Italy, the cradle of the Roman Empire and the maritime republics of the Renaissance, is without a doubt one of the countries that has most influenced Western civilization. The country is studded with traces of its historical greatness, and is quite simply the country with the most UNESCO World Heritage sites. Yet some of those sites have at times come very close to falling into oblivion and suffering the irreversible ravages of time. At the base of Vesuvius we will discover the extraordinary restoration efforts at Pompei, and in Matera, the 2019 European Capital of Culture, we will see how residents saved their city from decay. In Cremona we will have the privilege of handling the oldest existing Stradivarius violins before moving to our final destination, La Serenissima Venice, which is working to control its flow of tourists.

A constellation of peninsulas and islands in the heart of the Mediterranean, Greece contains 18 sites listed by UNESCO: vestiges of the Hellenistic period and structures marked by a subtle blend of East and West, each site tells part of the country’s immensely rich history. We will offer a journey through the history of Greece. Starting at the Acropolis, the rock of the Gods, and ending in the heavens, at the Meteora Monasteries, where Greek Orthodox monks live in isolation from the world. During our journey, we will discover ancient wonders and the unique characters who devote their lives to preserving these treasures. Though sometimes victims of the vagaries of time, they come back to life thanks to the hard work of these enthusiasts.

Spain is a mosaic of cultures, rich with the many influences that have marked its history. Iberians, Celts, Phoenicians, Romans, Ottomans, and Jews have all shaped Spain’s cultural heritage, making it the country with the third most sites listed by UNESCO. In Andalusia, setting of the former Caliphate, we will visit the magnificent Alhambra Palace. We will then travel to Catalonia, in northern Spain. Independent and rebellious, Catalonia has a unique history and identity, and works hard to preserve its customs, including its dizzying human towers. We will also explore the sumptuous Palace of Catalan Music in Barcelona. We will end our journey in the Castilian city of Salamanca, home to the oldest university in Spain.

Monarchy and revolution, eldest daughter of the Church and land of the Enlightenment, France’s heritage is vivid proof of its tumultuous history. Drawing nearly 90 million tourists each year, France is one of the most visited countries in the world. UNESCO has also been unable to resist its charms, listing more than forty of its sites. In this episode, we will set off to discover some of France’s most emblematic settings. Each one tells part of its history. We will start in the heart of the Paris region, where the country’s most beautiful edifice stands: the Palace of Versailles. We will travel from there to the region of Tours to meet the worthy heirs of “equitation in the French Tradition”. After a stop in the Gironde to discover its vineyards and culinary arts, and by the sea in Camargue to explore a biosphere reserve and the heritage of the Roman Empire in Arles, we will finish our journey at the Mont-Saint-Michel, the “The Wonder of the Western World."

Poets present Portugal as a broad strip of land whose estuary is its smile. But behind that welcoming air stands a formidable conqueror. For several centuries, Portugal was the land of Great Discoveries. Explorers and navigators left from its ports, which were mirrors of the country’s maritime power. Gold, spices, and cultures were exchanged on the banks of the Tagus, at the mouth of the Doura, and facing the ocean. Portugal retained an authentic charm, nourished by many influences and journeys, as it shaped its own identity: Azulejos, blue and white porcelain tiles sketched with stories, adorn Gothic and Baroque buildings, while the Manueline style, rich with seashells and other marine ornaments, defines the country’s great avenues. Portugal’s character, forged by wars and the dictatorship, reveals itself today through a colorful culture beloved by visitors from around the world. We will cross Portugal from south to north and back again, like explorers reliving the great moments from its history. Lisbon will be our port of departure and arrival, as it was for the great navigators. The capital holds both a tower and a monastery, emblems of the country’s golden age, that pay tribute to the Great Explorers. From Lisbon we will travel first to the royal building of Mafra before heading north to the vineyards of the Alto Douro. We will follow the Douro downstream to Porto, and then our journey will take us back south almost to Lisbon, facing the Atlantic atop the palaces of Sintra.

The identity of Croatia has been shaped by the various historic periods it has traversed and the empires that have occupied it. A true cultural crossroads, the country has been the theater of Roman, Byzantine, Venetian, Hungarian, and French Invasions, marks of all of which can still be seen. Croatia became truly independent on June 25, 1991, following the collapse of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Today it is a model of shared European history. We will tell the rich history of this multi-faceted country through the UNESCO wonders within its borders. The multiple cultural identities that have inhabited it have left an extraordinary tangible and intangible heritage. From ancestral Poreč to independent Dubrovnik, from the Roman Palace of Diocletian in Split to the Saint Nicholas Fortress standing proudly on the Adriatic, we will set out to conquer time at the crossroads of civilizations.