has been provided by the following.

- [Narattor] In the heart of Barolo lies Cantine Oddero Winery.

Today, the sixth generation of the Oderros continue the family tradition of producing wines from ancient vines in Piemontese terror.

Oderro wines since 1878.

- [Narrator] Victor Rallo and chef Dave Pasternack's Esca restaurant in New York City's Theater District.

Serving contemporary Italian coastal cuisine.

Crudo, fresh fish, prime meats, and pasta.

Dishes rooted in the simplicity of Italian flavors.

Esca, New York City.

- [Narrator] The Magaldi group.

STEM, solar thermo-electric Magaldi.

(upbeat rock music) (soft piano music) - [Narrator] Alessandra Poli has spent her life traveling the world and sharing stories of her adventures as a TV producer.

Now she'll explore her homeland, and offer a look at the Italy tourists don't see.

- Rome, the city where I was born, never stops to amaze me.

Art, culture, history, but most of all, its very passionate people.

Follow me on Passion Italy and I'll show you the real Italy.

(uplifting string music) - [Narrator] The real Italy, it's a love for stunning landscapes.

The creativity to transform nature into art, the soul to give voice to old handcraft traditions, the magic of partaking in a dramatic religious parade, and tasting some of the most mouth-watering regional dishes.

- On today's Passion Italy, we will travel to stunning Abruzzo, a region in Italy's center, mostly known for it's captivating vistas, and of course, so many wonderful local traditions.

(light guitar music) - [Narrator] Abruzzo is the greenest region in Europe.

Despite its great beauty and proximity to Rome, this territory in central Italy is still virtually unknown to tourists.

Nevertheless, Abruzzo has all the ingredients to be your next vacation destination.

Imposing mountain ranges, unspoiled national parks, turquoise sea, not to mention, a patchwork of peculiar towns and villages whose folklore and traditions are firmly anchored in the deep roots of the Italic tribes who founded them.

Abruzzo is second to Umbria for the number of most beautiful villages of Italy, with its 23 wonderful hamlets.

There are more than 700 fortified buildings and fortress towns.

Maybe that's why this area is known for its hermits and for the catholic military order, known as the Knights of Templar.

If you are looking for a lesser-known and undiscovered region to explore in Italy, Abruzzo certainly won't disappoint you.

(guitar music) Abruzzo is our destination on today's Passion Italy.

Castelli, on the slopes of the Gran Sasso Mountain is our starting point.

We will stop in Chieti and then drive inland to reach Guardiagrele.

The Trabocchi Coast on the Adriatic is our next destination, Lentella, the last stop.

(guitar music) The gorgeous skyline of the Gran Sasso Mountain, looking like the head of a sleeping giant, welcomes Alessandra to Castelli.

The town seems to have been born to make the gorgeous Majolica ceramics it's known for.

The territory is rich in clay and water, necessary to make the ceramics.

Dense woody bushes used to keep the kilns burning, blanket the valley.

Between the 15th and 17th centuries, it became one of the most important Majolica production towns.

The refined objects created right here were highly considered in the European courts.

In the ceramics museum, you'll admire some of these ancient works of art.

(guitar music) Not far from the city center, the Church of Saint Donato deserves a visit.

It is known as a Sistine Chapel of Italian Majolica, due to its marvelous ceiling, unique in Italy, created in the early 600s.

All the local ceramic artisans who contributed to the work were free to express their creativity.

(guitar music) Majolica craftwork in Castelli is still flourishing, and Alessandra is meeting a master in this art, Vincenzo Di Simone.

Vincenzo has worked with clay, using age-old traditions for 70 years.

Once a year, to keep the old-time memory alive, he lights up the ancient wood kiln to bake his clay work for 24 hours.

(Vincenzo speaking in foreign language) With an innate natural style and mastery, he keeps creating wonderful objects.

His son, Antonio, who follows in his father's footsteps, paints them.

For generations, this art has been their passion.

(piano music) (Vincenzo speaking in foreign language) (piano music) (Vincenzo speaking in foreign language) (piano music) (Vincenzo speaking in foreign language) (piano music) (Vincenzo speaking in foreign language) (piano music) (Vincenzo speaking in foreign language) (piano music) (Vincenzo singing in foreign language) (guitar music) Chieti is one of the oldest cities in Italy, and legend says it was founded by Achilles, and originally named Teate, in honor of his mother Thetis.

(guitar music) The city has known a volatile history.

It has been attacked, destroyed, and rebuilt through the ages.

Walking around today, you can admire so many palaces and churches, which offer diverse and attractive architecture.

If you feel like enjoying regional artworks, head to the Art Museum Costantino Barbella, containing frescoes, ceramics, and paintings by the most famous artists from Abruzzo.

(guitar music) The Marrucino Theater opened in 1818.

It's a precious architectural gem.

It was dedicated to the King of Naples, Ferdinand the First.

The sumptuous curtain, made in 1875, is unique in the world because of the fabric painting.

Sitting in the audience, you can almost hear the opera being performed.

(operatic aria) Do you need a break?

Stop in one of the cozy local bars, perfect for a gourmet snack.

(light piano music) Fausto Napoli-Barattucci holds a secret recipe for an incredibly perfumed liqueur made of wild herbs from the Gran Sasso, called Corfinio.

His grandfather invented it in 1858.

The liqueur was named after the small village that was the first Italian capital 2000 years ago.

In his museum, Fausto tells Alessandra its fascinating history, but he still won't reveal the mysterious ingredients.

(Fausto and Alessandra speaking in foreign language) (calm music) Full of mystery and fascination, is also the Crypt of Sodalizio, which is hidden inside the imposing San Giustino Cathedral.

Treasure troves of art, decorated with golden stuccoes from the 1700s, it's the residence of the Archconfraternity of Sacro Monte.

The Archconfraternity was created in the 16th century, with the aim of helping the poor and celebrating religious rites.

Today, the men take care of preparation for the Good Friday procession, the oldest in Italy.

The day before the event, they do a practice run in the Cathedral, with more than 100 musicians and a choir of 160.

(string orchestra accompanying signing choir) (applause) (choir singing) Every year since the reconstruction of the city's cathedral in 824, the procession takes place in the historical city center.

All the local confraternities are hooded and mournful, as they take part in this suggestive procession.

Everything takes you back to Christ's Passion, statues, symbols, and the Mother of Sorrow, finely dressed in black.

The orchestra and the choir accompany the parade, performing an intense Miserere from Savario Salechi, a local composer of the 1700s.

Attending this emotional event is really moving.

(piano music) The stunning sight of the Maielle peak on the horizon, with its hills and inlets, welcome you to the pretty medieval town of Guardiagrele.

The city became famous for the unsurpassed master of Abruzzo's art jewelry, Nicola da Guardiagrele, who was born here in the capital of copper and raw iron crafts.

(piano music) Di Prinzio Workshop was founded in 1856, when Raffaele's grandparents stood out for their skills as blacksmiths.

They were mainly producing knives and working tools.

The love and secrets of this art have been passed on from father to son for generations.

(Raffaele speaking in foreign language) (piano music) The beautiful 45-mile coastline, which stretches from Ortona to San Salvo, is unique to Abruzzo and it is protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

It's easily one of Abruzzo's most amazing tourist sites.

Fascinating wooden structures sit over clear and turquoise water.

They resemble giant wooden crabs.

Their name is trabocchi.

A trabocco is a combination of the magical and the practical.

They're throwbacks of a long ago era, in use here since the 15th century.

(calm electronic and violin music) Wooden stilts were used to erect freestanding platforms connected to the land, allowing fishermen to get farther out into the sea.

(calm electronic and violin music) Visiting and eating on a trabocco definitely makes a lovely outing in Abruzzo.

(guitar music) A small dock filled with colorful boats, drenched with fish and the smell of the sea, is the natural backdrop to Trabocco Punta Tufano.

Rinaldo has the soul and the experience of the fishermen, as the son of seafarers.

His father and grandfather used to fish right in these waters.

He has rebuilt this old trabocco following the rules of ancient construction.

(Rinaldo speaking in foreign language) (piano music) (Rinaldo speaking in foreign language) (piano music) (Rinaldo speaking in foreign language) (guitar music) Alessandra continues her trip, heading out to the village of Lentella near Vasto.

She crosses gentle hills draped in vineyards and olive trees, dotted with bell towers and houses perched atop lonely peaks.

Abruzzo is a region full of spectacular landscapes.

The art farm I Colli is set right on one of those hills, where you can take courses in sculpture, or relax immersed in nature, enjoying wonderful cuisine.

Ettore is a unique artist who lives and works in this magical place, a sort of castle, that offers a 360 degree view over the valley and down to the sea.

Nature, his land, and fresh air inspire him to create sculptures made in the local stone.

His creativity goes far beyond making simple sculptures.

(Ettore speaking in foreign language) - Abruzzo is one of a kind, just like Italy is.

So much beauty, so much fun, so much passion.

See you next time on Passion Italy.

(drum and guitar music) - [Announcer] Funding for this series has been provided by the following.

- [Narattor] In the heart of Barolo lies Cantine Oddero Winery.

Today, the sixth generation of the Oderros continue the family tradition of producing wines from ancient vines in Piemontese terror.

Oderro wines since 1878.

- [Narrator] Victor Rallo and chef Dave Pasternack's Esca restaurant in New York City's Theater District.

Serving contemporary Italian coastal cuisine.

Crudo, fresh fish, prime meats, and pasta.

Dishes rooted in the simplicity of Italian flavors.

Esca, New York City.

- [Narrator] The Magaldi group.

STEM, solar thermo-electric Magaldi.

(upbeat rock music) (grand music)