♪ Narrator: Bologna, Italy, a city of timeless charm where devoted artisans have perfected their craft for centuries.

Enter the world of a metal worker forging intricate sculptural pieces [Exhaling] and makers of one of the most prestigious vinegars Woman: Every family use one particular secret of production.

Narrator: From chefs making one of the world's most famous sauces to a craftsman creating guitars entirely by hand [Man speaking Italian] meet these master artisans carrying on craftsmanship centuries in the making.

Narrator: In the historic center of Bologna under the shadow of towers more than 900 years old, one man makes works of art that also stand the test of time.

Man: My name is Massimo Chierici.

I am metalsmith in Bologna.

Narrator: Massimo handcrafts artistic wrought iron, breathing new life into a material used for some 2,000 years in this part of the world.

These intricate pieces are made with the same techniques used by the founder of this shop, the masterful Antonio Prata.

For decades, the Prata family continued his work, then about 10 years ago, Massimo, at the time a business executive, came for a visit.

[Massimo speaking Italian] Narrator: He began visiting the shop to train and learn from the Prata family, at first just to let off steam, as he puts it.

[Massimo speaking Italian] Narrator: Hand forging these old world pieces sparked a feeling so deep, he walked away from his career.

[Speaking Italian] Narrator: The student is now the master.

Today, he's making an iron rose.

First, tracing a simple template.

Each project requires a simple set of tools that he makes himself.

A vice... And more powerful blows yield the gentle curves of nature.

[Massimo speaking Italian] Narrator: The 6 millimeter rod is shaped and embossed to capture the delicate rigidity of the stem.

Petals are nested one inside another.

Perfectly imperfect.

[Massimo speaking Italian] Narrator: The final tool is a softer one.

[Massimo speaking Italian] Narrator: From corporate executive to master artisan, Massimo now keeps another family's tradition alive, his path to this workshop as unique as each piece he creates.

[Massimo speaking Italian] [Bell tolls] [Bell tolls] To immerse oneself in Bologna is to let it fill the senses.

[Playing music] And the music has long been a part of that experience.

In the mid-1700s, musical master Giovanni Battista Martini attracted Europe's most brilliant talent to study with him in Bologna.

Among his most famous pupils, 14-year-old prodigy Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Centuries later, musical tastes have expanded, as has Bologna's musical passion.

La Strada del Jazz pays tribute to more recent masters who have filled the city with sound.

And Bologna is an official UNESCO Creative City of Music.

That makes it an ideal home for those who hand craft instruments here.

[Angelo speaking Italian] Narrator: Angelo is a luthier who has mastered making spanish guitars, beautiful instruments strung with nylon strings.

Angelo: I make 9 or 10 guitar per year.

And I make a guitar in one month.

Narrator: His process requires sharp hearing and sharp tools.

Today's first task is making a mosaic rosette for the front opening of his guitar.

He starts by covering wood sticks in glue.

[Scraping] Intricate metal pieces are sliced into thin tiles... Then nestled into the sticks.

With heat and skill, Angelo blends it all into a circular form.

The rosette is like a guitar maker's signature.

[Angelo speaking Italian] Narrator: Finally, the design is transferred to the front of the guitar, called a soundboard.

On its backside, thin wood strips are shaved to give the board some freedom of movement.

Angelo: The flexibility of the soundboard is the most important characteristic for the sound of the guitar.

Narrator: Simple taps and skilled listening tell him how it's coming along.

[Tapping] [Speaking Italian] Narrator: With firm pressure, Angelo uses a heated iron to curve the sides of the guitar.

The pattern for the head is carefully traced... Then cut with steady certainty.

Angelo's work is proudly linked to Italy's role in developing this modern-day instrument.

Many historians believe luthiers in Naples invented the first 6-string guitar in the late 1700s.

Centuries later, careful attention to detail remains key, as the soundboard is attached.

Finally, the body of the guitar is polished.

A handmade guitar offers a more nuanced sound, one that's appreciated by musicians and reflects a bit of its maker.

[Antonio speaking Italian] Narrator: Grapes, barrels.

Careful aging.

This could be one of Italy's legendary wineries.

Mmm.

Very good.

[Laughs] Narrator: But wine is not sampled this way.

Here we produce the original balsamic vinegar.

This is our vinegar house.

Narrator: At their acetaia, Sandra and her husband Luciano carry on the family tradition of producing tangy, sweet, traditional balsamic vinegar.

This superstar of the vinegar family brings lively flavors to salads, vegetables, meats, even dessert.

And the perfect climate in the town of Modena makes it the proud home of balsamic vinegar.

This is the one thousandth year that in this town we continue to produce balsamic vinegar.

Narrator: Centuries ago, people thought it had curative properties.

Its very name, balsamic, is thought to mean it has a balsam or balm-like therapeutic effect.

The vinegar remained a Modena secret until the very late 1500s when Duke Cesare d'Este moved to the town and tasted its unparalleled flavor.

He set up his own vinegar cellar and began gifting it to nobility.

With newfound prestige, this popular vinegar became synonymous with Modena.

Sandra: Every family use one particular secret of production.

Narrator: It begins with grapes.

3 Kinds are grown on the property.

And every grapes gives particular smell, particular taste, particular flavor, particular aroma.

And the combination of this is the cure of the producer.

[Luciano speaking Italian] Narrator: Some grapes in this region often yield wine with low alcohol content, which is one of the reasons they're used to produce vinegar instead.

Once harvested, they are pressed into must, a fresh juice with the skins, seeds, and stems.

After boiling for many hours, the must arrives in the vinegar house where it begins a lengthy journey to being bottled.

Superior quality vinegar ages a full 25 years before it's sold.

Sandra: To age of the balsamic vinegar, as you can see, it's in the loft under the roof, one place where there is very hot in summer, very cold in winter.

Narrator: Rows of barrels, ranging from small too large, are called batteries.

Sandra: We use different kind of woods, like oak, chestnut, mulberry, juniper.

Every wood influence the taste, the smell, the color of the product that you can find inside.

Every family follow their philosophy.

Narrator: A special yeast and enzyme turn the fruits of the vineyard into the rich liquid.

Sandra: There is one hole, as you can see, because the balsamic is alive.

If I close, I produce alcohol.

If I leave it open, I produce vinegar.

Narrator: Because of the opening, vinegar evaporates, especially in summer.

To keep the level high, younger vinegar from larger barrels is added to the smaller ones with older vinegar.

It's a process called solera.

Sandra: We move from one barrel to the other, color, smell, taste, flavors, aromas.

But remember, we must refill also the biggest because it's important to maintain one circle close, one never-ending story.

Narrator: And make no mistake, there is a story here.

Sandra: Here, everything was born.

The house of my family, the house of my grandfather, the house of my great-grandfather.

Narrator: The oldest barrel was started by grandfather Giuseppe in 1904.

Sandra has her own vinegar started soon after her birth.

And it's not uncommon.

In days past, Modena families would start a new batch when a baby girl was born and then present the vinegar as a wedding gift.

It certainly made a happy foundation for this marriage.

[Speaking Italian] [Laughs] No, no.

[Speaks Italian] Narrator: This is far more cherished and meaningful than something found on supermarket shelves.

Sandra: The balsamic vinegar that you find in the store, it's made in few days.

It's made in industrial way with industrial technology to obtain a fast way, this balsamic vinegar.

But the original balsamic vinegar is one old tradition of the work of many generation.

Narrator: Luciano is one of 15 official tasters for the original vinegar of Modena.

The process is done by candlelight with a flask called a matarocchio to see the richness of the color.

[Luciano speaking Italian] Narrator: He looks to see if it's clear... Takes in the fragrance... And of course the flavor.

[Speaking Italian] Narrator: And so the cycle will continue.

Harvesting, watching, tasting, waiting.

Sandra: Probably we work until the last breath of our life.

It's fantastic to continue this tradition.

Narrator: Hungry?

You won't be for long at this Italian delicatessen in the center of Bologna.

Here, you'll find a true rock star of Italian gastronomy.

Franco Macchiavelli holds a record for hand-cutting the longest slice of raw ham in the world.

But ham is just a start.

He curates an assortment of the finest local cold cuts, cheeses, condiments, and more.

Among his classics, mortadella... A savory cured sausage made from finely ground lean pork, salt, and pepper.

Its signature white spots are bits of pork fat that burst with flavor when this delight is served on a panino, salad, or just served by itself.

But here in Bologna, you better not confuse it with American bologna, which can be a mix of meats.

In 1661, a Catholic cardinal proclaimed that mortadella could only be made with pork.

And so, it's been ever since.

Come to the shop at the right time, and you might catch a glimpse of Bruno's wife Grazia refilling the cases with her delicious pasta.

The magic of making it happens next door alongside daughter Martina.

I am Martina.

I am Grazia.

And we are sfoglina Bolognese.

The best food in Europe is in Bologna.

Narrator: The city is so serious about its cuisine that many recipes are formally registered with the Chamber of Commerce.

Among the most iconic recipes of them all is pasta ragout, simply put pasta with meat sauce.

So the ragout is our traditional sauce.

So is the only sauce that we use with the pasta.

Narrator: Every kitchen in Bologna adds its own touches to this classic recipe.

Today, Martina and Grazia are sharing how they do it.

Martina: So for me, the classic ragout, you have to add olive oil at first.

Celery, carrot, and onion are chopped.

And then we add the pancetta.

So is the belly of the pork meat.

And then you add the other meat, half beef and half pork loin.

We add all the meat.

We wait that the meat are cooked.

Narrator: Next, wine.

Some cooks use red, but Grazia prefers white.

[Grazia speaks Italian] Narrator: Milk is added to make the meat softer.

Martina: And then for last, the tomato paste.

And then a pinch of salt.

Narrator: The meat is the star of this sauce, so they're careful not to add too much tomato paste.

If you add a lot of liquid, the tomato sauce, especially, then it will become slippery and red.

Our ragout is not red.

Narrator: Restaurants all over the world serve spaghetti Bolognese, but in Bologna, don't even think about serving ragout on thin spaghetti.

Instead, it's served on tagliatelle, a thicker pasta with a textured surface.

Handmade, of course.

The dough must be worked on wood to give it the right homemade texture.

My mother teach me how to roll the dough.

So the pasta is ready when you can see the wood through it, or as you say here in Bologna, the pasta is ready when if you make like this, you can see San Luca through it.

San Luca is the most important church.

You can see San Luca over every part of Bologna because he's on top.

So if you see through it, San Luca, the pasta is ready.

Narrator: The pasta is wrapped in a cotton towel to dry without becoming hard or brittle.

So now the pasta is dry.

We put the pasta in that way, and we roll the pasta.

And now we can cut.

Narrator: Tradition dictates it must be 8 millimeters wide when cooked.

When the tagliatelle ready, you have to make the nest.

My mother makes the nest because she is the queen of the nest.

Narrator: One nest is one serving.

It could be stored in the refrigerator this way or dropped right into salted boiling water.

You have to wait just two minutes and it's ready.

Make pasta is an art because you have to know how to choose the ingredients, how to make pasta, how to cook pasta.

I'm very proud to work here.

So this is tagliatelle a ragout Bolognese.

Narrator: Bologna stands at the intersection of the modern world and ancient history.

From guitar makers, to metalsmiths, the past lives on today through its artisans.

Sandra: It's fantastic to continue this tradition.

[Laughing] Narrator: Here, makers are passing down secrets from generation to generation.

Sharing the story of how Bologna shaped Italy and the world.

Each creation made with love.

Narrator: "Made with Love" shares the stories of dedicated artisans from around the world.

[Fire burning] Honoring their work, to help preserve these traditions for generations to come.

For more information, visit... [Exhaling] ♪