Alberto Angela, the well-known science popularizer on Italian television, takes us on a journey to discover the "Wonders" that make Italy a "peninsula of treasures." The sites we visit, recognized by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites, range from artistic and architectural masterpieces to incredible natural wonders.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Italy
Alberto Angela tells us how these caves and their internal structures were created. The key is something very simple. Water.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Italy
We spend some more time in the spectacular Frasassi Caves, and this time we see the famous "Room of the Candles" filled with stalagmites that look like candles ready to be lit. Alberto Angela also discusses the colors in this place, as well as the "sounds of silence."
Difficulty: Intermediate
Italy
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.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Italy
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.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Italy
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.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Italy
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?
Difficulty: Intermediate
Italy
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!
Difficulty: Intermediate
Italy
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.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Italy
One reason people would climb Mont Blanc was to find quartz. Alberto Angela explains why there is so much of this precious gemstone here.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Italy
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
Difficulty: Intermediate
Italy
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.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Italy
From Paestum, we head north towards the Gulf of Salerno and the stunningly beautiful Amalfi Coast.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Italy
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.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Italy
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.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Italy
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.
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