- 3 months ago
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🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:01Owning a property abroad is the ultimate goal for most Brits.
00:05It's like a dream come true. It's just so magical.
00:09But for some, a conventional home just won't do.
00:13A lot of it was ruins, but we fell in love with it.
00:18They're setting aside their fears.
00:20The key is to never look down.
00:23To do something remarkable.
00:25It's a mammoth task, really.
00:27Resurrecting Europe's lost villages.
00:29I think any sort of rational person would probably not try and do that.
00:34In this series, we meet the brand new pioneers.
00:38I think I'm a bit all over the place. It's like it's a big day.
00:41Delving into their village's past.
00:44I think that's powder flask.
00:47And we revisit those who already made the bold leap.
00:51And are still battling to keep their dreams alive.
00:57One year. One year without some disaster.
01:00But can they win the race against time?
01:03At the moment, it just feels like everything's falling down and nothing's going up.
01:06To turn crumbling buildings into family homes and successful businesses.
01:11It's a really big moment.
01:14Oh, bless you.
01:16Or will it all fall down around their ears?
01:20Oh! Come out! Come out! Come out, come out, come out, come out!
01:24Oh, dear.
01:26As they try to restore the past to build their future.
01:30Because there's a whole village to be built, yeah.
01:36Today?
01:37Just whack it straight in the middle.
01:40Two saviours are forced to rethink their plans for their 17th century settlement in France.
01:46This morning we've had people come round to talk about setting up the tea room.
01:49And it's made things quite complicated, hasn't it?
01:52There's a lot more involved in it than we thought there was.
01:56In Italy?
01:57I've got to work fast because the builders are going to go to lunch.
02:01And in Abruzzo, when the builders go to lunch, they go to lunch.
02:05After a 17-year battle, will a couple finally be able to move into their medieval palazzo?
02:11We didn't know it was going to take this long.
02:13But we've got to this point now.
02:15When we're here, we'll be living the dream.
02:17We really will be.
02:21And...
02:22Work at a mountainside village in Spain grinds to a halt for a very important reason.
02:30We're married!
02:31Officially married now.
02:32It's been a long time coming.
02:33It should have...
02:34We've been together 21 years, so it's about time.
02:36The lost villages of Europe can be unpredictable beasts,
02:51and restoring them is no ordinary task.
02:53In places shaped by centuries of change, war, abandonment and rebirth,
03:01even the best-laid plans can be upended in an instant.
03:05So all our saviours have to learn to pivot at the drop of a hat.
03:09And for Northamptonshire family, Karen, Steve and son Zach,
03:14who've taken up the mantle as custodians of the ancient settlement of La Palouse
03:19in south-west France,
03:21adaptation has become vital to its, and their, survival.
03:29The main reason for buying somewhere of this size
03:32was to create a business out of it.
03:36But the vision we have for the place is evolving all the time.
03:44In the UK, the couple ran a successful business
03:47crafting model military figures.
03:50They moved here on a mission to restore this dilapidated settlement
03:54into a family home and a holiday retreat.
03:57But plans to turn the stables into jeets and rebuild the ancient tower
04:01have been thwarted by restoration costs beyond their means.
04:06So the couple have now embarked on opening a tea room
04:09in one of their many disused buildings to make ends meet.
04:14It is part of it for us to be able to learn new skills,
04:19both in renovating the building,
04:21but also running a different type of business to what we're used to.
04:24It's December, and while Karen and Steve's tea room's plans are still hatching...
04:33That's looking good.
04:35..they've finally cracked one renovation project, their chicken coop.
04:40Perfection. Looks great.
04:44Adapting to life in a crumbling ghost village isn't easy.
04:47But it's not just Karen and Steve who took the brave step.
04:51Their son, Zach, did too.
04:53So they're hoping by filling the restored coop
04:55with some feathered friends today,
04:57it will help Zach settle in that loo.
05:00We're at adoption day for chickens.
05:07We'll be taking six home.
05:09Taking six home.
05:10Six chickens home.
05:11And a cockerel.
05:12So it's going to be exciting.
05:18Heidi runs this impeccable place
05:21that's already saved more than 100,000 chickens.
05:24We have several ex-commercial laying hens.
05:28So they're all the red hens.
05:30I think we've got a few of them running around.
05:33They're just 18 months old.
05:35And what typically happens in the farming cycle
05:37is that's the age they're due to go to slaughter.
05:40And so we make arrangements with the farmer to get the hens ourselves.
05:44And our role is to find homes for them.
05:47They make wonderful pets.
05:48Absolutely amazing addition to the family.
05:50But first, Zach needs to catch them.
05:54The idea is just to grab,
05:56yeah, to sort of make sure you're forcing both wings
05:59so that they don't flap in the face.
06:02Nearly, Zach.
06:07Last one.
06:09I love chickens now.
06:11They are very cute and cuddly.
06:14Are we taking these two?
06:16Yes, we are taking these two.
06:18OK, great.
06:18Let's get them in the van.
06:20With nine chickens chosen instead of six...
06:23Right, if I open the door...
06:25There we go.
06:28..and Marcel the rooster collected from a local farm...
06:31He has his very own accommodation
06:36and away from the woman,
06:38so he gets some peace and quiet.
06:40LAUGHTER
06:41It's back to La Paloo
06:44to introduce these new residents to their historic home.
06:48Come on.
06:48Oh, come on.
06:52A month later, the chickens are thriving.
06:55Oh, we have one egg.
06:59But our village saviors have had some very disappointing news
07:02about their latest business idea for La Paloo.
07:05This morning we've had people come round to talk about setting up the tea room
07:10and it's made things quite complicated, hasn't it?
07:14Yeah.
07:15There is a lot involved in sort of official requirements.
07:18I need to go on, like, a hygiene course, don't I?
07:22Possibly a pastry course.
07:23And a pastry course.
07:25And different drains and things as well required for the different materials that go through it.
07:29Like the oils or the flour.
07:31There's a lot more involved in it than we thought there wasn't.
07:36These bureaucratic revelations have put the brakes on the couple's tea room plans,
07:41as they were hoping it would be a quick fix to generate much-needed income.
07:45And once again, the burden is on Karen and Steve to conjure up a new scheme
07:50to fund the revival of La Paloo.
07:54The pressure's massive.
08:01In the unforgiving mountain terrains of Asturias in northern Spain
08:05is the abandoned settlement of Prietamu,
08:08where Mancunian Mike Hare is two years into his mission
08:14to turn this forgotten farming hamlet into a rural holiday retreat.
08:20The elements may conspire against him,
08:22but the more he uncovers of its past,
08:25the more determined he becomes to save it.
08:31One of the old owners called up about six months ago
08:34and he was showing us pictures of how it used to be.
08:36And there was so buzzing that we were taking it over
08:39because now they've seen it go in decline for the last 15 years
08:42and now they've seen it coming back up.
08:44I'm trying to, like, live up to their expectations, really,
08:47but I want to make it as good as I can.
08:49Just bring it back to life.
08:53It's been a tough few weeks for Mike
08:55after a storm tore through the village,
08:57wrecking his new solar panels
08:59and damaging the new roof on the old cow barn.
09:03But it's now February.
09:06It's an happy sight, that, seeing that coming on the corner.
09:09And with clear skies and a new delivery of materials,
09:13Mike's back on task
09:14with the restoration of the dairy cottage and former cow barn.
09:19As soon as this turns up, it's game-changing.
09:21Just everyone starts buzzing again.
09:23We can get stuff done.
09:24This will all be unloaded in ten minutes
09:26and then we'll start moving again.
09:28With just a few days to make progress on his trip from the UK,
09:32the former royal engineer has recruited a new army of volunteers
09:36to help repoint the walls of the cottage.
09:40And he's brought a secret weapon to help get the job done.
09:44Yesterday, he was all doing this traditional way,
09:47where he was grinding it out and then putting it in manually.
09:49And this is the latest thing.
09:52So we'll give you a quick demo now
09:53and then I'll have a go at doing that.
09:56This electric mortar pointer could save hours of work.
10:00But first, Mike needs to show them how...
10:02We're going to see...
10:03Oh, f***!
10:04This is up!
10:04...or how not to do it.
10:06Oh, OK.
10:07You said all the cement.
10:09Well done.
10:09But after a quick demo...
10:12Start off nice and slow
10:13and then it comes out like you're piping a cake.
10:17..the volunteers are ready to get to work.
10:20You have to be careful, aren't you?
10:23They're using lime mortar,
10:25just as builders did here centuries ago.
10:27This breathable material was and still is vital in this rainy region
10:32to prevent damp problems.
10:35But this little piece of 21st century technology
10:37has at least taken out the grind.
10:40Very good.
10:42It's hours and hours quicker.
10:44They've nearly done the bottom quarter with that in the last ten minutes.
10:47They've done all the hard work
10:48and spent good a few hours grinding it out
10:49and now it's just a case of getting it in
10:51and then later on we'll just push it in with a trowel
10:53and then go back tomorrow, hopefully,
10:55and then polish it all up.
10:57While the volunteers tackle the walls,
11:00Mike and his trusty Lieutenant Stee
11:02have their own mission
11:03to insulate and concrete the cattle barn floor up
11:06by the end of the day.
11:08I'm going to finish off putting these boards in.
11:11Steve's going to get a mix on.
11:12Hopefully we've got enough stone
11:13because we've used quite a bit of it already.
11:17It's about dinner time now
11:18so we've got a good seven hours really
11:20before it goes dark.
11:21It has been a long day.
11:22It was up at six,
11:23but it's got to get in.
11:25I want it in today
11:26and then tomorrow wake up and look at somewhere else.
11:28In just a few hours the volunteers have almost finished
11:32the pointing of the cottage wall
11:34and for the first time in its long history
11:37this little cottage nearly has a fully insulated concrete floor.
11:41There's just one issue.
11:44We're just running a bit low on stocks.
11:46Should have ordered another 1,200 kg bag of stone really
11:48but 100% of this floor will be done today.
11:51Might be going into the dark
11:52but it's all getting done.
11:54Luckily stone is one commodity
11:56that isn't in short supply here.
11:59We're probably a metre or a metre and a half short
12:01so we're just trying to get it from anywhere we can really now.
12:03But turning it into usable aggregate
12:06for the concrete mix is no easy task.
12:10But after a Herculean effort...
12:14It's like a cat now.
12:17Looking good.
12:22..the mission's complete.
12:25Spot on.
12:27And after months of fighting losing battles in the village
12:30a small win today feels like a huge victory.
12:35Nothing's easy, isn't it?
12:36You know, if it was easy, everyone would have been doing it.
12:38But when you've done it and you've done it the hard way
12:40you're buzzing about it and you can see it all down.
12:43Yeah, it's been a hard graph but we've got there in the end.
12:48Coming up...
12:50It's a really big day.
12:51..a couple in Italy bank on a new business venture
12:54to bring in funds for their village restoration.
12:58Let's hope at the end of the next three days
13:00we'll be feeling, like...
13:02..elated.
13:03And in France...
13:04This is Porthos, that's why he's drinking.
13:07Karen and Steve return to an old business venture
13:10to generate some cash at La Paloo.
13:12It's vital we get the model soldier business up and running.
13:16Yeah, be making some money and that.
13:17That's the most important thing.
13:19Taking up the mantle to restore Europe's lost villages
13:33is a life-changing decision.
13:36And for some village saviours with seemingly foolproof plans,
13:40fortunes can reverse in the blink of an eye
13:42and dreams can unravel.
13:44And no-one understands the brutal turn of fate
13:48better than Andrew and Katya.
13:51In the future, down the line, I'm sure I'm going to look at it
13:54and go, OK, it was worth all those headaches
13:57because it is an honour to be owners and custodians
14:00of such an important village here.
14:03Nearly 17 years after they first fell under the spell
14:07of San Benedetto, the long-awaited restoration
14:09of their medieval palazzo is finally underway.
14:14For Andrew and Katya, it's more than just building work.
14:17It's the stirring of a long-held dream
14:20and perhaps at last, the beginning of a new chapter.
14:27Seeing life coming back into this film
14:29has given me and Katya renewed energy
14:32and enthusiasm for the project,
14:35seeing how it could be to live here.
14:37Yeah.
14:41It's January 2025,
14:43and we've worked to turn part of the palazzo
14:45into an apartment in full swing...
14:47Coming through.
14:49Andrew and Katya are coming face-to-face
14:51with the realities of renovating
14:53a massive medieval building into a family home.
14:57The biggest challenge is trying to get
15:00a really big, heavy wardrobe
15:02into a room where you've got no staircase.
15:06A bespoke-turned-staircase
15:08has been ordered to fit into the narrow gap
15:11and is due to arrive imminently,
15:13so getting larger items to the upper storey
15:16has become a priority.
15:18We're not going to get anything in
15:21once the stairs are built.
15:23There's just absolutely no way.
15:25You can't even hoist it from the outside.
15:27We've looked at that.
15:28It's just absolutely impossible,
15:30so it has to be done now.
15:33Andrew wants to use a makeshift timber ramp
15:36to slide the large wardrobe upstairs.
15:39But with such a narrow gap,
15:41builder Mario isn't sure it will fit.
15:44No, no, I think it'll go.
15:47No!
15:49He's right, it might not, though.
15:53Maybe we'll smash a bit off here.
15:55That's the support of the arc.
15:58As it's a supporting wall,
16:03removing the top of the doorway isn't an option.
16:06So Andrew starts lowering the ramp
16:08with some leftover bricks
16:10to create extra headroom.
16:11I've got to work fast because the builders
16:19are going to go to lunch,
16:20and in Abruzzo, when the builders go to lunch,
16:23they go to lunch.
16:24And then that's the end of everything.
16:26There's always a solution with this man.
16:29So I know we're going to get it up there.
16:31It's just a matter of how...
16:35It's quite entertaining, in a way.
16:38I'm really glad I'm making the entertainment for someone.
16:42But builder Mario isn't amused
16:44by Andrew's homespun approach.
16:47Oh, my God!
16:48Hey, hey!
16:48Andrew, I can hear that crack.
16:50OK.
16:51Una scala.
16:55So he brings in some extra muscle
16:57to make sure he gets the job done safely.
17:00And here we go.
17:04Fingers crossed Andrew's measurements are correct.
17:09Not in the central.
17:11It's up!
17:25It's up!
17:26Oh, my gosh!
17:28Wow!
17:29Oh, God!
17:31That was crazy!
17:33But it's done.
17:35It's a bit like how many people's it takes
17:37to change the light bulb.
17:38Well, I can tell you how many people
17:39it takes to get a wardrobe,
17:41up that ramp.
17:42Five.
17:43Yeah.
17:47Several weeks later,
17:48while work at the Palazzo continues,
17:51their three-bedroom rental apartment
17:53in Salmona is complete.
17:56The historic Palazzo the apartment is in
17:58dates back to the 16th century.
18:01And Andrew and Katja
18:02have painstakingly restored
18:04this piece of the past
18:05to her former glory.
18:09It's a big day.
18:11It's a really big day.
18:12We've got guests coming,
18:14arriving to stay.
18:16The first.
18:16First.
18:17Of hopefully many.
18:18And we are sort of running around
18:21getting last-minute bits done.
18:23So, we're doing signage
18:26in Portante for recycling.
18:31Natural disasters
18:32and epic delays at San Benedetto
18:34have put Andrew and Katja
18:36under a huge financial strain.
18:39I just want to make sure
18:40that everything's perfect.
18:43So they're hoping the money
18:44they'll generate
18:45from this rental apartment
18:46will ease their money woes.
18:48The TV's been done, yeah?
18:52This is what we set out to do
18:54and it seems to be, you know,
18:56starting to work.
18:57Let's hope at the end
18:59of the next three days
19:00we'll be feeling, like...
19:02Elated.
19:03Elated and relieved, actually,
19:06that it's gone really well.
19:07Slightly richer.
19:08Over in Lapaloo,
19:22making money is also
19:24on Steve and Karen's minds.
19:26With their tearoom plans
19:27on the back burner,
19:28they've shifted their focus
19:29back to their former UK business
19:31to generate an income.
19:33We make a few thousand
19:35different miniatures
19:37in different scales.
19:38all cast in metal.
19:41But these are some
19:43of our top ranges.
19:46Napoleonic figures
19:47that we produce,
19:49appropriate for being in France.
19:51We produce American Civil War figures
19:53and prehistoric miniatures.
19:57As well as things like
19:58the Three Musketeers.
20:00And this history-mad pair
20:02must be masters of their trade
20:04as the War Games community
20:06is crying out for more.
20:08Ever since we closed the business
20:11down in the UK
20:12for the move here,
20:14we've had almost daily
20:16emails, calls,
20:19messages from people
20:20wanting to see
20:22when we're going to be
20:23up and running again.
20:24With such a high demand
20:26for their metal model-making services
20:28and no other viable options
20:30on the horizon,
20:31Karen and Steve
20:32are accelerating their plans
20:33to reopen their successful
20:35cottage industry
20:36in one of the many
20:37disused buildings
20:38in their village.
20:41Wow.
20:42And what a soldier workshop.
20:43Yeah, all good.
20:44Looking good, isn't it?
20:46And this historic settlement,
20:48which has been shaped
20:48by many wars,
20:50might be the perfect place
20:51for this military model business.
20:54And today,
20:55the couple are going to cast
20:56their first French figurines.
20:58It's vital for us
21:02as part of our visa conditions
21:04to work in France
21:05that we...
21:07Get the model soldier business.
21:08Get the model soldier business
21:09up and running.
21:09Yeah.
21:10To be making some money
21:11and that,
21:12that's the most important thing.
21:13One of the figures
21:16we're going to be casting today
21:17is one of our three musketeers.
21:20This is Porthos,
21:21that's why he's drinking.
21:22The 40-mil miniature
21:23comes in different pieces
21:25so you can make more characters
21:26out of the parts.
21:27But this is a painted example of that.
21:30It's going to be
21:31one of the first figures
21:32made in France.
21:33Yeah.
21:34Porthos, Athos and Aramis,
21:36D'Artagnan's legendary comrades
21:37in Alexandre Dumas' 17th century tales,
21:40were inspired by a real-life hero.
21:43Their daring adventures
21:47were rooted in the story
21:48of Charles de Batz de Castlemor,
21:50a French musketeer
21:51who served under Louis XIV.
21:54Born in the nearby town of Lupiac,
21:57Charles de Batz' legacy
21:58makes this first casting of Porthos
22:00near La Pelue especially meaningful,
22:03a bold tribute
22:04to the man behind the myth.
22:07And Karen can't wait to get started.
22:10This is the centrifuge.
22:12So put that up.
22:13I've got the mould.
22:15I'll lift this up.
22:17Pop the mould in.
22:22And then turn it on.
22:25And usually I'll wait about 20 seconds,
22:28then I can put the hot metal in.
22:30Since moving to La Pelue,
22:32these village saviours
22:33have tried again and again
22:34to find a fast and practical restoration plan
22:37for the village.
22:41So I'll lift it up,
22:43take it out.
22:44But now with their tried-and-tested business
22:46up and running again
22:47and a much-needed boost to their coffers,
22:50they've brought themselves time
22:52to carefully consider
22:53which idea is the right fit for them
22:55and for La Pelue.
23:00This is Porthos.
23:01And this is his body.
23:02They go out separately
23:03and then people glue the figures together.
23:07He's looking pretty good, isn't he?
23:08And as though La Pelue
23:11has finally given them its blessing,
23:14they've already had an exciting order.
23:18We have a commission for a miniature
23:20to create a figure for the Bayonne Legion
23:23who, of course,
23:24were to do with the count and countess
23:26that lived here.
23:28So I'm quite excited about sculpting
23:30a figure relevant to the house.
23:34So it's going to be good.
23:39Coming up...
23:40It is believed that this is
23:42the oldest abbey in Abruzzo.
23:44Are Andrew and Katja's fortunes
23:46finally changing?
23:48It's a fantastic opportunity for us
23:50and hopefully we'll bring in
23:51some badly-needed income.
23:53And in France...
23:54So here we are.
23:55This will be the living room for the G.
23:58Is there light at the end of the tunnel
24:00for Steve and Karen?
24:02Oh, you can see
24:03the other side.
24:17It's April in San Benedetto
24:19and while work at the Palazzo
24:21inches closer to completion,
24:23other parts of the village
24:24are also coming back to life.
24:27And today,
24:28Andrew and Katja
24:29are running a genealogy tour
24:30they're hoping could turn
24:32into a viable business venture
24:33to generate more restoration funds
24:36for the Palazzo.
24:39So today is a really interesting day
24:41because this is the first group
24:44of Americans
24:46who have come to rediscover
24:48their past history
24:49in our village.
24:51It's a fantastic opportunity for us
24:53and hopefully
24:54and hopefully
24:54will bring in
24:55some badly-needed income.
24:57Some of the group members
24:58have deep roots
24:59in San Benedetto
25:00like John,
25:02whose mother was born here
25:03and whose family links
25:05go back generations.
25:06A lot of history here.
25:11A lot of history.
25:13He's spotted his ancestors' names
25:15etched into a local memorial.
25:18I'm looking at the Liberatore name.
25:21I see Marini also.
25:23all part of our family.
25:28As part of the tour,
25:30Andrew and Katja
25:30have been granted
25:31exclusive access
25:32by Mayor Laura
25:33to the village's abbey,
25:35which has been closed
25:36to the public
25:37for restoration
25:38since the earthquake of 2009.
25:42So I haven't been in here
25:43for 18 years.
25:46Katja's never.
25:47Katja's never been in.
25:48I've been.
25:49Oh, mamma mia.
25:51It is believed
25:53that this is the oldest abbey
25:55in Abruzzo
25:56and outside on the border.
25:58I think it says
25:5811th century, 10th century,
26:00but it was, obviously,
26:01it was built
26:02way before.
26:04Founded between
26:05the 8th and 11th century
26:07by monks,
26:08the abbey played
26:09a pivotal role
26:10in the spread
26:10of Benedictine monasticism
26:12throughout the region.
26:14The monastery's
26:15strategic location
26:16provided both spiritual
26:18and defensive advantages.
26:19over time,
26:22the abbey's influence
26:23extended across the valley
26:24and the broader area.
26:29John's grandparents
26:30tied the knot
26:31in this ancient building
26:32nearly a century ago,
26:34and seeing the exact place
26:36the couple made their vows
26:37is a poignant moment.
26:41It's amazing.
26:43Really amazing.
26:44This is the way they knelt.
26:46Right here.
26:47They knelt and got married.
26:49It's amazing
26:51that this was their
26:52house of worship
26:53a hundred years ago.
26:56Wow.
26:58It's wonderful for the family
27:01to see their roots,
27:03and Andrew and Katia,
27:06fabulous,
27:06and the mayor,
27:07to open this
27:09and show us.
27:10It's great.
27:12The fact that this isn't
27:13actually open to the public yet,
27:14I'm really excited
27:15that we've been allowed in here.
27:17It's a privilege.
27:18It's not completely finished yet.
27:20There's a lot to do,
27:21so all the frescoes
27:22need to be restored.
27:24Frescoes are wall paintings
27:26made by applying pigment
27:27to wet plaster,
27:29creating vivid,
27:30long-lasting images
27:31that become part of the surface.
27:34And in Italian abbeys
27:35like this one,
27:36frescoes from the late
27:37medieval and renaissance periods
27:39often depicted biblical stories
27:41and religious themes
27:42to guide and inspire
27:44the community.
27:46This is the original floor.
27:48They're going to take up
27:49all these newer tiles,
27:51and the whole floor here
27:54is going to go back
27:55to its originality.
27:56It's just going to look amazing.
27:59This is going really well,
28:00this tour.
28:01I definitely see a potential
28:02for more of this here,
28:04because this place
28:05has so much history
28:06and it's so personal to us.
28:07Plus, we can give people tours
28:09of the palazzo as well
28:10when it's finished.
28:12And I think people
28:12would be really interested
28:13to see that as well.
28:16The tour has been
28:17a great success.
28:19And with another one
28:20booked in soon,
28:21this could be another
28:22vital revenue source
28:24which could help
28:25our most patient
28:26village saviors
28:27finally reach their end goal
28:28of completing
28:30their beloved palazzo.
28:33It's been amazing,
28:34I think,
28:34for these people
28:35to come back
28:35to their ancestral roots.
28:38I think they're
28:39having a great time.
28:40We've just been
28:40into the oldest
28:41abbey of the Brutso.
28:42Not only is it
28:43the oldest abbey
28:43which is just
28:44very significant,
28:45but the fact is
28:46that their ancestors
28:47got married in there.
28:49It's been a great morning.
28:51It's February in La Paloo
29:00and now they have
29:02a steady income
29:03on its way
29:03from reopening
29:04the model-making business.
29:07Karen and Steve
29:07have almost gone
29:08full circle
29:09with their restoration plans
29:11as they've decided
29:12to open a two-bedroom
29:14holiday rental
29:15in one of the coach houses.
29:17So here we are.
29:21This will be the
29:22living room
29:23for the sheet.
29:24So at the back here
29:26we are going to have
29:26our kitchen
29:27and then we'll have
29:28like a table
29:29and then
29:30like the living area.
29:32And this
29:33will be the bedroom,
29:35door going into the bedroom
29:36and then you'll have
29:37the bathroom there.
29:39I think one of the
29:40nicest things
29:40with the sheet
29:41is going to be
29:42the giant size
29:43arched windows.
29:45They're really going
29:45to finish it, aren't they?
29:47Looking out
29:47onto the garden
29:48and the grounds.
29:50Even though
29:51this might seem
29:52like going back
29:52to square one
29:53the couple believe
29:55this will be
29:55an easier
29:56and quicker project
29:57to get off the ground
29:58than the sheets
29:59they'd planned
30:00to create
30:00in the old stables
30:01several months ago.
30:05These coach houses
30:06have a roof already.
30:09So they've got floors.
30:11The walls are very solid.
30:12Yeah.
30:13Very solid.
30:13It's mostly cosmetics
30:15in here.
30:16We're hoping.
30:17Yeah, we're hoping.
30:18Excited by the idea
30:19of making some
30:20tangible progress
30:21with saving the village
30:22the couple have already
30:24started clearing the space
30:25which has revealed
30:27some hidden relics.
30:30Like our 18th century
30:32floor tile that we found
30:33came out of the wall
30:34so it's been there
30:35all that time.
30:35And you can see
30:36like the finger.
30:36You can still see
30:37the finger marks
30:38whoever made it.
30:39Look how thick it is.
30:40Probably about 250 years ago.
30:42Wow.
30:42And it's all hands
30:44on deck
30:44as they're eager
30:45to get cracking
30:46with changing the layout.
30:49So the first
30:50thing I'm going to do
30:51today is we're going
30:52to be knocking
30:52through this wall
30:53to create
30:54what will be a door
30:55from the living room
30:57to kind of
30:59what will be
30:59the second bedroom
31:00I think
31:00for the jeep.
31:02So we've got
31:02some reclaimed oak
31:03from elsewhere
31:04in the chateau.
31:05We're lucky
31:06with some supplies
31:06that we can reuse
31:07to make some
31:09holes in the wall.
31:10Turning this
31:14run-down coach house
31:15into a guest-ready
31:17rental
31:17is going to take
31:18months of work
31:19and a substantial
31:20amount of cash.
31:22Oh, you can see
31:23the other side.
31:25But the couple
31:25are now sure
31:26this is the best way
31:27to bring in
31:27vital restoration funds.
31:31We can see
31:32through.
31:34Way.
31:35That's good,
31:36isn't it?
31:36Just whack it
31:37straight in the middle.
31:38Harder.
31:41Harder.
31:44Move.
31:46Yay!
31:48Well done, Zachary.
31:51It was definitely
31:53help we bought
31:54a village
31:54when we arrived here.
31:57But now
31:58it feels like
31:59this is the beginning
31:59of a new chapter,
32:00doesn't it?
32:00Yeah, definitely.
32:00It feels like
32:01we've turned a corner
32:02here today, I think,
32:04and a little bit more
32:04control back in our lives.
32:08It's been
32:10less than a year
32:11since Karen, Steve
32:12and son Zach
32:13moved lock, stock
32:14and barrel
32:14from the UK
32:15to resurrect
32:16the crumbling
32:17settlement of
32:18La Paloo.
32:20And the magnitude
32:21of this project
32:22has often left
32:23these new village
32:24saviors wondering
32:25if they've taken on
32:26more than they can handle.
32:28It's a massive,
32:30massive change
32:31from a four-bed
32:32detached
32:32in Northamptonshire
32:33at every level.
32:36It's so big.
32:37It has so many problems.
32:40There are times
32:41when you do think
32:43with the scale
32:44of the building,
32:45what have we done?
32:48Sometimes you have
32:49to try not to think,
32:51oh, this needs doing,
32:52this needs doing,
32:53this needs doing.
32:53You have to focus
32:54on one thing
32:55because otherwise
32:55it gets overwhelming.
32:57Although they've had
32:59to deal with
32:59disappointments
33:00and dead ends
33:01with their restoration plans,
33:03they now feel
33:04they're finally
33:04heading in the right direction.
33:07But actually
33:08starting to get
33:09hands-on with the building
33:11is a nice feeling.
33:13It is a really
33:15solid structure
33:16and part of its journey,
33:18part of its story
33:19is us helping it
33:22to move forward
33:23so that it doesn't
33:24just crumble
33:24into a pile of bricks.
33:27And they're more
33:28determined than ever
33:29to continue
33:30Lepaloo's
33:31900-year-old legacy.
33:34I love the fact
33:35that there's
33:36so many people,
33:38so many different stories
33:40that we will never know.
33:41No.
33:42But they've all lived here.
33:43The history of the building
33:45is just immense.
33:47Quite a lot
33:48has been catalogued,
33:49but there is still
33:50so much more
33:51to discover.
33:55Coming up...
33:56After nearly two decades,
34:00is phase one
34:00of Andrew and Katja's
34:01palazzo
34:02finally complete?
34:03We want to be up here
34:04as soon as possible.
34:06I'm really excited.
34:07And there's many reasons
34:08to celebrate.
34:12As Mike gets
34:14some new volunteers.
34:15And the bridesmaids
34:16have all said
34:17that they're definitely
34:17coming and putting
34:18their hand in there
34:19and doing it.
34:33It's June in Abruzzo,
34:34and 18 months
34:35have now passed
34:36since Andrew and Katja
34:37received permission
34:38to start the first phase
34:39of building work
34:40at their palazzo.
34:43Lift up, up, up.
34:44Nearly broke
34:47that beautiful glass bottle.
34:50And while the apartment
34:51isn't quite complete,
34:52they are inching closer.
34:54This is loose.
34:55Just do it under there.
34:57And do it here.
34:59Although they're still
35:00without a kitchen
35:00and a staircase,
35:02all the structural work,
35:03wiring and plumbing,
35:04is now in place
35:05to make this 16th-century building
35:07fit for 21st-century living.
35:10And with the end in sight,
35:12Andrew and Katja
35:13are itching to move in.
35:18We want to move in
35:20prior to the big
35:21whole family
35:22moving in date.
35:24And for us,
35:25that's fine
35:27if it's still a bit
35:27of a building site.
35:28Not so ideal for the kids,
35:30but we've still got
35:30our rental in properly,
35:31which we're going to keep on
35:32for a little bit.
35:33Anyway, throughout the summer,
35:34we want to be up here
35:35as soon as possible.
35:37So today,
35:38along with San Rocco,
35:40they're clearing out
35:41the main bedroom.
35:43I'm really excited
35:44because, well,
35:45I mean,
35:46people wanted to move in
35:47for so long.
35:49And obviously,
35:50it's not going to happen
35:51overnight.
35:53But we're starting.
35:53Yeah, we're starting.
35:54So, I mean,
35:55we're starting.
35:55That is it.
35:56That's monumental.
35:57We're starting.
35:58Today.
35:58And we're starting
35:59on what will be
36:00our bedroom.
36:02And also,
36:02it'll be good
36:03for our morale
36:04and it will be exciting
36:06to see a room
36:08starting to take shape.
36:09Most of their belongings
36:10have now been in storage
36:12for seven years.
36:14So the couple are excited
36:15to see what they have.
36:18Still lots of stuff
36:20downstairs in this palazzo
36:21that we've never opened
36:22in boxes
36:23that we don't even know
36:24what's in there.
36:24We did come up here
36:25and start opening things
36:27at one point
36:27and it was like Christmas
36:29because we were going,
36:30oh my God,
36:31I forgot about that
36:31and I found all these
36:32things that we had.
36:34So it's quite wonderful
36:36when you actually do it.
36:40There are nearly 50 rooms
36:42in the palazzo
36:42which have all sat empty
36:44and derelict
36:45for decades.
36:46And while they're not
36:47quite over the finish line,
36:49it's exciting
36:50that there will soon
36:51be life back
36:52in this little part
36:54of the palazzo.
36:55I can see us in here.
36:59We've got it all mapped out.
37:00You know,
37:00we've done all the measurements,
37:02you know,
37:02bed,
37:04beautiful view.
37:05We have like a little
37:06living area here as well.
37:08Yeah,
37:09it'd be amazing.
37:10Absolutely amazing.
37:11And while Angela and Katja
37:13are surely disappointed
37:14their May deadline
37:15didn't come to fruition,
37:17they're still as determined
37:18as ever to see
37:19this epic project through.
37:23You know,
37:24if 2018 to now,
37:27we didn't know
37:27it was going to take this long.
37:29But, you know,
37:29we've got to this point now.
37:31Look at us.
37:32We've got this far.
37:33It's getting exciting.
37:34When we're here,
37:35we'll be living the dream.
37:36We really will be.
37:40All our saviours
37:41have been on
37:42an epic journey,
37:44but no one's
37:45has been quite as drawn out
37:46as Angela and Katja's.
37:48After nearly two decades,
37:51many people
37:51would have thrown in the towel.
37:52But these two saviours
37:54are made of sterner stuff.
37:5717 years ago,
37:59when we got very excited
38:00about buying this palazzo,
38:03the plans that we had then
38:04are still the same plans
38:06that we have now.
38:06Obviously,
38:07we've had so many
38:08ups and downs,
38:09but, you know,
38:10we will get there
38:11and we will get to
38:12the same goal
38:13that we had
38:1417 years ago.
38:16Thanks to their passion
38:20and perseverance,
38:21this founding part
38:22of the ancient village
38:23will certainly be standing
38:25for several more centuries.
38:27And hopefully,
38:28Andrew and Katja
38:29will be living here,
38:30becoming part
38:31of this special place's history.
38:33The truth of the matter is
38:35we are in love
38:37with this.
38:38We love it,
38:39you know?
38:39Yeah, that is the truth.
38:40And, you know,
38:42you could say,
38:42OK, with all the money
38:43that you've invested in this,
38:45you could have gone
38:46and bought yourself
38:46a B&B
38:48with stunning views.
38:50Yeah, yeah,
38:50we could have done,
38:51but it's not
38:52Palazzo San Benedetto.
38:54It's a challenge,
38:57but if you can overcome
38:58that challenge
38:59and live
39:00in this unique building
39:01in the way you want to,
39:03that is something
39:04really to achieve.
39:05Yeah.
39:14In Spain,
39:16Mike and his team
39:17are making great progress
39:18in the abandoned settlement
39:19of Priedomo.
39:21This,
39:22this,
39:24and then we want
39:25to fill all.
39:26So, yeah,
39:27just keep it coming.
39:28Yeah.
39:28With just a few days
39:29left of his trip,
39:31Mike's keen to finish work
39:32on the retaining wall
39:33to the driveway
39:34to what will one day
39:35be his future home.
39:37We're going to use
39:38all the backfill
39:39from the other properties
39:39to try and get us
39:41a good level of ground
39:42and basically clear
39:43all the space
39:43from the greenhouse.
39:45The volunteers
39:46are working hard
39:46at the moment
39:47bringing it all over,
39:48so we're going to use them
39:49while everyone's buzzing
39:50and the morale's high
39:52and get everything done.
39:52The volunteers
39:54have been a game-changer
39:55for Mike.
39:57Most are backpackers,
39:58happy to offer
39:59a few hours' graft
40:00in exchange for food,
40:01board,
40:02and a story
40:03they'll be telling
40:03for years.
40:05Everybody is together
40:06and we are going to share
40:08our cultures,
40:09we are going to share
40:10new languages.
40:12Yeah,
40:12learning together
40:13and sharing,
40:14it's really interesting
40:15and, yeah,
40:16that's what brings me
40:17to Prieta.
40:18It's like the way
40:19to live together
40:20and work together.
40:23Not only has their help
40:24kept Mike's costs down,
40:26but their spirit
40:26has brought a sense
40:27of community back
40:28to this forgotten village.
40:30The atmosphere
40:32and the buzz
40:33about everything,
40:34the volunteers
40:35have been out
40:35of this world
40:36just bringing
40:37loads of energy.
40:38We sat down
40:38last night
40:39having a bit
40:39of cheese and wine,
40:40all just discussing
40:41stories and trying
40:42to speak each other's
40:43language.
40:43It was good.
40:44A few days later,
40:48Mike and his team
40:49have quite literally
40:50moved mountains
40:51to help him
40:51nearly reach his goal
40:53of finishing
40:53the first two buildings
40:55in the village.
40:56The last year
40:57has seen
40:58this tenacious
40:59village saviour
41:00begin to rebuild
41:01this ancient village
41:02from the ground up.
41:06We've done
41:07a hell of a lot of work.
41:08We've totally
41:10took off free roofs
41:11and repaired them,
41:12rebuilt the small barn
41:13on the hill there,
41:14all the rafters
41:15putting all the flooring
41:16done, bifold doors.
41:17It was a monumentous task
41:19and it took us
41:20a lot longer
41:20than we thought
41:21but we've done
41:22quite a lot really.
41:24And when the weather
41:25tried to beat them down,
41:27he and his faithful team
41:29simply dug
41:30a little deeper.
41:31More or less
41:31everyone who's been here,
41:32some of them
41:33have pulled me
41:34to one side
41:35and said,
41:35well, it's life changing
41:36what you're doing there.
41:37He said,
41:37it's just all the stresses
41:39back home
41:40and things like that
41:40and it's just,
41:42it's like the weight
41:43has been lifted
41:44off the shoulder
41:44and they're all
41:45queuing up to come back
41:46and everything's been
41:47positive
41:47off the majority of people.
41:50For centuries,
41:51Mother Nature
41:52has tested the people
41:53who tried to make a life
41:54in these wild,
41:55windswept hills
41:56from the mighty
41:57Astoria's warriors
41:58to the hardy
42:00mountain farmers.
42:01But now she's
42:02taking on the Mancunians
42:03and she may have
42:05a fight on her hands.
42:08Well, my friends
42:09and family,
42:10they do think
42:10I'm maddened
42:11why have I done it
42:12at this time
42:13in my life
42:13and things like that.
42:14I said,
42:14well, that's why I bought it
42:15for.
42:15I will be locked
42:16there one day
42:16but just not yet.
42:22But while this battle
42:23is far from over,
42:25once again,
42:25Mike is handing
42:26the baton back
42:27to his right-hand man,
42:28Steve,
42:29because back in the UK,
42:30he has a big commitment
42:32to finally see through.
42:40As his partner, Sam,
42:42is finally making
42:43an honest man of him.
42:45We're married!
42:46Officially married now.
42:47It's been a long time coming.
42:49It should have...
42:49We've been together
42:50for 21 years,
42:50so it's about time.
42:53After all his hard work,
42:55Mike gets to swap
42:56work boots
42:57for wedding shoes,
42:58celebrating with family,
43:00friends,
43:00and some of the lads
43:02who've helped him this year
43:03and who today
43:04have seen a different side
43:07to their gaffer.
43:08So Mike doesn't really
43:09suffer with nerves
43:11and he's got a solution
43:12for every problem
43:13but when I saw him in there
43:14and Sam walked down the aisle,
43:17I could tell
43:17he was getting emotional
43:18which is nice to see him
43:20get dragged out
43:20of his comfort zone
43:21but only love
43:22can do that to a man.
43:25And it's love
43:26that's seen Sam
43:27support Mike
43:27over the last two years
43:28with his ambitious venture.
43:31It's no secret
43:32Sam has never really shared
43:34her husband's vision
43:35for Priya de Mou
43:36but the signs are there
43:37she just might be
43:39warming to the idea.
43:41We've just got to look forward
43:42to the only meeting
43:42in a couple of weeks
43:43towards the end of May
43:44we're going to go over
43:45to Dominican
43:46and have ten days
43:46out there together.
43:48And then get over to Spain
43:49for as much as we can.
43:50Yeah, this year
43:51they'll try and get
43:52a couple of them
43:54more or less livable
43:55so that the girls
43:56can come over
43:57and appreciate them all
43:57because it's not been
43:59very comfortable
44:00for women all the time.
44:01Yeah, and the bridesmaids
44:01have all said
44:02that they're definitely
44:02coming and putting
44:03their hand in there
44:04and doing it.
44:06Mike's determined
44:07to prove to his wife
44:08that his dream
44:09is possible
44:09and if this year's progress
44:11there's anything to go by
44:13he will.
44:18Next time
44:19It's like Fort Knox here.
44:21A couple bring a fusion
44:22of French and British heritage
44:24to a forgotten rural estate.
44:27There's so much
44:28for the opportunity here.
44:29You can almost envisage
44:31when it's going to be a pub.
44:33Lucy and Jerry's battle
44:34to rebuild their Italian borgo
44:38continues
44:39If we pull it off
44:41I'll be really happy.
44:42And a Portuguese project
44:43hits a major hurdle.
44:46We're in the doldrums
44:47at the moment.
44:48We've had no water
44:49or electric
44:50for nine weeks.
44:52We're in the doldrums.
45:22We're in the doldrums.
45:23We're in the doldrums.
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