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00:02The stunning Mediterranean is home to some of the most magical islands in the world.
00:11With spectacular unspoiled coastlines, and awe-inspiring landscapes,
00:20their histories spanning thousands of years.
00:24The soul of Corsica is in this park.
00:29These two minorkas, one by land, one by sea, and one by sea is breathtaking.
00:34That's the best part of the job.
00:36Some good cheese from Sardinia.
00:38In this series, we'll meet locals from near and far as they enjoy carnival-style fiestas.
00:47It is organized chaos, basically.
00:53Sample mouth-watering local cuisine.
00:56The fire gives something special, something different, but not too much.
01:00And discover ancient traditions.
01:03We do exactly what they were doing of the very old times.
01:12Coming up on the island of Capri.
01:15A traditional cobbler crafting Capri sandals immortalized by a world-famous fashion icon.
01:22One of the customers has been Jacqueline Kennedy.
01:26She visited the shop, bought some sandals, and she kept coming over the next years.
01:32Meet the zoologist on a mission to save Capri's rare blue lizard.
01:38If we discover why there are blue, we can create an exact strategy for conservation.
01:47And we go inside one of the island's grandest villas, housing an extraordinary collection of Greek and Roman art.
01:59This is one of the most visited museums with more or less 125,000 visitors every year.
02:06So it's definitely a busy job.
02:16Welcome to Capri, a tiny Italian island located in the Turanian Sea, 20 miles from the Amalfi Coast.
02:25At just four square miles, it's one of the smaller inhabited islands in the Mediterranean.
02:32But with its turquoise waters, cove-studded coastline, and dramatic landscapes,
02:38this island has been bewitching visitors since Roman times.
02:48Today Capri attracts more than two million tourists a year,
02:52drawn to its chic boutiques and reputation for glamour as much as its natural beauty.
03:04And this is one of them.
03:07In the centre of Capri town is Canfora, one of the oldest shoe shops on the island.
03:15Founded in 1946 by master shoemaker Amadeo Canfora,
03:20the shop has been hand-crafting traditional Capri sandals for 80 years.
03:27Worn by Jackie Kennedy in the 1960s, these sandals have been favourites of the rich and famous ever since.
03:38Today, the business is run by his grandson, Costanzo.
03:42I was, like, born in the shop.
03:44My mother always worked in the store with my grandfather,
03:47so I really started working from, like, when I was 20 years old,
03:55so around 27 years ago.
04:00All the shoes are handmade and made to measure, so it takes a little time.
04:06We are not a factory, so we are artisans.
04:09An average number could be 20, 25 pairs a day.
04:14The Capri sandals started as a modest creation,
04:17born out of necessity to navigate the island's rocky terrain.
04:21Simple in design, yet resilient,
04:24these sandals became an integral part of everyday life.
04:31It's the most iconic shoe in the Mediterranean.
04:34Our name and the Capri sandals
04:36is something that is, they are completely associated together,
04:41because we have been the first one making the sandals.
04:46But in the 1950s,
04:48Costanzo's grandfather revolutionised the sandals' simple design.
04:54He was the first one creating something different
04:56than the sandals they were used to seeing until that time.
05:01He was so smart to think that you can make the sandals more beautiful
05:05using accessories, custom jewellery,
05:08so that's why he was considered a genius.
05:12They are as popular today as they were 60 years ago.
05:19And during the busy summer season,
05:22Costanzo has a steady flow of customers.
05:28Hi, good evening.
05:30Hello.
05:30We have a look.
05:32Please.
05:33Did you see something?
05:35Me, personally, I like to do that.
05:38You want to try them on?
05:39Yeah.
05:39Just to see how they look and then we're going to make sure for you.
05:43What size you wear?
05:45I believe it's a 10-9.
05:47Perfect.
05:47Yeah.
05:50You like in gold?
05:53She was suggesting gold.
05:54But I'm tempted from the black as well.
05:56What would you recommend?
05:57I think you should try both and then you decide which color looks nicer on your feet.
06:04I mean, black is unusual.
06:05Although this is the iconic one, I'm very tempted.
06:09Oh, come on.
06:10It's just so chic.
06:12Yeah.
06:14You know, I prefer the good one.
06:18I'm for the gold.
06:20Yeah, me too.
06:20But it's up to you.
06:22Oh, my.
06:23Take both of them.
06:25Why not?
06:25Yeah, why not?
06:27Both?
06:27Yeah.
06:31If it's okay for you, we can make by five o'clock.
06:34We'll come back.
06:35Thank you very much.
06:37See you later.
06:39Bye.
06:40See you soon.
06:41Another happy customer.
06:43But with every section of the sandal lovingly handcrafted, Costanzo will have to work fast to get the order ready
06:50in time.
06:51Just as his grandfather had to do the night he met Jackie Kennedy when she put in her first order
06:57for sandals.
07:04History and culture are as much a part of Capri's appeal as shopping.
07:10At the height of the Roman Empire, Emperor Tiberius fled to Capri, fearing assassination, and built twelve impressive palatial villas,
07:20many of which are still standing today.
07:24Perhaps the most famous, perched atop Mount Tiberio, in the northeast of the island, is the ruins of Villa Jovis,
07:32where Tiberius ruled for ten years until his death in 37 AD.
07:39Spanning more than 7,000 square meters, today it is one of the biggest tourist attractions on Capri.
07:47But villas on Capri are not just Greek and Roman.
07:50There are grand houses here from every period of its star-studded history.
07:59Perched on a hillside on the north coast of Capri is Villa San Michele.
08:07It was built around 1900 by Swedish philanthropist, art collector and lover of all things Italian, Axel Munter.
08:17His generous endowment has created a museum and art gallery where Roman, Greek and Etruscan art are preserved.
08:28Giulia Cingolani is one of the newer members of the management team.
08:33This is one of the most visited museums in all Amalfi Coast, with more or less 125,000 visitors every
08:40year.
08:40So it's definitely a busy job in high season.
08:45The villa is run by a foundation based in Sweden, and the endowment has made an enduring link between Sweden
08:52and Italy.
08:58Rossella, Antonella, buongiorno.
09:00Buongiorno.
09:00Buongiorno.
09:01Quanto manca?
09:03È una mezz'oretta circa.
09:05Cos'altro avete da fare?
09:06Dobbiamo finire di spolverare e lavare i pavimenti.
09:10Dai, benissimo.
09:11Every year we have a big music festival at Villa San Michele.
09:15It starts in the end of June, and it's one concert every Friday.
09:20So everything is good?
09:22Si, si, si.
09:23It's good.
09:23Yes, it's perfect.
09:26Tonight we have a concert.
09:28Two of our Swedish fellows will perform chamber music in our chapel, medieval chapel,
09:33and there's a lot to prepare to make sure everything is ready.
09:40Giulia, herself Swedish-Italian, is in charge of the event.
09:45The concert tonight is our last concert of the season,
09:49so it's especially important that we keep the level that we've had all summer long
09:54to make sure that the visitors that come have an amazing experience.
09:59In a few hours' time, 30 VIP guests will arrive for an intimate concert in the garden.
10:05But there's still a lot to do.
10:07We have to prep the location and set the seats
10:12and see that everything is ready for the visitors
10:15just to sit back and relax and listen to amazing chamber music.
10:21The performers are visiting artists from Sweden
10:24who will play classical Italian music.
10:26And so the Swedish Caprese link goes on.
10:37Still to come, we go on the hunt for a Capri icon, the blue lizard.
10:44These lizards are rare.
10:47I feel very privileged that we have it on our island.
10:50And uncover the secrets of a fashion icon.
10:53This was 1962, the original food trace from Jackie Kennedy.
10:59We keep them like jewels.
11:11Capri, in the heart of the Mediterranean.
11:15This island enjoys over 2,000 hours of sunshine a year, drawing in visitors from all over the world.
11:24But with no airport, for most people, the ferry is the only way in and out from southern Italy.
11:32A family-run ferry service sails seven days a week, connecting Capri to towns along the Amalfi coast,
11:39carrying around 2,000 passengers a day.
11:45Set up by Salvatore Luccibello, a fisherman from Positano,
11:49it was one of the first boat companies to ferry people between Positano and Capri.
11:56Today, the business is run by his grandchildren, manager Lucia and ferry captain Nino.
12:03We are absolutely a family of sailors that really, like, we have the sea and the blood, I would say.
12:11It's a family business that we started all together, with sacrifice, working.
12:16Or every time working, we're still working.
12:19I mean, we never leave.
12:22With up to nine daily crossings during the peak summer season, the family works long hours.
12:29From, like, March till October, I mean, we're really every day at work.
12:35We start really 8 o'clock in the morning, and we would stop around 10 o'clock in the evening.
12:43I'm always on the dock, where every day I check all the culture.
12:52I check what employees are doing.
12:54I check also the tickets. I do everything.
12:58So it's a long day.
12:59This morning, they're sailing from Capri to picture-perfect Positano on the Amalfi Coast, just 12 miles away, on the
13:07biggest ferry in their fleet, the Queen.
13:11But this high-tech boat is a far cry from the company's humble beginnings in the 1940s.
13:17We started with really small boats to the transportation, where my grandfather started this job with his sons and daughters,
13:27with the little boats to sail around with our customers.
13:31Like many islanders, theirs is a generational business.
13:34And when demand for ferry crossings increased with rising tourist numbers, so too did the size of the boats.
13:41My father, my uncle, two uncles, they started to build a bigger one, because we had a lot of people
13:48coming on the coast, and of course, more people to surf.
13:52This boat is the one that started the trip with the free and put all 50 people.
13:58It was something really large, really big at that time.
14:04Today, they can carry 450 passengers per crossing.
14:10After a 25-minute journey, Nino expertly steers the boat into Positano Port.
14:20Here, they will drop off passengers and collect those heading for their next stop, Amalfi.
14:27Including a VIP guest, Lucia and Nino's father, Fernando, who knows this job better than anyone.
14:34I have been working for more than 70 years.
14:39There is no one day for a party.
14:43Despite retiring many years ago, Fernando still likes to keep a close eye on proceedings.
14:50I'm always in the winter, I'm always in the sea.
14:54I'm alone, and I like to look and to observe.
14:59I've always been here with this.
15:03And there is one thing in particular that Fernando is looking out for.
15:09Father, good morning.
15:11Good morning.
15:14How are you?
15:15Exactly.
15:16What are you doing again?
15:18We were shooting quite a bit with the boat.
15:23And the breakfast came.
15:26Are you happy that the breakfast came?
15:28Very well.
15:30We are alone.
15:34with their next set of passengers and their lunch safely on board it's on to Amalfi where
15:39the family will stop for a well-earned right to eat Capri is an island steeped in ancient Greek
15:50mythology from the blue grotto said to have been a shrine to the mother goddess Chibeli
15:55to the sirens they were mermaids who lured sailors with their enchanting song causing
16:02them to crash their ships on the island's rocky coast and drown
16:14just off the south coast of the island stands an awe-inspiring natural wonder the faraglioni rocks
16:24with three distinct stacks that emerge from the sea these colossal rock formations have become one
16:30of the most popular sites in Capri the outermost stack scoppolo is home to a rare species of reptile
16:37unique to Capri that has become a symbol of this island the blue lizard zoologist Domenico Fulgioni
16:47has been studying these rare beasts for 24 years we study different traits of this lizard morphology
16:56genetics genetics vivier and also the predator we think that is important for conservation of
17:04this leader these lizards are thought to be blue both for camouflage and to put off predators but with
17:12the fish they feed upon declining in numbers the species is endangered now have a population size of about 200
17:21200 300 individuals okay but can change can change drastically today Domenico is heading out on one of
17:31his regular research trips to gather important data about these lizards accompanied by professional
17:37climber Luigi and researchers Maria and Vincenzo these lizards are rare i feel very privileged that we have it on
17:48our
17:48island so we have to keep working to to protect them to do that the team needs to understand how
17:56predators hunt
17:57the lizards using a surprising method we use for example a plasticine model that we put on the farajone
18:06the plasticine model is useful because if there is a predator like a falcon or castrel that attack the
18:15plasticine model we remove and analyze the surface to check about the type of predation
18:24as well as understanding how these birds of prey hunt and kill the lizards they also need more information
18:30about their distinctive blue color but for this they'll need to catch some this type of cage
18:37which are put on the farajone and when the lizard hands in the cage and we catch the lizard we
18:47will collect
18:48some piece of tile to extract the DNA okay and also to collect data about the blue color if we
18:59discover
19:00why there are blue we also can create a exact strategy for conservation after a 20-minute journey dominico and
19:13his team reach the base of the farajone maria and vincenzo will remain on the boat
19:20while dominico and luigi prepare for the climb as soon as we get on the rock i will give you
19:28a helmet and
19:29harness and then i will arrange a rope and i will start rock climbing and then you will come up
19:37armed with the traps and blue plasticine reptiles dominico and luigi begin their ascent up the hundred
19:44meter tall rock face this is not a job for the faint-hearted they must collect the traps and
19:57plasticine lizards planted on their last visit and place new ones on the rock
20:08mission complete and time to head back to the boat to share their findings with researchers waiting
20:16below unfortunately we haven't catch any lizard the trap don't work probably now in this period is a minimum
20:28population size unfortunately we haven't found anything of the attack of predator but as it turns
20:37out their trip has been a greater success than dominico realized i saw two lizards and also i take a
20:45video to show to see the video wow yes it's a blue lizard
20:53the adults maybe stay basking on the sun yes yes but it's dangerous because exposed to the predators
21:04so probably the blue it is a dark color capture the sun ray in a short time this is advantageous
21:14for the
21:15reptile they may not have got their hands on the data they were hoping for but there were
21:20such trip has still been worthwhile when we work in field in contact with the nature naturally
21:31is unpredictable now we have collected some data that probably in the context of all the data that
21:39we have collected in this project are ever significant yes this is a good day good day
21:47good good thank you and it's certainly not the end of the road for dominico and his team's important
21:54conservation work
22:00back in capri in the east of the island costanzo is busy hand crafting two pairs of sandals
22:07for his latest customer using the original methods pioneered by his grandfather
22:14first part is to preparing the solar cutting blade which is probably the most difficult
22:19part of the job because it's not easy to use this knife but we love to work just exactly like
22:29my
22:29grandfather when he used to make the sandals it's a skilled process that requires enormous focus
22:38you don't need control because just for a second you don't know the knife in the correct way you can
22:47break the soul we still have most of the original tools this is one of the knife of my grandfather
22:55the
22:56original ones in the 1950s and 60s the custom-made embellished sandals his grandfather created
23:03began to find their way into the wardrobes of the world's fashion elite
23:10it all started with a request for an out-of-hours visit one of the customer has been jacqueline kennedy
23:21first time she ever came to capri 1962 she heard about these men making different sandals than
23:28anyone else then asked can you come to open the shop even if it's late at night and my grandfather
23:35agreed of course and with my mother that was 13 years old at that time they came to open the
23:43shop
23:44only for her she was very nice my mother always told me that she was very gentle very kind like
23:53any
23:54other customer she bought some sandals and she kept coming also over the next years when she got married
24:03to aristotle onassis from what we know at least five different styles she picked from my grandfather and
24:11uh she's been like uh iconic like no one no one else he even created the k sandal especially for
24:21her
24:21still one of the most popular of all the styles sold vip customer chose my grandfather for sandals
24:32in 50 and 60 everyone coming to capri used to visit my grandfather's shop
24:41costanzo has preserved the original foot tracing from her very first order
24:47here we have two of the original books from 50 and 60s and this was 1962
24:57the original from jackie kennedy and my grandfather brought the name mrs kennedy
25:04wife of the president of america we keep them uh like jewels thanks to jackie kennedy costanza's capri
25:15sandals are as iconic today as they were 60 years ago
25:27still to come there's a patriotic lunch stop on board the amalfi ferry mozzarella fresh cheese
25:34tomato and basil the colors is just like the italian flag and a pair of happy customers for capri's iconic
25:44sandals this is actually my 10th pair and the next time is going to be my 11th
25:58in the mid-19th century capri became a magnet for artists and intellectuals drawn by the island's
26:05inspirational scenery warm climate and liberal lifestyle one of these was swedish philanthropist
26:12axel munter having made a fortune as a physician and best-selling writer he decided to spend it
26:19on his adopted home of capri at munter's villa san michele in the north of the island
26:28operations manager julia is making sure everything is set for the last concert of the summer
26:37here you go filippo fresh batch from the garden from this morning picked by rafael and sophia ciao
26:47the musicians performing in tonight's concert have a special interest in italian classical culture
26:53they're here as part of an annual fellowship program offered by the foundation they spend one
26:59month here at villa san michele and it's very important for us that they have a nice experience
27:04that they have the tranquility to work on their projects and that is also part of my job
27:12to prepare for the concert i have first of all to check with our musicians and see if everything
27:18is good with them how they are feeling what their needs are for tonight and julia arrives bearing gifts
27:26hi guys here's some freshly squeezed lemonade with our lemons from the garden
27:33oh wow lovely lovely thank you tonight's performers are cellist adriana
27:43and bassoonist annika not only is this the last concert of the season it'll also mark the end of
27:50their residency in capri so these are the last days it feels a bit surreal to leaving so soon actually
27:58it's been going so fast this last couple of weeks so what impact has villa sammichael had on your
28:04creative process as a musician just the atmosphere here it's such a lovely and warm feeling in the
28:12villa i don't know if it's axel munte or if it's just capri but it's just it's real calm you
28:20get quite
28:20inspired and it's a perfect environment to study those new pieces that we haven't been doing exactly for
28:27tonight's concerts i'm excited for the concerts it's sunny here it's beautiful here it's gonna be
28:33fun italian baroque and with some swedish twist in it it's going to be amazing i couldn't imagine a
28:41more dramatic view to play in front of i think it's going to impact the audience as well to have
28:46these
28:47surroundings we're so excited for tonight also a chance the last chance to all be together before
28:54you leave so cheers for this time together cheers cheers cheers 12 miles off the coast of capri
29:15it's midway through a busy sailing shift for lucia and her family
29:21as their ferry the queen makes its way towards her next stop amalfi
29:28not one day is like the other one every day different customers different weather everything
29:37on board today is lucia's dad fernando who is enjoying a spot of sightseeing
29:43and with the passengers safely ashore it's time for lunch below decks
30:18lucia and her crew have 20 minutes to eat before they set sail again for the final leg of today's
30:25journey it's a veritable feast
30:34including the famous caprese sandwich mozzarella fresh cheese tomato and basil that's the best lunch
30:50in the chicago dam in summer time the colors is just like the italian flag italy's favorite red white
30:57and green sandwich is said to have been invented on capri
31:05then it's back to work boarding the next wave of passengers
31:11as the ferry makes its way back to capri the family gathers on the bridge for an aperitif
31:16of fernando's homemade mirto a bittersweet liqueur made from myrtle berries
31:27accompanied by some traditional amalfi pastries
31:34there's plenty to go around
31:44it was very nice now it's finished empty
31:54after an hour and 40 minutes the ferry arrives back on capri
32:08and it's the end of another successful sailing trip for lucia and her family
32:13i was very happy today to have my dad with me because he's our story so we all started from
32:22my father
32:23my grandfather my grandfather my uncle and we wish to proceed and give this to our children that will
32:32continue this amazing trip that is not just transport from a place to place but it's like you cruise around
32:43this beautiful land i feel in love
32:51i love my dream
33:00during the peak summer season around 16 000 visitors arrive on capri every day
33:07cars are forbidden for non-residents for most of the year
33:11but there are plenty of options for getting around the island
33:22including a vintage 1950s fiat taxi owned by 70 year old paulo de gregorio
33:30i've been driving the taxi maybe it's 50 years and this car is a three generation
33:37my father it's me and my son for paulo being a taxi driver is more than just a job
33:46i don't just look for money i want people enjoy it when people enjoy it good for my heart
33:53a native-born caprese paulo has insider knowledge on the best views around the island
34:01punta tragara on the right you have the rocks name of punta di mulo
34:10on the left very near on the faraglioni rocks
34:15it's a very busy summer the people wait taxi everywhere in the port in the capri many many many people
34:27you have to be very careful uh
34:28one of the busiest hubs for tourists is capital capri in the east of the island
34:33where costanzo is in the final stages of hand crafting the sandals for his latest customer
34:39you need to be very consistent so you need to be concentrated even if it's something that we do
34:47like a hundred times every week you have to be very careful about all the details
34:54the passion is one of the most important i think uh part of our uh job because uh without passion
35:04you can't improve passion is something that is uh bringing us from the past to the future
35:13the legacy of the store's most famous customer still has ripple effects today
35:19this is one of the three most popular styles of the whole shop because it's a very famous one
35:26from jacqueline kennedy in a picture while she was in the piazzetta di capri in the main square
35:33and she's wearing these sandals so literally they come from all over the world to buy these sandals from us
35:43italian leather soles calfskin straps rubber heels fine costume jewels every sandal is handmade with care
35:54i just have done almost all the process except for fixing the nails down which is the last part of
36:01the job so customer can try and we can still adjust on this part we can still move we can
36:08still uh make a
36:10little looser a little uh more narrow depending on from the customer hello hello we're back we're back
36:20hello how are you fine thank you very much and everything is uh ready for you to try thank you
36:26so much
36:28i'm from capri at the end of the day so we like to wear flats how do you feel what
36:33do you think i think
36:34is great the only thing is that it's too tight at the back so i would probably let just the
36:40one
36:41we can loosen a little bit the color actually the gold it was a good idea to choose this too
36:47yeah no i'm happy with that they look perfect yeah this is great okay stunning let's try the black
36:53one as well yes please no matter what you wear no matter where you go they just fit with everything
36:59and i love that this will be every day this will be my evening party now we just need a
37:06few more
37:06minutes to finish them okay and they will be ready okay thank you so much i'm really looking forward to
37:14see you soon thank you very much thank you very much thank you thank you thank you you too take
37:19care
37:19bye-bye costanza's capri sandals are a hit with the customer who's already planning her next purchase
37:28i'm going to wear them tonight for dinner obviously right this is actually my 10th pair and next time
37:35it's going to be my 11th still to come on the island of capri there's a few last minute nerves
37:46before
37:47the final concert of the season at villa san michele the only thing i'm worried about is the audience
37:52going to turn up capri has long been a holiday destination of the rich and famous in search of la
38:06dolce vita in the historic town center of capri aurora has been feeding the islands glitterati
38:14for more than 100 years the restaurant is run by mia d'alessio opened in 1900 by mia's grandparents
38:25this is the oldest restaurant on the island and in the summer months celebrities flock here for the
38:31restaurants simple home style cooking everything okay wonderful joy super good we have mariah carey we
38:41have beyonce we have sylvester stallone spielberg and also you know people from all over the world
38:51thank you for coming thank you for coming and enjoy your dessert thank you thank you
39:03this is a place where we try to to mix everybody feel the capri style of a long time ago
39:35we're closing off this concert season with a very intimate
39:40chamber music concert by some of our own fellows i'm really looking forward to this i haven't heard
39:45adriana and annika perform yet even though i've known them this whole month so i'm so excited to
39:51hear their chamber music while cellist adriana and bassoonist annika begin their warm-up can we just take
40:00the last line julia anxiously awaits the vip guests who are due in half an hour's time
40:16the only thing i'm worried about is the audience gonna turn up when you have an event you're always
40:21worried about the audience hi girls hello how's it going good yeah are you ready for tonight yes we are
40:31great it's going to be amazing does everything feel good yeah yeah i wish we'd like the audience to come
40:37and to start
40:42luckily for julia tonight's guests arrive on time
40:49so welcome to the last concert of villa sammichael's concert season and tonight we have here two of
40:56our swedish fellows annika and adriana and we're so happy to have you here and welcome
41:07thank you so much everyone for being here for this afternoon concert italian baroque music is the music
41:13that made us to be become very good very good it's amazing music and really catching the italian
41:22charisma i would say and also the sun and the blue sea behind us so we're gonna play three movements
41:29for
41:30you enjoy
41:50i was a little worried about the turnout but in the end it was more people than what i imagined
41:58it was great to see the visitors just be mesmerized by the beauty and the music
42:06you could really see in everybody sitting there they're almost pinching themselves moments everybody
42:11took pictures everybody filmed them it's an experience that you bring with you the whole winter
42:21i'm feeling very happy i'm feeling that i can finally relax the season is coming to its end and
42:29so we really finished with with a bang
42:35success all round and as the sun sets on villa san michele the breathtaking music drifts across the
42:42island of capri a true jewel of the mediterranean
42:49so
43:01so
43:12you
43:16You
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