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

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

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.

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.

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

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.

Marchesi shows us a delicious dessert made from leftover panettone. Panettone is an Italian fruitcake from the Lombardy region that is traditionally served during the Christmas season. Cinepanettoni are comic movies served up during the holidays.

Serena is a university student from Maratea. She's just come back from an internship in Russia. She tells us about Russia, and also about her plans for New Year's Eve.

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.

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.

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

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.

Gianni is doing some yard work, and shares his thoughts about how plants go wild, or take over when they're not kept in check.

Gianni takes a cigarette break from doing some yard work, and tells us something about himself. Like many other European smokers, he rolls his own cigarettes to save money.

Flavia is from Maratea, but she now lives in Rome, where she attends university. She misses her native town.