One thing that was special about Marchesi's cuisine was that rather than looking abroad for exotic ingredients, his dishes were works of art made with local, ordinary materials.

This historical footage of the Mille Miglia [thousand miles] car race from Brescia to Rome and back includes a cameo appearance by Ingrid Bergman.

Marchesi's friends provide details about their long-term relationships with the celebrated chef.

Documentary in three parts, of the famous Italian car race La Mille Miglia (the one thousand miles) with historical shots of some of the greatest drivers in the world and their cars. Fasten your seatbelts for the first part of three.

Marchesi had plenty of artist friends, and that meant late nights, while having a restaurant meant getting up at the crack of dawn to go to the market. How did he do it?

Marchesi talks about how important his travels in Europe and in Asia had been in enriching his menu, and confirming the path he was following.

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.

Giovanni Ballarini talks about what the kitchens of Italian restaurants were like in the fifties and sixties. To make sense of how he describes them, see Yabla lesson Parole Alterate - Modifying Words to Create New Ones, as well as video lesson Marika spiega: Parole alterate. Gianni Mura talks about some of the trends found on restaurant menus today.

Marchesi's friends and clients talk about Milan in the 1980s and how the fashion business helped it become such a cosmopolitan city. Reference is made to Florence's "Sala Bianca," [White Hall] in the Pitti Palace, where fashion shows took place before Milan became synonymous with high fashion.

Gualtiero Marchesi, together with his friend Medagliani, figured out how to invent new kinds of pots and pans to make the most of his new recipes.

Gualtiero Marchesi's restaurant was more akin to an art exhibit, than a place where you can get something to eat.

Gualtiero Marchesi tells us a bit about when he discovered "haute cuisine" in a famous hotel school in Switzerland.

Gualtiero Marchesi has been described as growing up in a pot. While training under the eye of his mother, he began to specialize in tavola calda e fredda (hot and cold food service) which, usually connected with a bar, offers quality ready-to-eat dishes. La Cucina Italiana (Italian Cooking) is a periodical that's been on newsstands since 1929. Paola Ricas, who was an editor there, shares a special moment in its history.

Although Marchesi earned his first Michelin star quite early in the game, he never lost his enthusiasm for creating new dishes, for experimenting.

Our chef tells how his passion for cooking was born, and what books he used as examples.