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.

Naples was chosen for the Earth Day Italy celebration. The choice had special meaning in light of the problems Naples has had in the past regarding waste management.

The Naples Christmas market from up close. It's a rowdy scene, and there's a lot going on all at once. The famous horn shaped talisman called the cornetto is taken quite seriously as well as other instruments for keeping away the malocchio (evil eye). For more information about the cornetto, and the three r's referred to in the video, see this article in Italian.

Approximately seventy percent of the Earth's surface is covered by water. Nonetheless, water is a precious asset and shouldn't be wasted uselessly. Here are some tricks to save water at home.

Little tricks that can help save water in day to day life. They can make a huge difference to avoid wasting this precious resource.

Raffaele, a producer of extra virgin olive oil from Apulia, tells us about the ancient origins of his olive groves. Many of the trees are centuries old, some are even over a thousand years old, and continue to produce excellent oil.

From Puglia, a description of olive picking the modern way, and some of the rules agricultural business are required to follow, in order to obtain top quality extra virgin olive oil.

The owner of the company Le Grotte di Sileno (The Grottoes of Silenus) continues to walk us through the steps necessary to produce high-quality extra virgin olive oil. Puglia produces more olive oil than any other Italian region.

Musician Carlo Ipata talks about the Rossi Theater in Pisa, his hometown. Amazingly, this eighteenth-century theater managed to escape modern renovations, allowing us a glimpse of what theatergoing would have been like in earlier times.

Even though the tomato is an immigrant in Italy, it has become synonymous with Italian cooking. The soil produced by Vesuvius and the mild climate of the area around Naples and Salerno have allowed the San Marzano tomato to become King.