Tuscany is famous for its fine leather. The tradition goes back to medieval times and was a way to make use of the byproducts from slaughtering animals for meat, in other words, the hide.

There are more steps to making these skins into fine shoe leather, with the result of turning waste products into noble ones.

We move on to Biella, northwest of Milan, where the quality of the water contributes to the excellent quality of the woolen fabrics produced by the historical Zegna company.

Gratitude for the bounty of nature is a primary value for the Zegna Foundation. It might be helpful for the viewer to know that l'abito is a noun (think "monk's habit") meaning a gown or suit, but it is also the first person singular of the verb abitare (to inhabit, to live).

Tortona is an area of Milan, where steel mills stood previously. The huge structure turned out to be perfect for housing, once renovated, the Ansaldo workshop for the sets of Teatro alla Scala. The area has become very trendy and popular, especially during the Milan Fashion Week.

We get a glimpse of the spaces where a show takes shape, from sewing the costumes, to creating the sets and backdrops. When a model of a set arrives, the job of the team is to translate it into reality, into something big.

The founder of the Jonian Dolphin Conservation describes one of its projects: Ketos, Euro-Mediterranean center of the sea and cetaceans, based in Taranto.

The deepest part of the Mediterranean is located between Apulia and Greece. There, conditions are such that there is plenty of food for predators. With the "Researcher for a Day" program, the association gets precious help searching for cetaceans in these waters.

The bread from Altamura (in Apulia) is very famous among Italian bread connoisseurs. Beppe di Gesù, our host in this segment, comes from a long line of bakers. Breadmaking is so special that it's called l'arte bianca (the white art), because of the color of the flour.

This is the story of an Italian, who haveing been brought up on a dairy farm, travels the world, ending up in Australia, only to return to Italy with some new ideas about the cheese he wants to create.

This episode is about a specialty from Colonnata, a little village above Carrara, where marble is quarried. It's pork lard, which may not sound very appetizing but is beloved by Italians all over the peninsula. A little goes a long way, but savored with typical unsalted Tuscan bread, it is pretty special. And marble plays an important part.

Truffle hunting is a peculiar activity, one that requires the collaboration of a dog. And you never want to let on how many truffles you find, even if you are friends with other truffle hunters.

How are the harvested truffles divided up? And besides being sold whole, how are they further processed? Paolo and Stefania tell us the story.

Italy is known for its pasta. The Zampino family was able to give new life to an old flour mill from the sixteen hundreds and turn it into a productive plant where they produce pasta keeping to traditional methods.

To make pasta, only 2 ingredients are strictly necessary: semola (durum wheat flour) and water. But atmospheric conditions make all the difference.