardinia where we see the ancient, majestic stone buildings, unique to Sardinia, called nuraghi.

The Etruscans were an important part of Italy's ancient history, and its lands extended for a large expanse of the peninsula. We visit Banditaccia a Cerveteri, a necropolis north of Rome.

There were different kinds of tombs built by the Etruscans. Alberto Angela explains how and why they were made the way they were. He also takes us into one of the most famous and beautiful Etruscan tombs.

One of the most famous tombs is that of the Matuna family. The reproductions and depictions of objects found there, ranging from everyday tools to ceremonial and funereal ones, allows us a glimpse of what life would have been like in this ancient civilization.

The Matuna family tomb contains many plaster reproductions of everyday objects, adding to the story of how the Etruscans lived. We move on to Tarquinia, where the tombs were carved out of a sedimentary limestone called Macco, allowing the colorful wall paintings to be preserved.

This magnificent, colorful tomb, dating to twenty-five hundred years ago, depicts a banquet in honor of the deceased, who is clearly a young man. It's a virtual time capsule.

We're still in Tarquinia and we visit the tomb of Aninas. We gain some insight into the alphabet the Etruscans used, allowing us to recognize some names, but unfortunately, they didn't leave much in the way of writings to allow us to know much more.

We get a look at the tomb, in terracotta, of a noblewoman. The clay allows for detail, where tombs in Macco do not. We then go to Rome, to the most important Etruscan museum, where we see once again, what an important role the afterlife played in the lives (and deaths) of the Etruscans.

The Etruscans were influenced by other ethnic groups, particularly the Greeks. On display in the National Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia, we find evidence of this in the terracotta objects and fine gold jewelry and precious objects dating from the period.

With a look at one of the greatest Etruscan masterpieces in the Villa Giulia museum, we take our leave of Rome to journey to the Umbrian city of Assisi, or, as it was called in Roman times, Assisium.

We're in Assisi, where, during some excavations, a domus was discovered. It's clear it belonged to a wealthy family because of the richness of the wall and floor decorations, and might even have been the home of the poet Propertius.

Parking is a problem in medieval hilltop towns and cities (especially those attractive to tourists), so one solution is to build an elevator to get from parking further down the hill, up to the center of town. But, you never know what you are going to find when excavating. In Assisi, they certainly hit the jackpot, right in the center of town: A roman domus.

If you have ever visited Italy, you have probably run across the term pinacoteca describing a picture gallery, and wondered where it came from. You will find out in this video about a room called the "tablinum" in the Assisi domus, discovered because they wanted to build an elevator!

Ancient culture merged with "modern" culture, especially after Constantine created the new capital of the Roman Empire, Constantinople. Near Matera in Basilicata, even caves built into the rock face became churches. The frescoes on those walls are quite stunning.

Nature offers us some extraordinary wonders, and this time, Alberto Angela takes us to the Frassassi Caves, in the Marches region, and explains what the caves were used for by prehistoric man.

Alberto Angela brings us to the Ancona Abyss, an immense cave chamber in the Natural Regional Park of Gola della Rossa and Frasassi in the Marches region. The spectacular Ancona Abyss and other innermost caves in the Frasassi cave system were only discovered in 1971.

Alberto Angela tells us how these natural wonders were discovered by a group of young cave explorers from the nearby city of Ancona.

Alberto Angela describes the discovery of the Ancona Abyss, named after the city the speleologists were from. It’s part of the Great Wind Cave.

The magical Frasassi caves look like something out of a fairy tale, but there's a more scientific explanation.

Alberto Angela tells us how these caves and their internal structures were created. The key is something very simple. Water.

We spend some more time in the spectacular Frasassi Caves, and this time we see the famous "Room of the Candles" filled with stalagmites that look like candles ready to be lit. Alberto Angela also discusses the colors in this place, as well as the "sounds of silence."

The Great Cave of the Wind in Frasassi is a natural wonder, but it also bears witness to the passing of time. Speologists are still exploring it and discovering new wonders.

The Castle of Roccascalegna stands on a high, rocky bluff dominating the valley of Rio Secco in the province of Chieti. Breathtaking drone footage allows us a bird's eye view of this fascinating construction, begun by the Lombards as a watchtower.

We are back visiting nature's own wonders, this time up in the mountains, on Mont Blanc, to be precise, at an altitude of over 4000 meters.

Mont Blanc has always been considered the highest peak in Europe. But is it? Alberto Angela discusses this and another question: What's the real height of Mont Blanc and why do they have to measure it every two years?

We learn about the curious names of some of Mont Blanc's magnificent peaks and glaciers. Normally there are 42 glaciers but that number can change!

We move to the French side of Mont Blanc, which has a much milder slope than the Italian side. Mont Blanc stands out as having had an important role in the development of mountain-climbing as a competitive sport.

One reason people would climb Mont Blanc was to find quartz. Alberto Angela explains why there is so much of this precious gemstone here.

Alberto Angela talks about how Mont Blanc was formed over millennia, and concludes this episode with a breathtaking view, as well as some lines from a poem by Shelley. Here is the original English:
Far, far above, piercing the infinite sky,
Mont Blanc appears,—still, snowy, and serene—
In the calm darkness of the moonless nights,
In the lone glare of day, the snows descend
Upon that Mountain;
[Nor when] the flakes burn in the sinking sun,
[Or] the star-beams dart through them:—Winds contend
Silently there, and heap the snow with breath
Rapid and strong, but silently! Its home

This new episode takes us to Campania in the southern part of Italy, near Naples, on the Tyrrhenian Sea. Beautiful drone photography shows us the ancient city of Paestum, formerly called Poseidonia by the Greeks, in the province of Salerno. Apart from the ancient city itself, there are 3 well-preserved Greek temples.

From Paestum, we head north towards the Gulf of Salerno and the stunningly beautiful Amalfi Coast.

The Mediterranean Sea was a center for activity from as far back as the Etruscans who settled on its coast. The sea brought goods and knowledge, but also war.

Amalfi was one of the four maritime republics on the Italian peninsula. Tradition has it that an Amalfitano, Flavio Gioia invented, or at least perfected the compass, called bussola in Italian.

During its brief period of dominion, Almafi made its mark with the Amalfi Tables — regulations for navigation and trade — that became a general model. The cathedral of Sant'Andrea is a symbol of two different cultures: Roman and Byzantine.

Let's find out why this church or cathedral was dedicated to Saint Andrew — Sant'Andrea. The structure had collapsed in the nineteenth century and was rebuilt, but the doors, with their bronze door knockers, are original.

Amalfi's cathedral is one of the best known and most interesting buildings of the entire Amalfi coast. Alberto Angela points out some elements that have clear links to cultures far away, geographically, and in time.

Our journey takes us to the region of Campania, and to Naples, where we visit one of the oldest theaters still functioning: il Teatro San Carlo.

In the eighteenth centiury, the San Carlo Theater was a magnificent center for opera and culture, and still is today. It's one of the most beautiful theaters in all of Europe.

The Teatro San Carlo was renowned in all of Europe for its beauty as well as for its music, theater, and opera productions, so when it caught fire in 1816, it was a major tragedy. King Ferdinand I had it rebuilt immediately, and it became even more magnificent than before.

The San Carlo Theater was the largest in Europe. Alberto Angela focuses on the shape of the theater and provides some insight into what went on in the box seats.

Alberto Angela continues showing us some of the details of the decorations within the San Carlo Theater. He recounts a special coffee beverage invented there, and an anecdote about the composer Gioacchino Rossini who was the musical director there for a time.

Gioachino Rossini had great success as an opera composer at the San Carlo Theater in Naples, writing a large number of operas while still quite young. When he left Naples for Paris, he was replaced by another star composer, Gaetano Donizetti.

Bel canto (beautiful singing) and lyric opera began in Italy, and, not surprisingly, this country has the highest number of opera theaters in the world. Thus we conclude this episode of Meraviglie (wonders).

In this episode, we travel to Lecce, to the very heel of the Italian "boot," at the southernmost tip of the Italian peninsula. Lecce is an iconic example of the Italian Baroque, which encompassed music, art, literature, and philosophy.

What's so special about Lecce? It has something to do with the kind of stone found there. And masters of art and architecture knew how to make beautiful buildings with it, giving rise to the Lecce Baroque.

Visiting Piazza Falconieri makes you feel as if you were in a fairytale. The stone used for these beautiful buildings and decorations has a particularly interesting story.

In addition to its Baroque art and architecture, Lecce has a rich ancient history, underscored by a Roman amphitheater, in part still standing, right in the middle of the city. But Lecce's history goes even further back than that.

We visit a famous monastery near Lecce, which got its name from the Olivetan monks who lived there. They had come from another famous monastery in the province of Siena, the Abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore. Alberto Angela describes the symbolism of the beautiful, mid-sixteenth century canopy well in the cloister. Today, the monastery houses the University of Salento.

The monastery boasts a beautiful, wide staircase from the first half of the 18th century, with some curious charcoal drawings whose purpose remains a mystery. The monastery went through several transformations before becoming what it is today, the seat of the University of Salento.

We're back in the center of Lecce, where there's one of the most beautiful piazzas in Italy, the Piazza Duomo (cathedral square). It can be described as theatrical and eye-poppingly stunning, but it also had an important practical function in its past.

In 1693, there was a terrible earthquake in the south-eastern part of Sicily, and much of it was razed to the ground. The subsequent rebuilding of the cities followed the tenets of the Baroque style that had already taken hold during the Spanish reign.

In Noto, there are two churches facing each other, with the interesting characteristic of having being built to house Benedictine nuns. One of them, the church of Santa Chiara (Saint Clare), went on to become one of the most important examples of Baroque architecture in Sicily.

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata is one of the largest private residences in all of Noto. Built in the eighteenth century in Baroque style, it was the urban residence of the noble Nicolaci family. Its splendid Baroque balconies, together with the façade of the Church of Montevergine, contribute to creating one of the most characteristic corners of all Noto.

There are a good ninety rooms in Palazzo Nicolaci. As on the outside of the building, symbolism pervades every space, as if there were the fear of emptiness. And, in true Baroque style, it was all created to amaze the eye of the beholder.

Our journey takes us to Modica, in Sicily, where the historic center of the city had to be rebuilt entirely because of an earthquake in 1693. There was also a great flood in the twentieth century, resulting in some other major changes in the layout of the city. It remains a beautiful Baroque city, full of wonders.

By observing the damage wrought by earthquakes, architects were able to figure out the best way to build churches to withstand future seismic events. So, in addition to the Baroque style present in cities like Ragusa, in Sicily, practical considerations were also at the source of certain architectural choices.

Our final stop in the Baroque south of Italy is the church of San Giorgio, a masterpiece of architecture, admired by the entire world. The cathedral appears in the opening credits of the Italian TV series "Inspector Montalbano," and it also features in some episodes.