Fulvio describes the monument we look at in this segment before telling what it is. The story has some pretty surprising aspects.

In 1749, King Charles of Bourbon (Charles III of Spain) or Carlo Terzo di Borbone, who was King of Naples at the time, commissioned an important campaign of archeological digs in an area near that city. Marika tells us the story.

After Stabiae was razed to the ground in a war, the Romans decided to build some luxury villas in the area. Luckily, some archeological digs led by archeologist Libro D'Orsi were effectuated in the 1950s, and 3 villas came to light.

The Villa San Marco is an amazingly well-preserved luxury villa from the Augustan period, with a wonderful panoramic view of Vesuvius and the gulf of Naples. Marika shows us around the four nuclei of the villa.

The name of the villa was inspired by the story of Dionysus who watched Ariadne while she slept. It was excavated first by the Bourbons but was buried again. Later in the 50s, digs were resumed and now, it can be visited in all its glory.

The last stop on the trip to Castellammare di Stabia is the seafront, called il lungomare in Italian. There's a great panorama, a lovely sea breeze, and it's a great place to just walk around. Marika mentions the famous natural spring water of Castellammare, both for thermal baths and for drinking.

Fulvio shows tells us the story of a door, a very famous door, called the Alchemist's Door, also called the Magic Door, or the Door to Heaven, a monument built by Massimiliano Savelli Palombara, Marquis of Pietraforte on the grounds of his villa in Rome.

Fulvio tells us plenty of interesting things about the history of one of the symbols of Rome, the Colosseum. To begin with, it wasn't always called the "Colosseum."

Take your time with this episode about Rome because it is chock full of information. Il Campidoglio, also called Monte Capitolino, is the smallest of the seven hills of Rome, but it's the most important because that's where the mayor's office is, as well. Where did the word "capitol" come from? Fulvio has the answer. He also talks about where the word "money" comes from. And you will recognize the name of the architect who designed the piazza and its surrounding buildings.

To take a break from the hustle and bustle of Rome, there is a place waiting for you, just 40 minutes away, where horses and cows graze in the wild, and where there is plenty of interesting flora and fauna to observe: The Sorbo Valley.

Arianna explains, in simple Italian, and step by step, her own personal recipe for a pasta dish: Farfalle Primavera. Farfalle is a type of pasta shaped like a farfalla (butterfly). Primavera is the season between winter and summer.

Arianna, born and raised in Tuscany, will make panzanella, one of her favorite dishes. The main ingredient is quite humble: stale bread!

Arianna prepares the ingredients for the panzanella and stresses that this recipe is easily adaptable to personal tastes. You can't really go wrong. It's also a great recipe for anyone to make while vacationing in Italy, since it's so simple.

Arianna finally finishes making panzanella [Tuscan bread salad], which she then enjoys eating while sitting outside under the Tuscan sun.

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.