Italy Unpacked

Jan 11, 2013

The first episode in the three-part series ‘The Art of the Feast’ sees Graham-Dixon and Locatelli begin their journey through Italy in Bologna, the capital of Emilia-Romagna, one of the richest regions in Italy. They find out why the city is know as la Dotta (the Learned), la Grassa (the Fat) and la Rossa (the Red), while visiting its shops, art institutions and the oldest university in the world. From there, they go on to Ferrara where they discover the legacy left by the famous dynasty d’Este, and to Modena, home of balsamic vinegar and Ferrari. Finally, they visit Parma, where Locatelli reveals the source of modern Italian cuisine at the Palatina Library and views an original copy of the first cookbook of the newly united Italy, while Graham-Dixon admires Correggio’s magnificent fresco in the dome of Parma Cathedral.

Jan 18, 2013

The second leg of Andrew Graham-Dixon and Giorgio Locatelli's journey takes Giorgio home, to Lombardy, a region brimming with engineering innovations and the influences brought by the proximity to Northern Europe, always with an eye to the future.

Jan 25, 2013

The final leg of Andrew Graham-Dixon and Giorgio Locatelli's journey moves north to Piedmont, a land of luxuriant forests and tall mountains. They visit an abbey along the Via Francigena, an ancient road running from Rome to Canterbury, to reflect with the monks who live there, and to admire the fresco in their chapel.

Jan 10, 2014

Beginning in Liguria, a region bordered by mountains and a beautiful rocky coastline which inspired the English Romantic poets, Andrew Graham-Dixon and Giorgio Locatelli travel along the west coast of Italy, exploring the culture and cuisine of the diverse regions.

Jan 17, 2014

The second leg of Andrew Graham-Dixon and Giorgio Locatelli's journey down the west coast of Italy finds them in Lazio, a region whose capital Rome has always taken centre stage - but not this time. The two deliberately avoid the Eternal City and discover the legacy of those who took refuge away from the cauldron of city life and the politics of power and Popes.

Jan 24, 2014

The final stretch of Andrew Graham-Dixon and Giorgio Locatelli's journey takes them all the way down to the toe of Italy and the southern regions of Campania and Calabria. Invaders and foreign empires have shaped the culture and cooking here over millennia, making this Italy's most exotic area.

Feb 13, 2015

Andrew and Giorgio travel from the tip of the heel up Italy's dramatic east coast. Their journey starts in the instep of Italy and the region of Basilicata. Its most famous town is the spectacular Matera, also known as Sassi or 'Stones' after its caves inhabited since Palaeolithic times, and a Unesco world heritage site. There, Giorgio cooks a peasant recipe of mutton 'pignata' in a restored cave.

Feb 20, 2015

The second leg of Andrew Graham-Dixon and Giorgio Locatelli's journey takes them to the heart of Italy and the regions of Le Marche and Umbria.

Feb 27, 2015

The last leg of Andrew and Giorgio's journey is the Veneto - a true melting pot thanks to its geographical position in north-eastern Italy. Andrew and Giorgio don't stop in the region's most famous city, Venice. Instead, they follow in the footsteps of the Venetian merchants through their great inland empire. They begin their journey harvesting clams which Giorgio cooks as spaghetti alle vongole in the middle of the Venetian lagoon.