Today's episode features Italian Beauty in all its splendor!
Excavations brought Pompeii to the light
and the world learned about an almost intact Roman city,
structured according to ancient architectural and urbanistic principles.
It had secondary roads, temples, spas, and public and private buildings.
We went through the marvelous, almost untouched nature
of Casentino National Park.
Past a centuries-old fir and beech forest,
we arrived at the Monastery of Camaldoli,
a striking secluded place
where silence reigns and the sacred is in harmony with nature.
Today's "Made in Italy" was born out of an entrepreneur's dream.
We will tell the story of the prestigious wool created by a visionary,
philosopher and philanthropist who decided to dye wool in the 1970s.
And now we'll travel back in time.
Back in 79 a.D., lapilli and ash
buried the daily routine of Herculaneum and Pompeii for centuries to come.
Both cities were preserved for the amazement of future generations.
Vesuvius is constantly monitored nowadays.
We're at the Vesuvius monitoring center.
DIRECTOR VESUVIUS MONITORING CENTER IN NAPLES
This is a very old institution,
the first volcano monitoring center in the world, founded in 1841
by Ferdinand of Bourbon.
We're now part of the National Institute for Geophysics and Volcano Studies.
"A POIGNANT BEAUTY"
Our department, the Vesuvius Observatory,
is tasked with
researching seismic and volcano phenomena,
monitoring the area surrounding the volcanos of Naples:
Vesuvius, Campi Flegrei, and Ischia.
Vesuvius is possibly the most well-known volcano
among the three in the entire world.
It is home to the most famous archaeological sites worldwide:
Herculaneum and Pompeii.
In the past few centuries, Vesuvius erupted very frequently.
Vesuvius first became active after a long quiet period,
technically called "a period of quiescence."
Then there is an eruption that reopens the eruptive cycle,
which may last several centuries.
The most recent eruptive cycle for Vesuvius started in 1631
with a crucial eruption,
albeit smaller than that of 79 a.D.
and it continued through the moderate eruption of 1944.
Nowadays, after the 1944 eruption,
Vesuvius entered a period of quiescence,
meaning it is not in an eruptive period,
but it remains an active volcano.
Its activity in the past few years and decades
is typical of a quiescent volcano,
which we have observed since 1944.
There have been no episodes
indicating that volcano activities are about to resume.
We're at Fullonica of Stephanus, one of the most beautiful laundries of Pompeii.
MATTIA BUONDONNO, POMPEII TOUR GUIDE
These were like the laundry rooms of that time,
one of the biggest areas of the house.
The so-called "impluvium" had a tank
connected to the roof, where the "compluvium" was.
In this house, it had been converted into a laundry room.
Here, we can see this beautiful painting.
This "representative domus" showed off the status
of people who had become rich in Pompeii,
the nouveau riche.
These were the people
who had become free slaves and turned to commerce.
As a merchant, this man
acquired a representative domus
and converted it into a laundry room.
"Pompeii is not a shapeless amalgam of useless rubble.
"These ruins are alive
"and they are reality itself.
"It is a Roman city that has been completely preserved.
"It's as if residents had just left the room 15 minutes ago."
We are in the so-called "House of the Chaste Lovers."
Excavations first began at this site in 1987.
The process was initiated
to clear a noble Pompeii home.
The House of Julius Polybius was affected by humidity.
We were able to identify
the occupation of this homeowner:
he was a bread maker and had his own baker's oven.
In such unique documentation,
we can see a stable with five animals.
This is the millstone area.
Here, we can see
the fixed part of the mill,
and the upper part of the mill, known as "catillus."
This is where a slave would pour grains from a basket
and use the strength of animals
to turn grains into flour.
In the "triclinium," the dining room at the House of Chaste Lovers,
we can see this mural depicting young people
who are competing to see who can drink more.
As we can see, the couple on the right
seems to have become victorious,
for the male has already passed out.
Hypnos has put him to sleep,
while the other couple continues to drink,
but this smart woman keeps supporting his head.
We're at one of the most famous "hot tables" of Pompeii,
the so-called "thermopolium."
There are about 70 taverns like this one in Pompeii.
This is where people would come
to have a bite to eat, a snack.
What did they eat?
Dried fruit, honey, cheese, olives...
Pompeii was a commercial city,
and it was very common for people to eat on the go.
"Pompeii is like every other city.
"It has the same ancient humanity.
"Whether you are dead or alive, it makes no difference.
"Pompeii is an encouraging sermon.
"I love Pompeii more than Paris."
We're at one of the most monumental spas of Pompeii.
These are the Stabian Baths.
Bath complexes were like religion for Pompeii residents and Romans.
This is where they gathered to heal their bodies.
Theirs was a social gathering.
The word "barbarian,"
which was used by the Greeks to mean "stuttering,"
was the name given by Romans to those who didn't come to bath complexes,
those who didn't wash,
those who weren't fragrant.
This open area,
this beautiful space,
was meant for physical activities.
This was the gymnasium, the gym, where they played sports,
and exercised.
This was the Roman nature.
We are now in this wonderful room at Villa of the Mysteries.
This suburban home is outside the Pompeii walls.
What a stunning mural!
It features the famous "Pompeii red,"
the "wine red," as Pliny called it
in Naturalis historia.
Such expensive taste
at Villa of the Mysteries!
What's so mysterious about it?
Looking at the facial expressions depicted
by these characters, we are fascinated by them.
We know that mystes in Greek means "the initiate."
This is where young women were initiated
into the Cult of Dionysus.
There are 28 characters.
We have gods,
demigods,
and humans.
This is where women became a follower of Bacchus.
This is where they met the gods.
This is where they experienced the divine.
This is where they'd marry Bacchus.
This was an initiation
made up by secret rituals.
We know that these rituals had been banned
by a Roman law.
According to Livy,
a priestess from Campania by the name of Anna Pakula
had used these rituals to initiate men, too.
That's when Rome intervened.
From that moment on, these gatherings were forbidden,
at the penalty of severe disciplinary actions.
Unless authorized by the court judge of Rome,
they no longer gathered here.
Let's start out with this scene
depicting a boy who is reading
a papyrus containing sacred rituals
under the guise of a priestess
who follows, knowingly,
holding a rolled papyrus on the left, which represents "the knowledge."
Who is being initiated, though?
It is that chaste woman who witnesses the ritual
and the boy reading.
In the following scene, there are four female characters.
The main one is the woman who is sitting down.
What is she doing? Surely it is a sacred ritual.
Thanks to the knowledge, the divine nectar,
and sacred dances, she becomes a follower of Bacchus.
She is closer to the gods
in divine matrimony.
She is one with the gods,
leaving her humanity behind
to become some sort of royalty.
This is how she becomes knowledgeable.
This is how she is no longer human.
This is how she becomes a follower of Bacchus.
"Here, by the dry flank of the terrifying mountain,
"Vesuvius, the Exterminator,
"does not gladden
"neither tree or flower,
"but spreads solitary thickets of scented broom."
At Poppi, in the Province of Arezzo,
we find the sacred hermitage of Monastery of Camaldoli
resting in the wonderful Forest of Camaldoli.
It was created by Benedictine monks after their settlement
more than 1,000 years ago.
I've been in Camaldoli for 25 years.
I've been living at the Monastery for the past 17 years.
I arrived here at a very young age, after elementary school,
practically 65 years ago.
"CAMALDOLI: NATURE AND SPIRITUALITY"
I've been in love with this place.
FATHER GIUSEPPE CICCHI SUPERIOR OF THE MONASTERY
I decided to dedicate my vocation to it.
I'm happy with the decision I've made.
The first time I saw the hermitage of Camaldoli,
I was struck by the silence, the peacefulness,
and above all the autonomy that brings all hermits together.
Camaldoli is an ancient monastery that is more than 1,000 years old.
We are named after this place,
known as "Camaldoli monks,"
but we belong to the Benedictine order.
The hermitage and monastery of Camaldoli are located...
DIRECTOR LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES OFFICE
on the mountains that separate Tuscany and Romagna.
The hermitage and the monastery are 3 km apart.
LIBRARIAN MONK
The monastery and the hermitage are 890 and 1,111 meters above sea level.
It houses buildings that are ideal for people to live in complete solitude.
The Hermitage of Camaldoli was founded by Saint Romuald,
by a monk from Ravenna,
who arrived in the early 11th century
after meeting with Bishop Theobald of Arezzo.
The monk was granted the site where the hermitage is now located.
Above all, hermits dedicate themselves to contemplation.
Besides the monastery, these woods welcome large events,
including laity training.
The Rule of Saint Benedict is orat e labora.
It means monks pray and work.
Balancing these two elements, these two aspects of life
is the true purpose of monkhood.
All field activities are performed
by the Mausolea Agricultural and Forest Cooperative.
This cooperative is named after the main villa from the 1600s
known as Mausolea.
We have 45-50 cows and two bulls.
We assist in the delivery of calves.
EMPLOYEE MAUSOLEA AGRICULTURAL COOPERATIVE
Calves are then sold to farmers who raise them.
The Cooperative also owns nine hectares of vineyards
of the Sangiovese, Canaiolo, and Malvasia varieties.
One interesting detail is that, last year,
we had an experimental vineyard
with vines native to Casentino Valley.
This is the historic cellar of Mausolea Villa.
It was created in the 1600s and 1700s.
Some of these barrels are from that time.
They're all made of chestnut wood,
from trees in the Camaldoli forest.
Some of these barrels are still used in wine production.
These two barrels contain red wine from 2015.
All Cooperative activities are certified organic,
aligned with the Benedictine spirit and the lifestyle of monks,
which is to grow food while respecting nature and the environment.
The hermitage and monastery of Camaldoli are located in a flourishing forest.
It's a symbiotic relationship, because the congregation doesn't own the forest.
With the suppression of monasteries in 1866,
the state appropriated this great national park.
The complex is surrounded by a crown of firs.
As the old monks used to say, firs grow towards the sun,
in search of light, just as monks who meditate on the mysteries of God
connect directly to God and transcend.
We have several different structures.
The monastery is a uniform complex, so to speak,
built around three cloisters.
This is the Cloister of Maldolo.
It dates back to the 11th century with Romanesque architecture
consisting of round arches and serene stones,
a local Tuscan stone that is often used in our buildings.
This is the Cloister of the Children dating back to the 1400s.
It was commissioned by Ambrogio Traversari
to bring together the first group of young men
who would be trained in a monastic, humanistic lifestyle.
This third cloister dates back to 1543.
The Cloister of the Garden
symbolizes Eden, Paradise on Earth.
The two sides that get more sunlight are open and the other two are closed.
The garden is then sheltered during winter from the cold
coming from the mountain.
The hermitage is quite different. Cells are separate from one another,
connected only by walkways.
Each cell has its own emblem, usually from noble families.
All cells face the south to get some sunlight,
which is much needed at such height.
Each cell has its own garden.
These gardens also recall Paradise on Earth.
This is the monastery's distillery...
WORKER
...where liqueur products are made.
We have extracts that are partially made by us.
This is the maturation process, which lasts about 20 days.
It's added to water and sugar, then filtered three times
to assure the final product is limpid and transparent.
We make 15,000 to 20,000 bottles a year.
This is all made with organic herbs.
Hospitality is fundamental in the Rule of Saint Benedict.
Besides ora et labora, there is also ospita.
We're at the monastery's guesthouse.
MONK IN CHARGE OF THE GUESTHOUSE
Accommodations are offered to this day.
We have the so-called "Camaldoli Weeks,"
which are efforts of both spiritual
and cultural nature.
Our bookstore is available to guests...
MONK IN CHARGE OF THE BOOKSTORE
...especially during Camaldoli Weeks.
That's when we organize the bookstore
according to the relevant subject.
The purpose of this kind of bookstore is to select the type of texts.
It's not about offering bestsellers that can be found anywhere else.
It's about gathering texts that add a certain value,
as if bringing books to life.
Our guesthouse is open to anyone who would like to
spend some time with the community,
even outside these proposals made by the community.
As Saint Benedict said, "Our guests
are like Christ in the eyes of monks."
Our accommodation services
enriches our lives as individuals and as a community.
Five hundred and six.
The monastery church dates back to 1770.
The church features seven paintings by Giorgio Vasari.
One of his paintings is "Deposition," the removal of Jesus from the cross.
On the left, a group of women console Mary,
while young evangelists are standing on the right.
There's also a Madonna with baby Jesus, sitting between
Giovanni Battista and Girolamo, two expressions of penance.
"The Nativity" depicts
Cristo lux mundi, baby Jesus suspended in a beam of light
that illuminates everyone around Him.
The larger paintings were a collaboration with Vasari's pupils,
but he completed the 8 smaller paintings on the choir.
The hermitage library was built in 1622,
thanks to the generosity of the Farnese family and it is still intact.
The literary legacy is preserved there to this day.
The oldest book was printed in 1475.
The most recent is from the 1800s, donated by Pope Gregory XVI.
As for manuscripts, we go from the last quarter of the 9th century,
all through the 1600s,
and collections from great publishers in the 16th and 17th centuries,
including an autographed copy of the first edition
of "Egyptian Sculpture" by Brochi
with a note of clearance by the Venice censorship office.
Here at the cosmetics lab, we make lotions,
ointments, shampoo, bath foams.
Some formulas are centuries old.
MONK IN CHARGE OF THE COSMETICS LAB
All ingredients are weighed in grams.
All lotions are water based.
Water is also weight in grams.
Once the turbo emulsifier is ready,
we start adding ingredients, one at a time.
The next day, we take the lotion
and pour it into the hopper.
This is the filling machine.
The lotion is poured into the container.
The final product is sold at our pharmacy.
We also ship to distributors throughout Italy.
We are at our old pharmacy, a courtly environment
where we helped anyone who came
for medicine made by monks.
It also has artistic value.
The items displayed on the wooden furniture
are authentic vases from the 1400s onward.
Then, in this main room,
we have a galenic laboratory from the 1400s.
This is where the medicine was made.
This was a wood fired oven
to heat the stone and grind the herbs.
This other room was the pharmacy library,
where one could find recipes, clarifications,
and the steps on how to make medicine.
The first thing tourists see is this small village on the mountains.
It's surrounded by these spectacular woods.
But people are mostly surprised by the variety of wild animals.
Board, roebucks, and deer. Camaldoli is their habitat.
Camaldoli is a place for spirituality.
Humans and nature are in harmony,
and you can find the value of humanity.
Subtitles: Babel Subtitling - babelSUB.be