Romantic Italyshowcases some of the nat

[Applause] Italy is many things to many people art romance scenery history to the Florentine it is fenza labela Florence the beautiful Center of medieval Italian culture and home of Michelangelo The Great sculptor Michelangelo is probably the greatest of florentines some of his historic Works stand in the churchyard of San Lorenzo here are figures alive human and bursting with vitality the Italy of Michelangelo is the Italy that led Europe out of the Dark Ages and into the Glorious light of the Renaissance city states like Florence ruled by the medi family helped nourish the spark of Genius that today draws thousands of visitors to Fen laela each year if Towers were a sign of affluence in older times then San jerem Nano was a wealthy Place indeed for the picturesque little walled town boasts of 14 lofty structures that dominate the surrounding Countryside castle broo at chanti is one of the best preserved of Italy's ancient castles built in 1100 the castle has been lived in continuously by the Rick CI family shelled and bombed in more than one war broo was headquarters for the Nazis until the British drove them out in 1944 but now the setting is peaceful the grape Harvest is underway at Castle broo hundreds of workers operating as they have for the past Thousand Years pick the crop in the hilly Vineyards they work with a will because the owner has instituted a profit sharing plan that assures each family of food and revenue grapes have been picked in this way for many generations on the 16,000 acre estate from the vines into the baskets from the baskets into the barrels from the barrels well don't rush us nobody is in a hurry you can't rush good [Applause] wine Bunches of grapes tied to the horns of The Oxen signal that the day's work is done the Harvest is complete and all is well at Castle broo when Harvest time is over the ricasoli invite the farm colony to a wine Fiesta on the Terrace of the castle the baron and his family greet each worker individually a toast in bro's finest to the fruits of men's labors and the friendship in their hearts looking out over his ancient Vineyards that have brought family Prosperity the baron is a happy [Music] host Sienna another city rich in history and medieval tradition is sometimes called the city of Dreams centuries of spectacle and Splendor come into sharp focus in the famed Piaza or Public Square endless associations historical political and social are conect connected with it the very web of Sienna's history has been spun about the old world Square in which War and Peace have alternately flowed today the setting is peaceful and the only shouts are those of the vendors selling their Wares but once a year The Old City Rouses itself turns back the pages of History to revive a gay colorful pageant dating back to the 13th century this is the poo of Sienna one of the oldest and oddest of horse races in the world the word poo means flag or banner and Sienna is flag bedek for the occasion the centuries unfold in cna's ancient Square where thousands of gayy costume Spectators watch the preliminary phase of the pageant when flag waving is more than just a phase contestants represent the city's many contre or zones rivalry is Keen amongst the standard bearers whose adroit handling of the flags is eagerly followed by their cohorts in the crowded Square on a given signal the flags are tossed in the air and caught again they ride be back in the poo of Sienna and each horse has been blessed now it's every man for himself in the classic race in Sienna's circular CBO padding is hung along the walls at the turns to protect the Riders should they fall and fall they do spurred on by the shouts of their followers the Riders flirt with fate at every turn and as so often happens fate seems to have the last LA but when centuries of tradition are holding the Reigns the risks never seem too great and tradition brings out the best in both man and mount the race is over and the poo of Sienna is one Venice the Queen City of the Adriatic is built on a cluster of small mud islands has canals for streets gondolas for taxi cabs 400 Bridges cross the canals and ornate palaces stand along the banks much of the political and Commercial importance of Venice has been dimmed by the years but it is still famed for its color and romance in a novel setting of water where streets should be your fuel comes by boat so does the doctor and the ambulance is a hospital ship all the comings and goings are limited by the 500 mil of canal that delineate the city [Music] and here the postman is never troubled with the hazard of aching [Music] feet on moving day you barge in on your new neighbor The Merchant of Venice has been doing business at the same old stand and in the same old way for many centuries [Music] there's no city in the world that lives like Venice except Venice and the Queen City has lived like this for 1600 [Music] years of course they didn't start right off with a fire department full grown and all the other modern trimmings The Fabulous city of the DOI came of age slowly and it's done swimming ly ever since yes everything is done by boat even the traffic cop Is waterborne and to passenger and Driver alike he is all wet but enough of broken rules and broken hearts it's time for the water Carnival an annual event dating back to the 14th century when Venice was World famed as a trading center half a million persons line in the grand Canal the Broadway of Venice to see hundreds of gonders and gonders in a magnificent procession the Venice of yesterday lives on in a colorful Panorama of History