Difficulty: Intermediate
Italy
The French government is privileged to have two of Rome's most beautiful properties: Palazzo Farnese, which they rent for a nominal fee and use as their embassy, and Villa Medici, which is the home of the French Academy, and was procured by Napoleon. The narrator speaks of how the land on which Villa Medici was built was highly appreciated by the ancient Romans.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Italy
The segment focuses on the reasons behind the founding of the French Academy by Louis XIV
Difficulty: Intermediate
Italy
A tour of Villa Medici's reception and private rooms. Ferdinando de' Medici hired the architect and sculptor Bartolomeo Ammannati to expand the villa, as well as other renowned Florentines artists to create fresco cycles exalting his life. We catch a glimpse of his frescoed south-facing apartment, which would have been used in the colder months, while the north-side suite was for warmer periods.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Italy
We get a look at the plaster casts of Roman and Greek statues in the French Academy's storage rooms, sculptures such as the Venus de Milo. Fellows have made use of these casts to draw inspiration for their own works.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Italy
The segment focuses on Messalina, wife of the Emperor Claudius, who owned a villa on the site of Villa Medici. We catch a glimpse of tunnels and rooms beneath the villa, which were used by Ferdinando de' Medici to imprison Asian slaves when they weren't at work on a garden meant to evoke Mount Parnassus.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Italy
We visit the French Academy's gallery devoted to plaster casts of antique sculptures and the large park, which was once used by Ferdinando de' Medici for hunting.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Italy
The segment concentrates on two richly frescoed rooms that are set apart from the villa. Cardinal Ferdinando de' Medici used these secluded rooms for trysts.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Italy
Éric de Chassey, Director of the French Academy, details the mission of the institution.
Difficulty: Beginner
Italy
The first part of a trip to Castel Gandolfo, the Roman city famous for having been the traditional summer residence for generations of popes, but also for its beautiful lake.
Difficulty: Newbie
Italy
At last, we arrive at the lake. We ask to rent a sunbed in order to relax and we lie in the sun to rest, but only after having put on some suntan lotion.
Difficulty: Beginner
Italy
During the hottest hours of the day, the sun beats down, and seeing that we don't have an umbrella, we have to have something refreshing to drink or maybe jump in the water.
Difficulty: Beginner
Italy
After spending the morning sun bathing, a slight feeling of hunger sets in. There are a lot of choices: pizza, first and second courses. But, to stay on the light side, fruit salad with a bit of ice cream seems like the best choice.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Italy
What is light? We use it every day, but where does it actually come from? The host suggests doing a little experiment. See if you can follow the instructions in Italian and try it yourself.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Italy
Luisella Giulicchi, manager of the European Space Agency ESA, answers questions about light, infrared rays, and lightyears.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Italy
Luisella Giulicchi, the system manager for the ESA Copernicus Sentinel six mission, explains what an exoplanet is. Two young researchers do a simple experiment to show us how infrared rays work.
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