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.

During the lockdown of 2020, cities were deserted. The urban landscape changed drastically and some strange things happened, too.

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.

During the pandemic, there were those who couldn't do their shopping for one reason or another, so volunteers would help out. Some could pay for their groceries, but others couldn't. At the beginning of the video, we're in the ZEN, a housing project on the outskirts of Palermo. ZEN stands for Zona Espansione Nord (northern expansion zone). Towards the end of the segment, we're at Milan's Pio Albergo Trivulzio, a nursing home and hospital where many people died in the first wave of Covid-19.

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.

Despite the restrictions brought on by Covid, people would still graduate from school, they'd get married, and they'd celebrate birthdays. But of course, they would have to get creative. Health workers in close contact with Covid patients would have to find a way to be affectionate with their loved ones without infecting them.

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.

How did Italians spend Easter in 2020? Certain traditions were able to be maintained, but it wasn't easy!

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.

On April 25th, Italians celebrate being liberated from the Nazis. It's customary for Italians to gather in piazzas all over the country to celebrate, but in 2020, everyone was in lockdown. The famous song Bella ciao provides the soundtrack for this segment, as people talk about their experiences, as well as what they are looking forward to when the worst of the pandemic is over.

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.

We come to the end of this story of the lockdown in Italy, told through amateur videos, all gathered and coordinated by Gabriele Salvatores.

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.