A journey between New Year's and Epiphany Two holidays rich in symbols, ancient rituals and magic, that speak of rebirth, fortune and new beginnings. From lentils to bonfires, from the Befana to fireworks, Italian tradition invites us to leave the past behind and believe in the dreams of the new year.

A fascinating journey into the most authentic Italian Christmas: from the origins of the first nativity scene in Greccio to traditional songs, from symbols of light and hope to regional customs. A poetic tale that weaves together faith, history and folk magic, capable of speaking to everyone, beyond any creed.

The Villa San Marco is an amazingly well-preserved luxury villa from the Augustan period, with a wonderful panoramic view of Vesuvius and the gulf of Naples. Marika shows us around the four nuclei of the villa.

In 1749, King Charles of Bourbon (Charles III of Spain) or Carlo Terzo di Borbone, who was King of Naples at the time, commissioned an important campaign of archeological digs in an area near that city. Marika tells us the story.

Francesca and her new friend are now in the bar. Let's go and see what's on the menu!

Francesca is in Rome and she looking for a way of getting to the Janiculum. She asks a guy, who gives her directions and tells her of some ways she could get there. At the end, they decide to get a coffee together.

In this video we get a peek at the streets of Rome, accompanied by the nostalgic melody of "Romagna mia" (a song dedicated to the Region of Emilia Romagna, played here by a street musician in Rome). Come and discover the eternal city!

The name of the villa was inspired by the story of Dionysus who watched Ariadne while she slept. It was excavated first by the Bourbons but was buried again. Later in the 50s, digs were resumed and now, it can be visited in all its glory.

After Stabiae was razed to the ground in a war, the Romans decided to build some luxury villas in the area. Luckily, some archeological digs led by archeologist Libro D'Orsi were effectuated in the 1950s, and 3 villas came to light.

Ungaretti mentions 2 poets who attracted him as a youth: Mallarmé and Leopardi. He talks about the famous poem Alla primavera, o delle favole antiche by Leopardi but gets the title wrong. You can see the entire poem (in Italian) here.

Ungaretti talks about how he got his start. He frequented a café in Paris, where artists and poets would gather.

After thanking his host for his kind words, Ungaretti begins talking about his life. He gives a lot of credit to young people, first of all.

Ettore Della Giovanna, noted Italian journalist (1912-2004), interviews Giuseppe Ungaretti, considered one of the greatest poets of his time, besides having been a writer and scholar.

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.

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!