The Mediterranean Sea was a center for activity from as far back as the Etruscans who settled on its coast. The sea brought goods and knowledge, but also war.

From Paestum, we head north towards the Gulf of Salerno and the stunningly beautiful Amalfi Coast.

Marika takes us to the piazza where Marco Polo supposedly lived. But which house is it? She asks a local. The name of the square is Corte Seconda del Milion. Il Milion is the Italian name of the book, The Travels of Marco Polo.

This new episode takes us to Campania in the southern part of Italy, near Naples, on the Tyrrhenian Sea. Beautiful drone photography shows us the ancient city of Paestum, formerly called Poseidonia by the Greeks, in the province of Salerno. Apart from the ancient city itself, there are 3 well-preserved Greek temples.

Everyone has heard of St. Mark's Square, but Marika gives us some interesting tidbits of information and then takes us to a see a very special staircase.

Even if we have never been to Venice, we all know a gondola when we see one, but let's find out more about this elegant Venetian symbol.

Alberto Angela talks about how Mont Blanc was formed over millennia, and concludes this episode with a breathtaking view, as well as some lines from a poem by Shelley. Here is the original English:
Far, far above, piercing the infinite sky,
Mont Blanc appears,—still, snowy, and serene—
In the calm darkness of the moonless nights,
In the lone glare of day, the snows descend
Upon that Mountain;
[Nor when] the flakes burn in the sinking sun,
[Or] the star-beams dart through them:—Winds contend
Silently there, and heap the snow with breath
Rapid and strong, but silently! Its home

Marika takes us to see a special statue, a fish market and two famous bridges.

One reason people would climb Mont Blanc was to find quartz. Alberto Angela explains why there is so much of this precious gemstone here.

We move to the French side of Mont Blanc, which has a much milder slope than the Italian side. Mont Blanc stands out as having had an important role in the development of mountain-climbing as a competitive sport.

Marika shows us a famous bookshop in Venice. It's in a critical position with respect to the water level, so special precautions are taken to protect the books when there are high tides. Fascinating!

We learn about the curious names of some of Mont Blanc's magnificent peaks and glaciers. Normally there are 42 glaciers but that number can change!

Mont Blanc has always been considered the highest peak in Europe. But is it? Alberto Angela discusses this and another question: What's the real height of Mont Blanc and why do they have to measure it every two years?

We are back visiting nature's own wonders, this time up in the mountains, on Mont Blanc, to be precise, at an altitude of over 4000 meters.

The Castle of Roccascalegna stands on a high, rocky bluff dominating the valley of Rio Secco in the province of Chieti. Breathtaking drone footage allows us a bird's eye view of this fascinating construction, begun by the Lombards as a watchtower.