Adriano tells us about the famous southern Italian folk dance, la tarantella. He also tries dancing it himself.

A visit to a sumptuous palace in Palermo which incorporates a variety of styles, from the Gothic to the Baroque.

Vittorio Umiltà Anzen was a lawyer who passed away in 2012. He loved Palermo and was proud of his house, which he shows us complete with private chapel and rooftop garden.

Alberto Angela, well-known presenter of historical TV documentaries, takes us on a journey to discover some of the "wonders" — both man-made and natural — of this "treasure peninsula" called Italy. The journey begins at the Royal Palace in Caserta.

It's hard to fathom the scale of this royal palace. We learn how many workers it took and how long it took to build. The grand staircase is of amazing dimensions, and, when seen from the top, our host seems like a small dot at the bottom of it.

We visit the magnificent, immense Throne Room, with its small but elegant throne, and vaulted, frescoed ceiling.

Alberto Angela takes us from the public throne room to the private chambers of the Royal Palace. In order to obtain the desired wall coverings, a whole complex was built for manufacturing silk. It's still operating today. Incredibile!

The narrator makes us aware of the vast number of people necessary to run the Palace. We visit the most intimate place in the Palace: the queen's dressing room and bathroom. It is fascinating to learn all the ways in which it was outfitted to both pamper and protect the queen.

If we thought the interior of the Royal Palace of Caserta was amazing, we should get ready for even more amazement as we go outside and see the spectacular park — a true capolavoro (masterpiece) — which Luigi Vanvitelli, architect and engineer, designed, giving water the starring role.

Exploring the gardens further, we come upon a grotto, as well as what looks like an ancient Roman site, replete with original statues. It was all part of Vanvitelli's plan.

We leave the Royal Palace of Caserta and head towards Cilento in Campania where there is a huge Benedictine monastery. When we see the term convento, we might assume it is a convent for nuns, but in Italian, un convento can be a religious community for either monks or nuns (or both).

Alberto Angela us takes back in time, to a city that came about in a totally different way: splendid Matera in Basilicata. It's definitely worth a trip.

Matera is all about caves and grottoes. There were many natural caves that were expanded to be used as dwellings and churches, and other man-made grottoes as well.

We enter a fascinating church carved right into the rock: the Church of the Madonna di Idris. There are some surprising discoveries awaiting us.

We see the inside of house built into the rock. It is fascinating to learn how families coped with the problems of water, humidity, and cramped quarters.

Living conditions were so different at the time of the cave dwellings. Imagine having a mule and rabbits running around the house! The government eventually put a stop to this type of dwelling, and much was gained, but much was lost. On the other hand, people had to live somewhere. The Civita, the oldest part of Matera, filled up quickly around the imposing cathedral, and there was no more room for building houses.

In Matera, various epochs shake hands, as Alberto Angela put it. Matera continues to amaze us with what's hidden underneath the piazza of the Baroque quarter: Il Piano.

There is more to tell about the incredible, huge cistern in the center of Matera. With this, the episode concludes, with an invitation to join in the next journey of discovery.

We're in the south of Italy, where many cultures have merged. Alberto Angela takes us to visit the magnificent Valley of the Temples in Agrigento, Sicily.

The temple dedicated to Concordia was built on an ancient seabed from two million years ago, and is one of the most remarkable structures from the Greek world. Alberto Angela explains why it is the only one still standing.

Alberto Angela talks about how Akragas came to be, how its name changed over time, and about what information has been obtained from archeological digs.

Marino tells about Marechiaro, a small village in the area of Naples called Posillipo. Marchiaro gives its name to a very famous Neapolitan song by Salvatore Di Giacomo.

Alberto Angela shows us how the Greek Temple of Zeus was built to be seen from great distances.

Although we don't know their function, the Telamons, gigantic statues alternating with the semi-columns of the Temple of Jupiter, were as high as a six-story building. A reconstruction of the temple in the Pietro Griffo Regional Archeological Museum allows us to imagine just how imposing they must have been.