The Great Cave of the Wind in Frasassi is a natural wonder, but it also bears witness to the passing of time. Speologists are still exploring it and discovering new wonders.

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.

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.

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 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!

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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

Amalfi was one of the four maritime republics on the Italian peninsula. Tradition has it that an Amalfitano, Flavio Gioia invented, or at least perfected the compass, called bussola in Italian.

During its brief period of dominion, Almafi made its mark with the Amalfi Tables — regulations for navigation and trade — that became a general model. The cathedral of Sant'Andrea is a symbol of two different cultures: Roman and Byzantine.

Let's find out why this church or cathedral was dedicated to Saint Andrew — Sant'Andrea. The structure had collapsed in the nineteenth century and was rebuilt, but the doors, with their bronze door knockers, are original.

Amalfi's cathedral is one of the best known and most interesting buildings of the entire Amalfi coast. Alberto Angela points out some elements that have clear links to cultures far away, geographically, and in time.

Our journey takes us to the region of Campania, and to Naples, where we visit one of the oldest theaters still functioning: il Teatro San Carlo.

In the eighteenth centiury, the San Carlo Theater was a magnificent center for opera and culture, and still is today. It's one of the most beautiful theaters in all of Europe.

The Teatro San Carlo was renowned in all of Europe for its beauty as well as for its music, theater, and opera productions, so when it caught fire in 1816, it was a major tragedy. King Ferdinand I had it rebuilt immediately, and it became even more magnificent than before.

The San Carlo Theater was the largest in Europe. Alberto Angela focuses on the shape of the theater and provides some insight into what went on in the box seats.

Alberto Angela continues showing us some of the details of the decorations within the San Carlo Theater. He recounts a special coffee beverage invented there, and an anecdote about the composer Gioacchino Rossini who was the musical director there for a time.

Gioachino Rossini had great success as an opera composer at the San Carlo Theater in Naples, writing a large number of operas while still quite young. When he left Naples for Paris, he was replaced by another star composer, Gaetano Donizetti.

Bel canto (beautiful singing) and lyric opera began in Italy, and, not surprisingly, this country has the highest number of opera theaters in the world. Thus we conclude this episode of Meraviglie (wonders).

In this episode, we travel to Lecce, to the very heel of the Italian "boot," at the southernmost tip of the Italian peninsula. Lecce is an iconic example of the Italian Baroque, which encompassed music, art, literature, and philosophy.

What's so special about Lecce? It has something to do with the kind of stone found there. And masters of art and architecture knew how to make beautiful buildings with it, giving rise to the Lecce Baroque.