The BBC is showing a new series, ‘Italy Unpacked’ featuring Italy’s history, culture, food, art and landscape starting 11 January.
Hosted by British art historian Andrew Graham-Dixon and chef Giorgio Locatelli, ‘Italy Unpacked’ will be shown on BBC 2 and follows on from the BBC’s successful series ‘Sicily Unpacked’ that aired in 2012. The duo will look at the art, culinary culture, and landscape of North Italy, from major cities including Turin and Milan to lesser known gems such as Mantua and Ferrara, admiring ancient masterpieces and modern contemporary art, as well as enjoying the local cuisine.
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 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.
