As Mimmo and Franca enjoy the beach and swimming in the clear water, he tells her about his childhood in the town they can see from where they are sitting.

The French government is privileged to have two of Rome's most beautiful properties: Palazzo Farnese, which they rent for a nominal fee and use as their embassy, and Villa Medici, which is the home of the French Academy, and was procured by Napoleon. The narrator speaks of how the land on which Villa Medici was built was highly appreciated by the ancient Romans.

The segment focuses on the reasons behind the founding of the French Academy by Louis XIV

A tour of Villa Medici's reception and private rooms. Ferdinando de' Medici hired the architect and sculptor Bartolomeo Ammannati to expand the villa, as well as other renowned Florentines artists to create fresco cycles exalting his life. We catch a glimpse of his frescoed south-facing apartment, which would have been used in the colder months, while the north-side suite was for warmer periods.

We get a look at the plaster casts of Roman and Greek statues in the French Academy's storage rooms, sculptures such as the Venus de Milo. Fellows have made use of these casts to draw inspiration for their own works.

The segment focuses on Messalina, wife of the Emperor Claudius, who owned a villa on the site of Villa Medici. We catch a glimpse of tunnels and rooms beneath the villa, which were used by Ferdinando de' Medici to imprison Asian slaves when they weren't at work on a garden meant to evoke Mount Parnassus.

We visit the French Academy's gallery devoted to plaster casts of antique sculptures and the large park, which was once used by Ferdinando de' Medici for hunting.

The segment concentrates on two richly frescoed rooms that are set apart from the villa. Cardinal Ferdinando de' Medici used these secluded rooms for trysts.

Éric de Chassey, Director of the French Academy, details the mission of the institution.

What does it mean to be a European? Is the variety of languages in Europe an obstacle to actual unification? Umberto Eco explores these questions and offers some interesting insight.

Journalist Annalena Benini introduces us to different writers from different places in Italy, beginning with Rome, where she interviews Chiara Gamberale, a novelist.

Chiara Gamberale talks about how and where she writes, and how her life has changed now that she has a little girl.

Annalena meets up with Paolo Giordano who talks about the trauma of moving from Turin to Rome. Giordano's first novel, La solitudine dei numeri primi (the solitude of prime numbers) from 2008 was made into a popular film of the same name in 2010.

Annalena continues talking with Paolo Giordano, who talks about how places such as Afghanistan and Apulia have influenced his writing.

Melania Gaia Mazzucco talks about one of her novels set in seventeenth-century Trastevere, quite a different place than what we see today. Although she has traveled the world, Mazzucco comes from generations of romani di Roma (Romans from Rome).

Tamara shows us how she turns out made-to-order boxes and embossed greeting cards in her Rome shop. Polvere di Fata is the shop's name and it means both fairy dust and crafting glitter. Tamara owns it together with her twin sister Tania, and their mother Cinzia.

Tamara shows us the acrylic water-based paints that the family uses to decorate ornaments, frames, and masks, among other things.

Tamara and Tania show some of the items that can be bought either unfinished or decorated in their shop. They demonstrate the use of glass paints and outline the steps used in decoupage.

Tamara shows us how to use a simple stencil to turn a plain paper bag into a gift package.

Tamara, with Tania's help, continues with the decoration of a gift bag. The glue and glitter technique can also be used on handbags or t-shirts.

Musician Carlo Ipata talks about the Rossi Theater in Pisa, his hometown. Amazingly, this eighteenth-century theater managed to escape modern renovations, allowing us a glimpse of what theatergoing would have been like in earlier times.

Strolling through Rome, we stop in front of the so-called statue of Pasquino, who, rebelling against the rigid regulations of the reigning pope, made the statue "speak" by using placards, registering his protest against the city.

This segment takes place in Pigneto, a Rome neighborhood, which hosts a "Mercatino del Pigneto," or flea market, where used items, collectibles, and crafts are sold. Here you'll find everything and at reasonable prices.

Are you curious to hear about Carnival celebrations in Italy? Marika describes for us some of the traditions and curiosities.