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Narrator: Italy--
with its rich landscapes,
culture,
and cuisine,
this country has long enchanted all who set foot here,
but this moment finds it without crowds...
or visitors....
offering spectacles without spectators...
and yet, somehow, as busy as ever...
especially away from the grand public spaces,
in kitchens...
To beef or not to beef...
Narrator: and historic workshops all through the country.
Here against incredible odds,
master artisans carry on age-old traditions,
sometimes a near final link between past and present.
We use this machine invented by Leonardo da Vinci.
Sometimes, I make a mistake like this...
disaster.
Narrator: The legacy of prior generations
courses through their veins...
My family work the glass since 1650.
Narrator: More than a job, they have a calling, a passion.
Man: You can only do this job with love.
Narrator: To see this work up close is a rare opportunity...
an intimate chance to watch stories unfold
at the fingertips...
Like a little heart.
Narrator: of those protecting a treasured heritage.
Woman: Every single community has to preserve his history.
*
Narrator: Just north of Venice,
the island of Murano is the glass-making capital
of the world.
*
Hey!
Davide's family has been making glass
here in Murano for 11 generations.
Davide: My family work the glass since 1630, 1650.
*
Narrator: Starting as an apprentice 6 decades ago,
Davide first learned to work with glass from his grandfather.
*
[Speaking Italian]
Today, he has taken his skills to the highest level
and creates breathtaking sculptures in glass.
*
The twelfth generation now works alongside their father.
*
Man: For sure he's my father,
but in the same time, I think one
of the best maestro that you can find now.
I'm super lucky on that.
I love him. Ha ha ha!
Lo amo.
*
Today's creation is something only a maestro could envision.
Davide: I saw a picture about an African woman.
She take the water,
and she have the vase on the head,
and this movement...
capture my imagination.
Narrator: He'll use multiple types, textures,
and colors of glass to create his own vision of that image.
The glass becomes too hard if it cools,
so it must stay in constant motion
to retain its shape...
and kept hot,
typically between 1,500 and 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
*
A glassmaker's workshop is loud.
Verbal cues would leave you hoarse by the end of the day,
so they plan as much as they can in advance
and use clanks and bangs to let each other
know what they want.
[Whistles]
*
Davide, voice-over: With my son, I don't need to talk.
They know what I want.
*
Narrator: With the separate pieces of the glass
now shaped, Davide is ready to put them together.
*
He uses a historic technique called incalmo.
In the Venetian dialect, this means "graft."
[Whistles]
Hey! Rock 'n' roll!
*
Narrator: The openings of the two pieces
must line up precisely.
Otherwise, they won't join properly.
*
[Davide speaking Italian]
Centrifugal force helps stretch the glass evenly,
prepping it for the last stages.
*
Davide and Marco rely on the same techniques
glassmakers in Murano have used since 1291.
*
Davide, voice-over: The glass is a challenge
every time, every time.
Narrator: In the early days of glassmaking,
artisans were moved to Murano and forbidden
to leave the island.
Some say it was to protect Venice
from the fires that burned here day and night.
Others say it was to protect their secrets,
which were passed from one generation to the next.
[Speaking Italian]
*
Grande!
*
Narrator: As the sculpture comes together,
Davide adds just enough heat to be able
to shape the glass into its final form.
[Speaking Italian]
*
Hey!
*
Our heart is pushing always.
*
It's something really difficult to explain.
*
Narrator: Finally, the finished piece is rushed
into a special oven.
This will cool the sculpture slowly.
Otherwise, it will shatter,
and they'd have to start all over again.
*
I am very happy when the piece is finished.
Narrator: With Marco by his side,
Davide has finished another master work.
*
Davide: When I am finished it's a...
[Sighs]
Ha ha ha!
*
Narrator: Masks--they've been a part of the cultural fabric
here since at least the twelfth century.
*
That's when Venice celebrated its first Carnival,
a citywide celebration that marks the period before Lent.
*
Stefano is a papier-mache mask maker.
What I am doing now is
the construction of the mask with the paper.
*
Narrator: Classic Venetian masks were made this way
as long as 500 years ago...
Look my brush. Is very--is terrible, huh?
Narrator: and in that time, the process
has hardly changed at all.
Stefano starts with a mold made of resin.
*
Stefano: A very important detail of it is
that every material we use is non-toxic.
Remember that the mask is used on the face. Ha ha ha!
*
Narrator: Layer by layer, Stefano adds pieces
of wet paper covered with glue.
*
Although this way of Venetian mask-making goes back
for centuries, it was nearly a lost art.
*
When Napoleon conquered Venice in 1797,
he banned Carnival and the masks people wore
to help put off a potential rebellion,
and Mussolini banned the celebrations
again in the 1930s.
*
Until the late 1970s, the festival was
mostly forgotten
and so were its signature hand-made masks.
Then a small group of artisans began to teach
themselves this ancient tradition.
*
Stefano: I have done it 40 years,
and now my hand read the detail.
*
The attention and the repetition
give the technique.
*
Narrator: When the mask is done, Stefano gives it
a few finishing touches.
*
You see that the anatomy is perfect.
*
Narrator: After the papier-mache mask dries,
Stefano's sister Manuela helps add some personal style.
Working with Manuela,
Stefano's wife Eliana paints the masks.
*
She's always looking for new ways to make
their masks stand out...
like using 24-karat gold leaf.
*
Stefano: Remember that when you buy some art,
you buy a piece of life of somebody.
Not only for the time, not only for the technique,
and not only for the vision, the idea,
but it's fluid, it's an energy,
and this is important.
*
Narrator: South of Venice, the Emilia-Romagna region
is quintessential Italy.
It includes Modena, the home of balsamic vinegar
and luxury sports car production...
and Bologna, a medieval city
with the oldest university in Europe.
In Emilia-Romagna, like other parts of Italy,
the splendor of its artisans is magnified
when viewed through the lens of history.
*
It's 1633 in Italy.
Galileo is on trial in Rome.
The country is recovering from the Plague...
*
and in Santarcangelo di Romagna,
a fabric printing shop opens its doors.
*
Today, this stamperia produces heirloom quality printed cloth,
using centuries-old tools and techniques.
*
Narrator: Working with his son Gabriele
and daughter Lara, Alfonso begins
by spooling the fine fabric.
It must be prepared for printing.
*
That job is done with a machine
that is the last of its kind on Earth.
*
It's a mangle-- or mangano in Italian.
*
The family says the origins of its design
date back more than 2,000 years
to the Greek engineer Philo of Byzantium.
*
This nearly 500-year-old mangle
was built after its design got an upgrade
from one of the most famous minds in history.
*
Narrator: It was set to be destroyed after World War II
until 12-year-old Alfonso stepped in
and pleaded with his grandfather to keep it.
*
The Marchi family powers it themselves.
*
The giant stone stretches and presses the fabric.
The result-- fabric as smooth as paper.
*
The family has more than 2,000 stamp designs.
*
Those worn by time are painstakingly re-created
using Old-World techniques.
*
And finally, paint is spread
and gathered on the stamp.
Then printing begins.
*
This paint the family uses is made
from a secret recipe that dates back to the year 600 B.C.
*
It takes hours to print a large tablecloth.
*
After the fabric dries, the color is fixed,
and the piece makes one more trip through the mangle.
*
Tablecloths like these are woven in rural homes.
Because families could not afford embroidery,
printing was added for special occasions.
*
Today, cloth like this is popular
throughout Italy because it's strong enough
to use every day
and enduring enough to pass from generation to generation.
>> "ITALY MADE WITH LOVE."
ISN'T THIS A WONDERFUL SHOW?
AREN'T YOU ENJOYING MEETING
THESE PEOPLE AND SEEING THIS ART
AND THESE CRAFTS?
HI.
I'M MALCOM BRETT IN THE STUDIOS
OF PBS WISCONSIN HOPING YOU'RE
ENJOYING THIS SHOW AS MUCH AS WE
ARE IN THE STUDIO.
IT'S GREAT TO SEE THIS
GLASS-MAKING, PAPER MACEHE.
IT'S FASCINATING.
THIS MACHINE STILL EXISTS, THE
ONLY ONE IN THE WORLD.
YOU GET TO LEARN ABOUT THIS
WITHOUT EVER LEAVING YOUR LIVING
ROOM, WITHOUT HAVING TO TRAVEL
TO ITALY BY WATCHING PBS
WISCONSIN.
TRAVEL IS A WONDERFUL WAY TO
EXPAND OUR HORIZONS AND MEET THE
MOST WONDERFUL, SOUL-SATISFYING
PEOPLE.
WELL, A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVEN'T
TRAVELED THE WAY THEY USED TO
BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC AND
RIGHT NOW TRAVEL DOESN'T REALLY
WORK THAT WELL.
SO IF YOU WANT TO EXPERIENCE THE
WONDERS OF ANOTHER CULTURE,
ANOTHER SOCIETY, WE'VE GOT IT
HERE FOR YOU TONIGHT ON PBS
WISCONSIN.
THESE ARTS, THESE CRAFTS, THESE
PEOPLE, THEY ARE JUST SO
STIMULATING, INVIGORATING TO
EXPERIENCE.
PBS WISCONSIN IS HERE TO HELP
YOU EXPERIENCE IT.
WE ASK YOU TO BE HERE TO HELP US
MAKE IT POSSIBLE THROUGH YOUR
MEMBERSHIP GIFT BY CALLING THE
NUMBER ON YOUR SCREEN OR MAKING
A GIFT ONLINE RIGHT NOW.
>> I'M CAROL GRISKAVICH WITH PBS
WISCONSIN.
AND TONIGHT WHEN YOU MAKE A GIFT
PLEDGING YOUR SUPPORT FOR PBS
WISCONSIN, WE WOULD LIKE TO SAY
THANK YOU IN A NUMBER OF WAYS.
FOR $10 A MONTH WE WOULD LIKE TO
THANK YOU WITH EITHER A
BEAUTIFUL TAPESTRY HANDWOVEN
BOOK MARK OR A PAIR OF HOT PADS
CREATED ON THAT SAME
400-YEAR-OLD MACHINE THAT YOU
JUST SAW IN THE PROGRAM.
FOR $15 A MONTH, WE WOULD LIKE
TO THANK YOU WITH A BEAUTIFUL
HAND PAINTED OLIVE OIL BOTTLE OR
A VERY COZY NECK WARMER FROM
ITALY.
FOR $20 A MONTH, WE WOULD LIKE
TO THANK YOU WITH A GORGEOUS
GLASS FRUIT BOWL.
FOR $60 A MONTH WE WOULD LIKE TO
THANK YOU WITH ALL OF THE ABOVE,
THE BOOK MARKS, LOTS OF ITALY,
LOTS OF BEAUTY, LOTS OF
PROGRAMMING ON PBS WISCONSIN
THAT WITH YOUR SUPPORT WE BRING
TO YOU TODAY.
>> HI, FOLKS.
I'M CLINT WALZ, ON STAFF HERE AT
PBS WISCONSIN.
MAN, THAT GLASS WORK WAS JUST
ASTOUNDING AND BEAUTIFUL, WASN'T
IT?
GIVES YOU AN ENTIRELY NEW
APPRECIATION FOR THEIR CRAFT.
IT'S THE SUPPORT OF OUR MEMBERS
WHO MAKE THIS PROGRAM POSSIBLE
AND ALLOW US TO TAKE THESE
JOURNEYS AS MALCOM WAS SAYING,
THESE TRAVELOGUE VISITS, IF YOU
WILL, TO SOME OF THESE GREAT
PLACES LIKE ITALY.
ONE OF THE BEST WAYS IN WHICH
YOU CAN ACTUALLY SUPPORT PBS
WISCONSIN IS BY BECOMING A
SUSTAINING MEMBER.
THAT MEANS THAT YOU GIVE EVERY
MONTH AND YOU DECIDE HOW MUCH
AND IF IT COMES FROM YOUR CREDIT
CARD OR YOUR BANK ACCOUNT.
IT'S THAT EASY.
AND AFTER YOU DO THAT, YOU WILL
BE AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF PBS
WISCONSIN.
YOU WILL BE AMONG THOSE PEOPLE
WHO ARE MAKING THIS PROGRAM
POSSIBLE, NOT JUST FOR YOU, BUT
FOR PEOPLE ALL ACROSS THE STATE.
IT'S SO IMPORTANT AND WE
APPRECIATE IT SO VERY MUCH.
YOU CAN BECOME A MEMBER BY
CALLING US RIGHT NOW AT
1-800-236-3636 OR GO ONLINE TO
pbswisconsin.org AND TAKE A
LOOK AT ALL OF THOSE THANK YOU
GIFTS THAT CAROL WAS DESCRIBING.
BUT GO AHEAD.
DO THAT RIGHT NOW,
1-800-236-3636.
>> IN THE 1630s GALILEO WAS
BRINGING NEW SCIENCE AND THEORY
TO THE WORLD.
AND DA VINCI WAS DESIGNING
MACHINES LIKE THE ONE WE'VE SEEN
TONIGHT.
THE FAMILY WAS STARTING THE
BUSINESS THAT THEY STILL RUN
TODAY.
THAT MACHINE IS, AS CLINT SAID,
ASTOUNDING.
AND THE FACT THAT IT CAN BE
STILL OPERATED 400 YEARS LATER
IS BEYOND BELIEF.
I GUESS THEY DIDN'T BELIEF IN
PLANNED OBSOLESCENCE THEN.
OUR JOB IS TO BRING YOU
EXPERIENCES AND INTRODUCE YOU TO
PEOPLE AND IDEAS AND EVENTS AND
ART AND IDEAS AND THOUGHTS THAT
YOU WOULDN'T OTHERWISE HAVE BEEN
ABLE TO EXPERIENCE.
THAT'S WHAT PBS WISCONSIN IS
HERE FOR.
AND THE WAY WE'RE HERE IS
THROUGH YOUR MEMBERSHIP GIFT.
WE CAN TAKE YOU TO ITALY FOR AN
HOUR AND A HALF ON AN EVENING
HERE IN SUMMER IN WISCONSIN.
BUT WE CAN'T DO IT WITHOUT YOUR
GIFT.
YOU CAN ENJOY ALL THESE THINGS
ALL YEAR ROUND ON PBS WISCONSIN
IF YOU JUST TAKE A COUPLE OF
MINUTES TO MAKE YOUR MEMBERSHIP
GIFT ON THE PHONE OR ONLINE.
PLEASE DO IT.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT.
>> AS A STUDENT OF INDUSTRIAL
ARCHEOLOGY, I AM FASCINATED BY
THE MACHINE AND REALLY HUMBLED
THAT TONIGHT YOUR SUPPORT IS
HELPING US BRING THIS EXCELLENT
AND UNIQUE PROGRAMMING TO YOU.
AND WE'D LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR
YOUR SUPPORT BY OFFERING YOU
SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU HAVE
ALREADY SEEN ON THE PROGRAM
TONIGHT OR WILL SEE YET.
FOR $10 PER MONTH DONATION, WE
WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU WITH
EITHER A BEAUTIFUL TAPESTRY BOOK
MARK MADE IN IT LA ITALY OR HOT
PADDING PRINTED ON THAT MACHINE.
FOR $15 WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK
YOU WITH A HAND PAINTED OLIVE
OIL BOTTLE OR NECK WARMER MADE
OF THE FINEST WOOL.
FOR $20 PER MONTH WE WOULD LIKE
TO THANK YOU WITH A GLASS FRUIT
BOWL.
FOR $60 A MONTH, WE WOULD LIKE
TO THANK YOU A WHOLE LOT WITH
THE BOOK MARK, THE HOT PADS, THE
OOLIVE OIL BOTTLE, NECK WARMER
AND GLASS FRUIT BOWL.
PLEASE CALL 1-800-236-3636
<!24576> MAKTOMAKE YOUR DONATION NOW.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
THIS IS A GREAT TIME FOR YOU TO
BECOME A MEMBER.
WHEN YOU DO, YOU CAN CHOOSE FROM
ONE OF THOSE MANY WONDERFUL
THANK YOU GIFTS WE HAVE
AVAILABLE TO YOU.
YOU'LL ALSO RECEIVE "AIRWAVES"
OUR MONTHLY PROGRAM GUIDE,
ARRIVES IN YOUR MAILBOX EVERY
MONTH AND SHOWS YOU ALL THE
GREAT PROGRAMS THAT YOUR GIFT IS
GOING TO SUPPORT TONIGHT.
NOT JUST PROGRAMS LIKE ITAL "ITALY
MADE WITH LOVE" BUT SHOWS LIKE
SEWING WITH NANCY OR THE GREAT
SHOWS FROM BACK IN THE DAY OR
JULIA CHILD, PROGRAMS LIKE THAT
AND SO MANY OTHERS, MADE
POSSIBLE WHEN YOU MAKE THAT GIFT
OF SUPPORT RIGHT NOW.
YOU CAN DO IT BY CALLING
1-800-236-3636 OR GO ONLINE AT
pbswisconsin.org.
>> PBS WISCONSIN TAKES YOU
AROUND THE WORLD.
AND WE MAY THINK THAT PEOPLE ARE
DIFFERENT WHEREVER WE MAY GO,
BUT AS THIS SHOW DEMONSTRATES,
PEOPLE ARE CONNECTED.
PEOPLE RELATE TO EACH OTHER AND
PEOPLE HAVE A FUNDAMENTAL
CONNECTION NO MATTER WHERE WE
GO.
AND MEETING THESE INCREDIBLE
ARTISTS AND ARTISANS IS
FASCINATING AND SATISFYING.
IT REMINDS US THE CONNECTION WE
HAVE TO EACH OTHER.
AND PBS WISCONSIN DOES THAT FOR
YOU 365 DAYS A YEAR, BRINGING
YOU PROGRAMS FROM AROUND THE
WORLD AND AROUND THE STATE,
TAKING YOU PLACES YOU MIGHT
OTHERWISE NOT GO, TAKING YOU
PLACES YOU MIGHT HAVE BEEN OR
HOPE TO BE.
BUT TAKING YOU IN YOUR LIVING
ROOM SO YOU CAN EXPERIENCE THEM
AS THE BROADCAST PROGRAMMING
THAT WE'RE SO PROUD TO BRING TO
YOU.
YOUR SUPPORT IS WHAT MAKES IT
POSSIBLE.
WE CAN TAKE YOU ANYWHERE IN THE
WORLD AND YOU CAN START THAT
JOURNEY WITH YOUR MEMBERSHIP
GIFT BY CAL
*
The story of Italy can't be told without including food.
Each city offers unique regional delights,
but's Bologna that many call Italy's culinary capital.
*
Some of the world's most beloved dishes originated here.
*
What's behind them?
Extraordinarily fresh, high-quality ingredients,
simple recipes that let flavors shine,
and sometimes, a bit of divine inspiration.
*
Venus--the mythical goddess of love, beauty, and desire.
So enchanting was this deity that local lore
in Bologna says the mere sight of her navel
prompted an innkeeper to re-create it from pasta.
The result--legend says-- Was tortellini.
OK.
*
Today in Bologna, a different kind of passion
fuels those who handcraft this beloved stuffed pasta.
*
I'm Monica.
I'm Dani.
And we are sfogline in Bologna.
Ha ha ha!
Narrator: "Sfogline" is a title these sisters wear
with joy and pride.
Ahh.
Narrator: It marks them as master pasta makers,
culinary artisans carrying on Bologna's tradition
of fresh pasta made with eggs.
Monica: We're having our 25th year inside the shop.
Luckily, nothing terrible happened yet.
Ha ha ha!
*
Narrator: So how did pasta become
the culinary trademark of Italy?
It's thought the food arrived with the Arab invasion
of Sicily in the 9th century,
but by the 1600s, it had spread far and wide,
thanks in part to simple machines that could make it.
*
Italians of all social classes recognized
what everybody loves about pasta even now--
it's delicious, affordable, and easy to store.
*
Today, the sisters are making tortellini's
larger cousin tortelloni.
*
Please, can you start with flour, double zero.
It's a special flour.
Yes.
So this is very fine.
Normally is 100 gram of flour
and one eggs, medium eggs.
Egg. Egg.
And the yolks is very yellow
because chicken eat only corn.
*
Narrator: Rolling begins with a small pin.
It's a job Monica first learned from her grandmother at age 6.
So as you can see, thanks to my belly--
ha ha ha--I succeed in making this very thin
because the dough should be the envelope
of what you see inside and you will taste after.
*
Narrator: But when you live and work with your sister,
there's always a second set of eyes.
Ohh. Tsk.
*
Not bad...
Every day I write the book.
*
Narrator: Each family in Bologna has its own recipe
for the magic in this simple delight.
And these are the filling of tortelloni.
This is the filling of tortelloni.
OK. Sorry.
Made with ricotta cheese, parsley,
Parmigiano-Reggiano 36 months old,
salt, and nutmeg.
*
Narrator: With a special cutting wheel,
the gold dough starts to become tortelloni.
I am the best. Pbbt!
*
Because I am perfect.
No comment. Heh heh.
Narrator: The silky texture comes from the ricotta,
made with only cows' milk.
This is very special because it's like a cream.
Sometimes, the dough could be just a little dry,
So we need water like this,
to keep it moist.
Narrator: Thin but strong,
the pasta stretches over the filling into a triangle.
*
Like a little heart.
*
OK, our tortelloni.
*
Narrator: To Enzo Bonafè, the handmade luxury shoes
that bear his name are more than footwear.
*
They are a promise fulfilled.
Man: My father was born in Bologna city center,
in Old Town in 1935.
Then when the war started, Bologna became
a very dangerous place to be,
so to escape the bomb, he moved to the mountains.
*
When he found himself there,
he had to walk barefoot because his family
was in a situation of extreme poverty.
He had pain,
and he promised himself to make
the most beautiful shoes in the world.
*
Narrator: In 1963, Enzo and his wife Guerrina dared to
make good on his dream,
starting a line of handmade shoes.
*
Today, it's a family business that includes
son Massimo, wife Guerrina, Enzo,
daughter Silvia, and now granddaughter Benedetta.
*
First Guerrina's skilled hands draw a model, or pattern.
*
The pattern is then cut onto fine leather.
Massimo: We look for the best materials all over the world.
*
Benedetta: I love working with my family.
*
Massimo: So to make one pair of our shoes,
we take about 4 weeks average.
Normally, we need from 300 to 350 different operations.
There are some big steps that we can sum.
*
Narrator: The luxury leather is sewn together
to create a flat seam.
The rest of the process uses a last,
the molded form of a foot.
Leather is nestled around the last
and secured in a special machine.
*
Enzo is one of only two people in the shop
with the special skill to flatten the seams
and strengthen the leather.
Massimo: This is not a job for him.
This is his passion.
*
Narrator: To sole the shoe, first a strip of leather
is sewn around the bottom of the insole,
an old-world process called welting.
*
The outsole is then secured to the welt.
*
Then, the sole and heel are sanded
to ensure a good connection with glue.
*
As they are prepared for boxing,
it's not only the shoes that shine,
but also their makers.
Massimo: Italian shoe culture has very old roots.
*
In Bologna, there used to be a lot of good producers.
*
Unfortunately, during the end of the last century,
many, many factory closed.
What we do here is keeping the tradition alive.
This is what my parents taught us.
*
It's the only way that we know to produce shoes,
so we cannot change.
*
Umbria, in the heart of Italy, pulses
with independence and pride.
Here, artisans carry on traditions
ranging from delicate
to large scale...
*
and although Umbria is home to Assisi--
and its famed Saint Francis--
friction between the Catholic Church
uniquely contributed to much of this region's craftsmanship.
*
I'm Marta Cucchia. I'm a weaver from Perugia.
Narrator: Perugia, the hill-topped capital
of Umbria, lies almost halfway between Florence and Rome.
It was Italy's center for textiles dating
from the Middle Ages, a market town
especially famous for its Perugian tablecloth.
*
At that time, Perugia had been relatively
independent of the pope and in the 16th century
rebelled against the Holy See's efforts
to control it through taxes on salt.
*
To punish the city, the pope banned
textile production for commercial purposes,
pushing Perugia further into self-sufficiency.
When the ban was eventually lifted,
commercial work resumed...
*
but the invention of mechanized looms
during the industrial revolution
almost brought an end to these sacred
and beautiful textiles.
*
Her great-grandmother opened the shop in 1921,
but when Marta's mother decided to close it,
23-year-old Marta wouldn't hear of it.
*
Today, she and her apprentice run one
of the last hand-weaving studios in Italy.
*
Marta: Now I'm making the warp.
The warp is the base of every kind of fabric,
the vertical threads,
and we are using in this studio
the warping machine invented by Leonardo da Vinci.
*
I have to be really careful because sometimes
I make a mistake like this,
and this is a real tragedy because
if I jump one turn around this machine,
this group of threads is shorter than 5 meters.
Disaster.
Then we have to undo everything, yeah.
Narrator: She carefully removes the finished warp
and braids it to keep
the individual strings organized.
Then, it goes to the loom.
*
Marta: Now I'm using my oldest loom.
This loom works with 4 harnesses.
Then I control the harnesses with my feet with the pedals,
and I open the warp with my feet.
For every different position of the pedals,
I have a different opening of the warp,
and in this opening, I send the shuttle
with a bobbin inside.
*
Narrator: After thousands of moves of the shuttle and warp,
the result will look something like this.
*
A pillow might take 3 days to weave.
A tablecloth can take up to two weeks.
*
Marta: Keep alive this traditional work
is important because it's a part
of our local community and culture,
and then it's not only for me or for Umbria.
Every single community has to preserve his history.
*
This work is my passion.
My life is not the life of Marta.
Marta is a part of the studio like a loom.
*
Narrator: For centuries, the town of Deruta has made
the most of its precious natural resource--clay.
*
I'm Giorgio Moretti.
I'm the owner of the company very famous
for production of hand-painted ceramics.
*
Narrator: Since the turn of the 14th century,
Deruta artisans have created stunning glazed pottery
called majolica, typically using
a white, tin-based glaze.
Less than two centuries later, they perfected
a more brilliant version called lusterware.
Giorgio: Deruta is a very famous village.
The clay that we use for making these vases
is found here in the Tiber River.
*
Narrator: For the past 100 years,
Giorgio's family has carried on the tradition.
*
He and his sister Camilla are the third generation.
*
Taking their cues from 15th and 16th century
Renaissance traditions,
Giorgio and his 12 artisans
revisit classic forms for modern tastes.
*
Giorgio: We make the shape on the wheel manually.
*
Narrator: The art of ceramic goes back at least 30,000 years.
*
The potter's wheel came to Italy sometime
before 1500 as the Middle Ages gave way
to the Renaissance.
*
The process of going from clay
to majolica takes at least 5 steps.
*
At any step along the way from shaping
to firing to carrying the piece
to and from the kiln,
disaster could strike.
Giorgio: When we have the shapes ready and dry,
we make the first firing at about 1,000 centigrade.
*
The unglazed fired pieces are called terracotta,
"cooked earth."
*
Giorgio: Then the plain terracotta
is dipped in a glaze for glazing process.
*
Narrator: The white tin glaze, which forms a canvas
for the bright, painted design to come,
typifies early majolica pottery.
*
The piece is ready for the most crucial step, painting.
*
Vanessa Municchi has been working here for 5 years.
*
Vanessa transfers the traditional designs
onto the pottery.
The design is drawn on duster paper,
then perforated along its outline
with a fine needle.
She lays the perforated paper on the vessel
and beats it with a bag of charcoal dust,
transferring the drawing.
*
The colors that go into the kiln
are not the colors that come out.
That's the art and the magic of majolica.
*
Two firings is typical,
but when precious metals such as gold, silver,
and platinum are used, it could take up to 10.
*
Giorgio: Now our challenge is to keep
this tradition alive and to continue working
in the same quality, the same tradition
without changing the history that we receive
from the ancient time,
but try to be contemporary for the market.
*
>> WOW.
WE'VE JUST SEEN EVEN MORE OF
"ITALY MADE WITH LOVE" AND YOU
CAN SEE THE LOVE THAT THESE
ARTISANS PUT INTO THEIR WORK.
HI.
I'M MALCOM BRETT, A VOLUNTEER
HERE AT PBS WISCONSIN.
THIS IS A CHANCE FOR YOU TO
SUPPORT PBS WISCONSIN WITH YOUR
MEMBERSHIP GIFT AND THIS IS A
TERRIFIC TIME TO DO IT BECAUSE
THIS IS A CHALLENGE BREAK.
CURRENT DONORS HAVE MADE AN
EXTRA FUND TO MATCH YOUR GIFT
DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR.
IT WILL DOUBLE THE IMPACT OF
YOUR GIFT.
SO MAKE THIS CHALLENGE BREAK
REALLY WORK FOR YOU.
YOU KNOW, IT'S FUN TO THINK
ABOUT WE'VE SEEN ALL THESE
TREMENDOUS ARTISTS AND THEIR
CRAFTS AND THEIR WORK.
THE CULTURES CREATE THE ART OR
DOES THE ART CREATE THE CULTURE?
WE DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER THAT
QUESTION.
WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IS BRING YOU
THE PROGRAMS THAT HELP YOU ASK
THE QUESTIONS AND EXPERIENCE THE
BEAUTY AND THE CULTURE THAT IS
THIS PROGRAM OF "ITALY MADE WITH
LOVE."
IT'S A PROGRAM WE'RE HAPPY TO
BRING TO YOU, THANKS TO THE
GIFTS OF MEMBERS WHO HAVE
ALREADY CONTRIBUTED.
SO THE NEXT PROGRAM MAYBE WE CAN
BRING WILL BE BECAUSE OF THE
GIFT YOU MAKE TONIGHT.
SO PLEASE CALL 1-800-236-3636 OR
GO ONLINE AND MAKE YOUR PLEDGE.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR
ONGOING SUPPORT OF PBS
WISCONSIN.
AND SUSTAINING MEMBERS WOULD
LIKE TO CHALLENGE YOU NEW
MEMBERS TO MATCH YOUR DONATIONS
RIGHT NOW OF UP TO $2,000, ONE
FOR ONE.
LET'S MAKE YOUR MONEY GO A
LITTLE BIT FARTHER IN YOUR
SUPPORT OF THE WONDERFUL
PROGRAMMING ON PBS WISCONSIN.
WE'D LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR
SUPPORT WITH AT $10 A MONTH THE
BOOKMARK MADE ON THE
DA VINCI-DESIGNED LOOM YOU JUST
SAW IN THIS PROGRAM OR A SET OF
HOT PADS MADE ON THE PRINTING
MACHINE THAT YOU SAW EARLIER IN
THE PROGRAM.
FOR $15 A MONTH, A BEAUTIFUL
HAND PAINTED OLIVE OIL BOTTLE
THAT YOU JUST SAW ON THE PROGRAM
AS WELL OR A GORGEOUS AMERIC WOOL NECK
WARMER.
FOR $20 A MONTH, A GLASS FRUIT
BOWL.
FOR $60 A MONTH WE WOULD LIKE TO
THANK YOU A WHOLE LOT WITH THE
BOOKMARK, THE HOT PADS, THE
OLIVE OIL BOTTLE, NECK WARMER
AND GLASS FRUIT BOWL.
PLEASE PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT RIGHT
NOW BY CALLING 1-800-236-3636.
>> HI, FOLKS.
I'M CLINT WALZ, ON STAFF HERE AT
PBS WISCONSIN.
I WAS GIVEN THIS BEAUTIFUL
BOOKMARK HERE TO SHOW EVERYONE.
THIS CAN BE YOURS FOR A GIFT OF
JUST $10 A MONTH.
I HAVE TO TELL YOU IT'S
ABSOLUTELY STUNNING.
THIS IS THE ONE THAT WAS CRAFTED
ON THE LOOM THERE DONE BY
DA VINCI.
IT'S STUNNING AND CAN BE YOURS
FOR A GIFT OF JUST $10 A MONTH.
I HIG HIGHLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO
THAT.
MALCOM WAS TALKING ABOUT THE
LOVE THAT THESE ARTISANS PUT
INTO THEIR CRAFT AND NOW IS THE
OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO SHOW YOUR
LOVE FOR PBS WISCONSIN.
SO MAKE YOUR GIFT OF SUPPORT
RIGHT NOW AND WHEN YOU DO, I
HOPE YOU'LL CONSIDER BECOMING A
SUSTAINING MEMBER.
IT'S THE EASIEST WAY FOR YOU TO
GIVE.
ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS DECIDE HOW
MUCH YOU'D LIKE TO GIVE AND IF
YOU'D LIKE IT TO COME FROM YOUR
BANK ACCOUNT OR YOUR CREDIT CARD
AND THAT'S IT.
THE NEXT THING YOU KNOW YOU WILL
BE AN ACTIVE MEMBER HERE AT PBS
WISCONSIN KNOWING THAT YOU ARE
THE ONE WHO'S HELPING MAKE THESE
PROGRAMS POSSIBLE.
THIS IS A CHALLENGE BREAK.
THIS IS YOUR TIME.
CALL US NOW AT 1-800-236-3636.
>> LAST SEGMENT WE'VE SEEN SHOES
MADE BY SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T SEE
THE WORK AS A JOB, BUT A
PASSION.
AND AN EXPRESSION OF LOVE.
WE'VE SEEN WEAVINGS BY SOMEONE
WHO TALKS ABOUT THE PASSION AND
LOVE SHE BRINGS TO HER WORK.
WE SAW A BIT OF TORTELLINI, THE
BEST FOOD IS FOOD THAT'S COOKED
WITH LOVE.
THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO POUR
THEMSELVES INTO THE WORK THEY DO
TO CREATE THESE CRAFTS, THESE
ARTISANAL PIECES OF ART.
IT'S WONDERFUL TO SEE THEM
EXPRESS THEMSELVES THROUGH THE
ART THEY ENJOY.
SOME OF THIS YOU CAN ENJOY IN
YOUR OWN HOME BY MAKING A GIFT
AS AN EXPRESSION OF THESE
ARTISTS' PASSION.
BUT PBS WISCONSIN IS THE SAME
WAY.
PEOPLE WHO WORK HERE DON'T COME
TO WORK.
THEY COME TO FULFILL A MISSION.
THEY COME TO SERVE YOUR
INTEREST, YOUR NEEDS, TO INSPIRE
YOU, TO CREATE EVERY DAY AND TO
BRING YOU PROGRAMS THAT ARE
IMPORTANT TO YOU AND THAT STICK
WITH YOU.
AND THEY'VE BEEN DOING THAT FOR
70 YEARS NOW.
AND THE MAIN WAY THEY GET TO DO
THAT IS BECAUSE OF YOUR LOVE OF
PBS WISCONSIN AND YOUR FINANCIAL
SUPPORT.
SO PLEASE MAKE YOUR GIFT RIGHT
NOW.
>> HELP US CONTINUE THAT MISSION
HERE AT PBS WISCONSIN WITH YOUR
SUPPORT OF THIS WONDERFUL
PROGRAMMING, "ITALY MADE WITH
LOVE."
WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR
YOUR SUPPORT BY OFFERING YOU A
COUPLE OF THANK YOU GIFTS
TONIGHT FROM ITALY, MADE WITH
LOVE.
FOR $10 PER MONTH, WE WOULD LIKE
TO THANK YOU WITH ONE OF THOSE
GORGEOUS BOOKMARKS THAT CLINT
WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT OR A PAIR
OF THE HOT PADS, PRINTED HOT
PADS, PRINTED ON THAT MACHINE
THAT WE SAW EARLIER IN THE SHOW.
FOR $15 PER MONTH, WE WOULD LIKE
TO THANK YOU WITH A GORGEOUS
HAND-PAINTED OLIVE OIL BOTTLE OR
A WOOL NECK WARMER MADE IN
ITALY.
FOR $20 PER MONTH, WE WOULD LIKE
TO THANK YOU WITH A GLASS FRUIT
BOWL MADE IN ITALY AND WAITING
FOR YOUR FRUIT, I GUESS.
FOR $60 PER MONTH, WE WOULD LIKE
TO THANK YOU WITH THE WHOLE LOT:
THE BOOKMARK, THE HOT PADS, THE
OLIVE OIL BOTTLE, THE NECK
WARMER AND THE GLASS FRUIT BOWL.
PLEASE CALL AND SPEAK TO ONE OF
OUR VOLUNTEERS TO MAKE YOUR
DONATION NOW AT 1-800-236-3636.
>> AND I CAN TELL YOU AS A
MEMBER MYSELF, IT'S REALLY MAKES
YOU PROUD WHEN YOU WATCH PBS
WISCONSIN KNOWING THAT YOU'RE
HELPING MAKE IT POSSIBLE.
AND WHEN YOU ARE A MEMBER, NOT
ONLY WILL YOU RECEIVE ONE OF
THOSE GREAT THANK YOU GIFTS
CAROL WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT.
THERE'S OTHER BENEFITS AS WELL,
INCLUDING "AIRWAVES," AS WELL AS
BEING INCLUDED IN OUR MEMBER
SWEEPSTAKES AND BEING A PART OF
OUR MEMBER SURVEY, GIVING YOU
THE OPPORTUNITY TO TELL US HOW
YOU THINK WE'RE DOING.
FINALLY YOU ALSO HAVE ACCESS TO
PBS PASSPORT.
THAT'S OUR ONLINE LIBRARY OF PBS
PROGRAMS.
ALL OF THIS MADE POSSIBLE WITH
ANY OF THE LEVELS THAT CAROL HAS
MENTIONED TONIGHT OR AS LITTLE
AS $35 A YEAR YOU'LL RECEIVE
"AIRWAVES."
AGAIN, THIS IS OUR PROGRAM
GUIDE, ARRIVES IN YOUR MAILBOX
EVERY MONTH.
MY GOODNESS, THERE ARE A LOT OF
PROGRAMS THAT YOUR DOLLARS ARE
GOING TO GO TO SUPPORT.
IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT YOU
MAKE THIS PHONE CALL BECAUSE
THIS IS A CHALLENGE BREAK.
REMEMBER, WE ARE MATCHING THE
FIRST $2,000 WE RECEIVE FROM NEW
MEMBERS.
IF YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT IT, NOW
IS THE TIME.
THAT PHONE NUMBER, AGAIN,
1-800-236-3636.
>> IT TAKES TREMENDOUS SKILL TO
DO THE WORK THAT YOU'RE SEEING
TONIGHT, BUT IT'S NOT JUST THE
SKILL, IT'S THE PASSION, IT'S
THE COMMITMENT, IT'S THE
TRADITION THAT'S CAPTURED.
THIS HOT PAD CAME OFF THAT
MACHINE, THAT 400-YEAR-OLD
MACHINE.
THIS HOT PAD TOUCHED THAT
MACHINE.
AND THE ARTIST THAT MADE IT.
WE SAW THOSE ARTISTS CUTTING NEW
PRINTING DYES AND WE SAW THEM
PRESSING THE INK INTO THE FABRIC
AND PRESSING THE FABRIC DOWN AND
THIS IS A PRODUCT OF THAT.
AND IT'S A PRODUCT OF 400 YEARS
OF COMMITMENT AND TRADITION.
WELL, PBS WISCONSIN DOESN'T HAVE
QUITE 400 YEARS OF COMMITMENT,
BUT 70 YEARS OF COMMITMENT AND
TRADITION AND SKILL AND OF
COURSE THE PASSION TO BRING YOU
INSIGHTFUL, TOUCHING, MOVING,
SIGNIFICANT EXPERIENCES THAT
ONLY PBS WISCONSIN CAN BRING
YOU.
AND PBS WISCONSIN CAN ONLY DO
THAT WITH YOUR FINANCIAL
SUPPORT.
SO PLEASE MAKE YOUR GIFT RIGHT
NOW.
>> WE WOULD LIKE AGAIN TO SAY
THANK YOU FOR YOUR DONATIONS
THIS EVENING.
DURING THIS CHALLENGE PERIOD, WE
WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU WITH FOR
$10 A MONTH, WE WOULD LIKE TO
THANK YOU WITH THE BOOKMARK THAT
YOU JUST SAW COME OFF OF THAT
DA VINCI-DESIGNED LOOM IN THE
SHOW.
OR MALCOM WAS JUST TELLING YOU
ABOUT THESE GORGEOUS HOT PADS
THAT UNBELIEVABLY TOUCHED A
400-YEAR-OLD FABRIC PRINTING
MACHINE.
FOR $15 A MONTH, YOU JUST SAW
DERUTA HAND PAINTING CERAMICS IN
ITALY.
WE WOULD LIKE TO OFFER YOU AN
OLIVE OIL BOTTLE HAND PAINTED BY
HIM OR A WOOL NECK WARMER.
FOR $20 PER MONTH, WE WOULD LIKE
TO THANK YOU WITH A GLASS FRUIT
BOWL.
OR FOR $60 A MONTH, WE WOULD
LIKE TO THANK YOU WITH THE WHOLE
LOT, THE BOOKMARK, THE HOT PADS,
THE OLIVE OIL BOTTLE, NECK
WARMER AND GLASS FRUIT BOWL.
PLEASE CALL 1-800-236-3636 TO
MAKE YOUR DONATION NOW.
>> FOLKS, THERE'S A LOT OF GREAT
MORE ARTISANS THAT WE'RE GOING
TO MEET IN THE SEGMENT AHEAD,
INCLUDING A BUTCHER, A STONE
WORK AND WE'RE GOING TO SEE SOME
KASHMIR MAKING I.
WE HAVE THREE MINUTES LEFT IN
THIS CHALLENGE BREAK.
DURING THIS BREAK, WE ARE
MATCHING YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS
DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR UP TO THE
FIRST $2,000 IF YOU'RE A NEW
MEMBER.
SO A GREAT TIME TO CALL.
WE HOPE THAT YOU WILL.
YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK
THAT, GOSH, DON'T YOU GUYS GET A
LOT OF YOUR FUNDS FROM LIKE THE
STATE AND FROM THE GOVERNMENT?
WE DO GET SOME, BUT MORE THAN
50% OF OUR FUNDING COMES FROM
PEOPLE JUST LIKE YOU AND THAT'S
WHY WE'RE HERE TONIGHT, THAT'S
WHY WE'RE PROUD TO BE HERE
TONIGHT, TO INVITE YOU TO JOIN
US AS A MEMBER OF PBS WISCONSIN.
SO MAKE THAT CALL.
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE CHALLENGE
BREAK RIGHT NOW.
>> I'VE NEVER BEEN TO ITALY.
I MAY NEVER GET TO ITALY.
BUT AS OF TONIGHT, I KNOW SOME
ITALIANS AND I KNOW A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT ITALIAN CULTURE AND I KNOW
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE ART AND
THE ARTISANSHIP OF CREATING
GREAT WORKS THAT PEOPLE GET TO
USE IN THEIR EVERYDAY LIVES BUT
WHICH ARE THE PRODUCT OF
INSPIRED PEOPLE WHO ARE
COMMITTED TO THE TRADITIONS AND
THE SERVICE THAT IS EXEMPT PLA
FIED BY THEIR WORK.
PBS WISCONSIN IS COMMITTED TO A
TRADITION OF SERVICE AND WE'RE
COMMITTED TO THE PEOPLE WHO
CONSUME OUR WORK.
THAT'S YOU.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE.
THAT'S WHY WE'LL CONTINUE.
WE DON'T HAVE 400 YEARS BEHIND
US, BUT WE WILL BE HERE AND WE
WILL CONTINUE TO ADAPT AND WE
WILL CONTINUE TO BRING YOU THE
EXPERIENCES AND THE PROGRAMMING
AND ALL OF THE WONDER THAT WE
ALWAYS HAVE THANKS TO YOUR
SUPPORT OF PBS WISCONSIN.
MAKE IT ALL POSSIBLE WITH YOUR
PHONE CALL OR BY GOING ONLINE
RIGHT NOW AND MAKING YOUR GIFT.
CAROL?
>> WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU
AGAIN FOR YOUR ONGOING SUPPORT
OF WONDERFUL PROGRAMMING LIKE
THIS.
AND LIKE CLINT SAID, THERE'S
JUST A FEW MINUTES LEFT IN OUR
CHALLENGE PLEDGE SECTION.
SO WE HOPE THAT WE WILL HAVE THE
OPPORTUNITY TO THANK YOU FOR
YOUR DONATION.
IF YOU CALL 1-800-236-3636, WE
WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU, OUR
VOLUNTEERS WOULD LIKE TO THANK
YOU.
FOR THE LEVEL OF $10 PER MONTH
WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU WITH
A BOOKMARK MADE ON THAT LOOM
THAT YOU JUST SAW IN THE PROGRAM
OR A BEAUTIFUL SET OF HOT PADS
FROM THE FABRIC PRINTING PRESS
YOU SAW EARLIER.
FOR $15 PER MONTH, THE OLIVE OIL
BOTTLE OR THE WOOL NECK WARMER
FROM ITALY.
FOR $20 PER MONTH, GLASS FRUIT
BOWL.
OR FOR $60 A MONTH THE WHOLE
LOT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR CONTINUING
TO SUPPORT THIS PROGRAMMING AND
OTHER PROGRAMMING THAT YOU
Tuscany with its crown jewel, Florence,
is the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance.
*
Both home and muse to artists like da Vinci
and Michelangelo,
the long artistic tradition here
can be seen in soaring cathedrals...
and iconic images inspired by breathtaking landscapes,
but some of Tuscany's most gifted artists
are masters in another medium,
one you can see only on your plate.
*
Dario Cecchini is sometimes called
the most famous butcher in the world.
With a personality as big as a T-bone steak,
it can be easy to see why.
To beef or not to beef...
*
Although Dario comes from a long line
of butchers, he almost took a very different path.
As a young man, he decided to walk away
the family business and become a veterinarian.
Then his father got sick, and Dario came back
to his small hometown of Panzano
in Chianti and returned
to the family butcher shop to support
his younger sister and grandmother.
He's been here ever since.
As someone with a deep love for animals,
Dario brings a unique point of view to being a butcher.
*
Dario uses cuts of meat that others might overlook.
*
Although he has several restaurants here
in Panzano, he doesn't lean on fancy recipes,
just the taste of the meat itself.
*
As Dario's fame as a butcher has grown,
he's had the chance to travel and feed people worldwide,
but he vows that he'll never leave his hometown behind.
*
[Bells tolling]
[Fire burning]
[Tapping]
The goldsmithing tradition in Tuscany
goes back to the Etruscan age
and was very popular during the Renaissance.
In those days, fine pieces of jewelry
were collected and highly prized
as worthy of admiration as the works
of painters, sculptors, and architects.
*
During the Renaissance, the Medicis,
who created their own bank, were avid collectors
of gold pieces and even created
a goldsmith and jeweler's row
on the Ponte Vecchio, a famous bridge in Florence.
I'm Paolo Penko. I'm a goldsmith in Florence,
and this is Furino.
*
Paolo picked up the art of being a goldsmith from his father,
but he also took his craft to the next level
by studying at a local art institute.
That's when he first laid eyes on his wife
and creative partner Beatrice.
Brothers Alessandro and Riccardo have been working
in the shop since they were old enough to walk,
and their interest in making jewelry grew naturally
out of watching their parents work.
*
Riccardo's work has gotten more polished since then.
Today, he works side by side
with his parents and his brother,
making pieces that even the Medicis would envy.
It all starts with a base of gold,
and then they add anything from diamonds
to rubies, topaz to turquoise to create
visions of opulence that evoke the Italy of old.
Today, they are making a necklace based
on "La Primavera," a painting
from legendary Florentine artist Sandro Botticelli.
*
They start by heating a piece of gold plate.
*
They warm it up and then cool it off quickly,
which makes the gold easy to shape.
When the gold is thin enough, they start to
etch in the pattern.
Riccardo: It creates a beautiful texture on our jewel.
Narrator: These thin pieces of gold can easily tear
or become misshapen, so any wrong move
can mean redoing hours of work.
Next, they separate the gold into different parts
and hammer them out to shape them even further.
Riccardo: Last, we combine all the pieces,
and we put the stone on the jewel...
and then we polish it, and the jewel is finished.
Narrator: The final result serves as a bridge
between Tuscany's legendary past and its present.
*
Riccardo: Of course, I'm very proud
to continue this tradition, the tradition
of my father and of my grandfather,
and I feel very lucky to do something that I love.
*
Narrator: With palm trees
and brilliant sunshine drenching limestone architecture,
Puglia enjoys a southernly situated spot on Italy's heel.
*
This region produces 40% of Italy's olive oil...
*
which is more than 10% of that in the whole world.
*
As in much of Italy, natural resources
and history have greatly shaped
the unique artistry and architecture
of this region.
*
In the southern part of Puglia,
iconic stone houses rise from the dusty landscape.
Topped with limestone domes, the structures, known as trulli,
look like something from a fairy tale
and have stood shoulder to shoulder for centuries.
*
I am Domenico Romano.
I am a maestro trullaro in Alberobello in Puglia.
*
Narrator: The earliest trulli were built
by peasants, who hauled nearby limestone
to make these primitive but elegant-looking homes.
The knowledge of how to fortify them
against weather and time has been passed down
from one generation to the next.
*
With the old trullo masters dying out,
Domenico vowed to do his part
to help protect these architectural wonders.
*
Today, Domenico is restoring the roof of a classic trullo.
All he needs is a hammer and his own two hands.
The rooftops of trulli are built
from close-fitting pieces of limestone.
No mortar or glue required.
*
Legend has it the trulli were built to be
pulled down whenever tax collectors came to town.
Today, Domenico's job is to make sure they keep
standing tall, reminders of their glorious history.
*
In the northwest corner of Italy,
Liguria, called the Italian Riviera,
is an enchanting string of colorful coastal towns.
*
The capital city of Genoa includes
a modern, sprawling trade port
that has long been one of the most important in Europe.
*
Steps away, history is everywhere.
*
Genoa's blend of all things traditional
and contemporary is embraced uniquely
by one family of artisans.
*
This is fine silk.
The border cashmere.
*
They are two of the world's finest fabrics...
*
so when the Ghignone family of clothiers
first put a spray gun to this cloth,
it made shockwaves,
even in fashion forward Italy.
*
Today, their signature dye-painted cashmere
sells in 33 countries...
*
the proud product of 3 generations
working together.
Now you can see the scarf completely open.
Narrator: Matriarch Lia started the company
in the 1950s
after getting married and discovering
homemaking was not for her.
She got a job using a knitting machine
and then went out on her own.
Woman: And she created a company
which grew through the years with the entrance
of the second generation, my mother and my uncle.
Narrator: And they transitioned to using luxury cashmere.
*
Fiorella: Cashmere is a fiber
which comes from the cashmere goat.
Best one is in Mongolia.
*
Narrator: It's thought that Marco Polo learned
about cashmere when he visited Mongolia
in the 1200s...
*
but Europe didn't begin trading for it
until the 18th century.
Woman: Genoa has always been a cashmere district.
This is because Genoa's waters have
a special density, are particularly hard,
and this makes cashmere especially soft.
*
Narrator: Today, they're weaving their signature scarves,
using their state-of-the-art machines.
Woman: This is an artisan company,
but we believe in technology and innovation a lot.
They are very modern machines,
but the basics are the same as they were
more than 70 years ago when the company
was started by my grandmother.
*
Narrator: Each knitted piece goes straight
to quality control.
*
Giulia: We come to this luminous table,
and we go over it with a magnifying glass.
OK.
Perfect.
*
Narrator: It's Lia's artistic son Mirko
who first dared to paint these fabrics with dye.
*
He and his wife use different techniques,
including hand-coloring...
OK.
Narrator: rolling...
*
and spraying.
*
Woman: It's an unlimited opportunity
to express yourself,
so that's the best thing you can do in your life, I think.
[Speaking Italian]
narrator: As fashion evolves,
one thing doesn't seem to change--
Grandma or Nonna Lia.
Giulia : Something that we say here is that
the cashmere dust is what keeps everyone looking
nice and young, and you see Nonna Lia.
She's 93.
She does not necessarily look that age.
*
Narrator: Italy--it is a country of larger-than-life mystique
created by many stories,
and it's artisans who are and will continue to be
the master storytellers...
*
Revealing Italy's history
through determined brushstrokes...
purposeful taps...
and quiet determination.
Their work is history preserved.
Marta: It's a part of our local community.
Narrator: Family legacies carried forward...
I love him. Ha ha ha!
Narrator: and resilience come to life.
Massimo: He promised himself to make
the most beautiful shoes in the world.
Narrator: Few things so deeply represent
personal passion and cultural pride.
The art of creating is in the Italian soul,
a soul that reveals itself
>> WELL, TONIGHT WE'VE BEEN FROM
VENICE TO FLORENCE TO PUGLIA.
BUT YOU HAVEN'T BEEN ANYWHERE
BUT YOUR LIVING ROOM.
THAT'S THE MAGIC OF PBS
WISCONSIN.
WE'VE SHOWED YOU ITALY IN A WAY
THAT NOT EVEN RICK STEVES COULD
HAVE TAKEN YOU.
THIS IS A SET OF TRADITIONS, A
SET OF ART AND AN INCREDIBLE SET
OF ARTISTS WE'VE BEEN INTRODUCED
TO TONIGHT THAT HELPS US
UNDERSTAND WHAT GOES INTO THE
BEAUTIFUL THINGS WE'VE SEEN FROM
ITALY OVER THE YEARS.
MANY OF THESE THINGS ARE
AVAILABLE AS THANK YOU GIFTS
TONIGHT.
YOU'LL HEAR MORE ABOUT THAT IN A
MINUTE.
BUT THE BEST GIFT OF ALL IS THE
WINDOW TO THE WORLD THAT PBS
WISCONSIN GIVES TO YOU WITH
PROGRAMS LIKE THIS THAT YOU
WON'T SEE ANYWHERE ELSE.
AND YOU CAN'T SEE THEM EVEN HERE
UNLESS OUR MEMBERS AND OUR
VIEWERS CONTINUE TO SUPPORT US
THE WAY THEY HAVE IN THE PAST
AND MAYBE EVEN WITH A LITTLE BIT
MORE.
SO PLEASE, BECAUSE THIS SHOW HAS
BEEN SO WONDERFUL, BECAUSE PBS
WISCONSIN BRINGS SHOWS TO YOU
DAY IN AND DAY OUT, TAKE A
MINUTE AND BECOME A MEMBER OR
RENEW U YOUR MEMBERSHIP AND MAKE A
GIFT TO THE NUMBER ON YOUR
SCREEN OR pbswisconsin.org.
DO IT RIGHT NOW.
>> TAKE A MOMENT TO EXTEND THE
EXPERIENCE TONIGHT OF TRAVELING
ITALY FROM YOUR LIVING ROOM BY
SENDING US A DONATION TO SHOW
YOUR APPRECIATION FOR SUCH
INCREDIBLE AND DIVERSE
PROGRAMMING.
WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR
YOUR DONATION.
YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD A LITTLE
BIT ABOUT THE WONDERFUL THANK
YOU GIFTS THAT WE HAVE TONIGHT.
LET'S RUN THROUGH THEM REAL
QUICK.
FOR $10 A MONTH, WE WOULD LIKE
TO THANK YOU WITH THE BEAUTIFUL
TAPESTRY BOOKMARK OR THE PRINTED
HOT PADS PRINTED ON THAT MACHINE
THAT YOU SAW EARLIER.
FOR $15 PER MONTH, THE
HAND-PAINTED OLIVE OIL BOTTLE
FROM ITALY OR THE MERINO WOOL
NECK WARMER YOU JUST SAW ON THE
PROGRAM.
FOR $20 A MONTH, THE GLASS FRUIT
BOWL FROM MERINO.
OR FOR $60 WE WOULD LIKE TO
THANK YOU WITH THE WHOLE KIT AND
CABOODLE.
PLEASE CALL 1-800-236-3636 TO
DONATE NOW.
>> HI, FOLKS.
I'M CLINT.
I'M ON STAFF HERE AT PBS
WISCONSIN.
THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT.
THESE ARTISANS ARE CREARG CARRYING
FORWARD IMPORTANT TRADITIONS
SUCH AS THE BOOKMARK THAT YOU'RE
ABLE TO RECEIVE FOR A GIFT OF
JUST $10 A MONTH FROM GENERATION
TO GENERATION.
IT'S THE SAME WAY THAT
GENERATIONS OF MEMBERS HAVE
ALLOWED PBS WISCONSIN TO
CONTINUE THROUGH THE YEARS.
AND YOUR GIFT TONIGHT CAN
PRESERVE THAT FOR FUTURE
GENERATIONS.
BUT NOT ONLY FOR FUTURE
GENERATIONS, FOR PEOPLE ALL
ACROSS THE STATE.
YOUR GIFT IS SO IMPORTANT AND
TOUCHES PEOPLE IN PLACES LIKE
PARK FALLS OR GREEN BAY,
LA CROSSE OR RIGHT HERE IN
MADISON.
AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE
TONIGHT AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE
ASKING FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
HELP MAKE THESE GREAT PROGRAMS
POSSIBLE, TONIGHT, TOMORROW AND
FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE YEAR
AND BEYOND.
IT'S VERY EASY TO DO.
ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS GIVE US A
CALL AT 1-800-236-3636.
>> OVER THE YEARS, PBS WISCONSIN
HAS HAD MANY PROGRAMS ABOUT THE
GENIUS OF DA VINCI, OFTEN ABOUT
HIS PART, THE TECHNOLOGY HE
INVENTED.
WHAT AN INCREDIBLE INVENTOR.
AND HE INVENTED A MACHINE AND
ONE WAS MADE OVER 400 YEARS AGO.
HE DIDN'T MAKE IT BUT HE
INVENTED IT.
AND THIS IS A PRODUCT OF HIS
MIND AND HIS INVENTIVENESS AND
THE MARK OF THE FAMILY TODAY.
SO FOR 400 YEARS AGO TO TODAY,
THROUGH THE MAGIC OF PBS
WISCONSIN, WE PUT A REAL
PERSONAL STAMP ON THE IMPACT OF
AN ARTIST WE'VE KNOWN AS
DA VINCI.
WE'VE KNOWN MORE FOR HIS ART AND
MAYBE IN THE ABSTRACT.
BUT IT'S NOT JUST IN THE
ABSTRACT.
TODAY'S WORLD CREATED IN
SIGNIFICANT WAYS BY AN ARTIST
LONG SINCE DEAD AND BROUGHT TO
YOU EVERY DAY BY PBS WISCONSIN.
THAT'S THE MAGIC OF PUBLIC
TELEVISION.
AND THE REAL MAGIC OF PUBLIC
TELEVISION IS THAT IT'S
SUPPORTED BY YOU AND PEOPLE LIKE
YOU.
MAKE YOUR GIFT TODAY, WON'T YOU?
>> THE REAL MAGIC OF PUBLIC
TELEVISION, AGAIN, SUPPORTED BY
VIEWERS LIKE YOU.
THANK YOU.
WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU IN
RETURN FOR YOUR DONATION WITH
SOME OF THE INCREDIBLE THINGS
CREATED FROM THE MIND OF
DA VINCI.
FOR THE LEVEL OF $10 PER MONTH,
WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU WITH
THE BOOKMARK MADE ON THE LOOM
CONCEIVED BY DA VINCI OR THE HOT
PADS THAT MALCOM WAS JUST
TALKING ABOUT.
FOR $15 PER MONTH, WE WOULD LIKE
TO THANK YOU WITH THE HAND
PAINTED OLIVE OIL BOTTLE OR
MERINO WOOL NECK WARMER.
FOR $20 PER MONTH, WE WOULD LIKE
TO THANK YOU WITH THE GLASS
FRUIT BOWL HANDCRAFTED BY A 11TH
GENERATION GLASS MAKER.
FOR $60 WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK
YOU WITH ALL OF THE ABOVE, THE
BOOKMARK, THE HOT PADS, THE
OLIVE OIL BOTTLE, NECK WARMER
AND GLASS FRUIT BOWL.
PLEASE CALL AND SPEAK TO ONE OF
OUR VOLUNTEERS AT
1-800-236-3636.
OR VISIT pbswisconsin.org TO
DONATE TODAY.
>> YOU KNOW, PBS WISCONSIN
CONTINUES TO PRESERVE THESE
TRADITIONS OF THE PAST.
WE CONTINUE TO EVOLVE AND
EMBRACE NEW TECHNOLOGIES TO
SERVE OUR COMMUNITIES.
AND IF YOU'RE DOING A LOT MORE
STREAMING THESE DAYS, ONE OF THE
THINGS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO WANT
IS PBS PASSPORT, WHICH INCLUDES
ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS THERE FOR
YOU WHEN AND WHERE YOU NEED IT.
AND THAT WOULD BE AVAILABLE TO
YOU AT ANY OF THE LEVELS THAT
CAROL HAS MENTIONED TONIGHT.
AND YOU'LL RECEIVE SO MANY
DIFFERENT TYPES OF PROGRAMS AND
DIFFERENT GENRES THAT ARE
AVAILABLE TO YOU ON PASSPORT,
THE PROGRAMS THAT YOU VALUE YOU
CAN FIND RIGHT THERE ON PBS
PASSPORT, INCLUDING PROGRAMS
LIKE, WATCH THIS, "WISCONSIN
STORIES," DRAMA AND MUSIC AND
KIDS' PROGRAMMING, ALL THERE FOR
YOU.
IT'S SUPER EASY TO DO.
ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS GIVE US A
CALL AT 1-800-236-3636 OR GO
ONLINE AT pbswisconsin.org.
>> PBS WISCONSIN IS MUCH MORE
THAN CLINT'S PLAYHOUSE.
IT'S THE PLACE YOU GO TO TRAVEL
THE WORLD AND TO MEET PEOPLE YOU
NEVER HAD A CHANCE TO MEET IN
ANY OTHER WAY.
PBS WISCONSIN IS HERE FOR YOU
EVERY DAY WITH NEW IDEAS, NEW
INSPIRATIONS AND TO BRING A
SENSE OF AWE AND JUST OPENING
THE WORLD TO YOU IN YOUR LIVING
ROOM, WHEREVER YOU HAPPEN TO BE.
AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO WATCH US
LIVE ON TELEVISION.
YOU CAN STREAM US ON THE PBS
APP.
ANY OF YOUR STREAMING DEVICES,
DOWNLOAD THE APP AND WATCH AT
YOUR CONVENIENCE.
THE WAY FOR US TO KEEP BRINGING
YOU THESE SHOWS IS TO MAKE A
PLEDGE.
YOUR PLEDGE DOLLARS SUPPORT PBS
WISCONSIN.
YOU MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR US TO
BRING YOU THESE PROGRAMS.
THAT'S THE REASON YOU'RE HERE.
YOU'RE THE REASON WE'RE HERE.
AND YOU MAKE IT ALL HAPPEN WHEN
YOU PICK UP THE PHONE AND CALL
OR PICK UP YOUR MOUSE AND CLICK
AT pbswisconsin.org.
DO IT RIGHT NOW.
>> WE WOULD LIKE TO SAY THANK
YOU AGAIN WITH SOME OF THE THANK
YOU GIFTS THAT YOU'VE PROBABLY
HEARD QUITE A BIT ABOUT TONIGHT
FROM ME OR IF YOU'VE CHECKED
ONLINE AT pbswisconsin.org.
LET'S GO THROUGH THEM ONE MORE
TIME.
FOR $10 PER MONTH, WE WOULD LIKE
TO THANK YOU WITH THE BEAUTIFUL
CREATED ON THE MACHINERY
CONCEIVED BY DA VINCI BOOKMARK
OR THE HOT PADS MADE ON THE
MACHINE.
FOR $15 PER MONTH, THE
HAND-PAINTED OLIVE OIL BOTTLE OR
THE MURANO NECK WARMER.
FOR $20 PER MONTH, THE GLASS
FRUIT BOWL MADE IN MU AMERICA MUR R ITAL
OR FOR $60, THE WHOLE SHEBANG.
PLEASE CALL AND SPEAK TO ONE OF
OUR VOLUNTEERS AT 1-800-2363636
TO DONATE NOW.
>> AND WE'D LIKE TO TAKE JUST A
MOMENT TO RECOGNIZE THOSE
MEMBERS IN OUR LEADERSHIP
CIRCLES.
THESE ARE FOLKS WHO MAKE A GIFT
OF $1,000 OR MORE PER YEAR TO
THE STATION, WHICH REALLY GOES A
LONG WAY TOWARDS MAKING THESE
SORTS OF PROGRAMS POSSIBLE.
SO IF YOU'RE ABLE TO CONSIDER A
GIFT IN THAT AMOUNT, WE WOULD BE
DEEPLY GRATEFUL FOR THAT
SUPPORT.
AGAIN, IF YOU'RE ABLE TO MAKE A
GIFT OF $500, THAT MAKES YOU A
PART OF OUR BROADCAST INSIDERS
GROUP.
$1,000 OR MORE YOU'LL BE
INCLUDED IN OUR DIRECTORS'
CIRCLE.
GIFTS OF $2500 INCLUDE YOU IN
THE PRODUCERS' CIRCLE.
$10,000 OR MORE, DIRECTORS'
CIRCLE.
THESE MEMBERS RECEIVE SPECIAL
BENEFITS WE'D BE HAPPY TO EXTEND
TO YOU.
REMEMBER, IF YOU'RE A SUSTAINING
MEMBER, THAT'S $100 A MONTH,
ANOTHER WAY YOU'RE ABLE TO
BUDGET AND YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO
AFFORD A SLIGHTLY LARGER GIFT.
BUT IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW MUCH
YOU GIVE.
IT ONLY MATTERS THAT YOU DO.
WE'RE DEEPLY APPRECIATIVE OF ALL
THE GIFTS WE RECEIVE.
THANK YOU FOR MAKING Y
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in part by contributions to your PBS station
from viewers like you. Thank you.
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