I saidid, its vevery interese, people donont really y stop atat Stop Lighghts That Mumu and hehe goes, nono, no, no. The ststop light i is justst a suggeststion. Theres nowhere on earth quite like tuscany. The e land is ididyllic, the Art T Is Divinee and d the food i is out of this s world. [tuccici] oh my gogod. It just t melts in y your mou. [laughs] im m stanley tutucci, im fascscinated by my ititalian heriritage. So, im Traveleling Acrosssy To Disiscover How W the food, in eacach of this s countrys twenenty regionsns, is as ununique as t the people e and their r p. The creatitions of famamous tuss arare known ththe world ovo. Michchelangelo, i think ifif e to come baback today, hed bee to w walk aroundnd florence. It hasasnt changeged. But itss the handsds of t the ordinarary people. [chef] we e fold it lilike th. That Hahave Crafteded the e Incrediblele Food here. Itss like a chchristmas in your r mouth, yeaeah. This is s a place bubuilt on human i ingenuity, mindbboggling ririches and an insnsane amountnt of b. I i really donont know hohw ththey eat thihis much brere. Itits delicioious but so o. All great t love affaiairs starart somewherere. And for meme. My love e of italy s started riright here, in florencn, when i w was just 1212 years o. Thats d delicious. You have t to taste ththat. Lilike this tatartlet filllleh rice p pudding, i i mean, com. Therees always Someththing Wondererful toto discover r in florenc. The cityty is the cacapital of tuscacany. 500 yeyears ago, it was t the playgroround of some e of the ricichest families o on earth. In the couountryside, ththey used ththeir land to culultivate the Fifinest Produduce and catae and in the c city they b bankrod the incrcredible explosioion of art, scscience and d architectue known as thehe renaissananc. I love that just about everywhere you turn thereres someththing incrededio see. Ththe chance t to Actuallyy Liveve among thehese treasuru, Eveven Just Fofor a year, lured a a young family from suburban new york to florence nearly 50 years ago. It seems that no matter where you are, you can alalways see that duouomo. My family. Y. Meetet joan and d stan tucci. [statan] i have e a photograh of t this, do yoyou remember . Back i in 1972 we e moved Hee Becaususe My Dad W was a Hihigh School LArt Teacher Takingng A year ofoff to f follow his s dream. [ststan] oh my y lord. [tucci] t thats unbebelievab. [ststan] all ththat foreshohor. [tucci] i i know. [ststan] how inincredible i is . Thats s incrediblele. My dadad came to s study Figue Drdrawing and d sculpture e h. [tucci] lolook at it, when u really l look and you sesee that pererspecti, i c cant see t that far. Its ststaggering. It hurts s my neck. Does itit . Yeah. Lay dowown. [l[laughs] at nearly y 400 feet, ththe duomo Isis Still Thehe tt structurure in florerence. It took 1616 years to o buil, and to h hurry thingngs alon, the genius architect, brunelleschi, came up with a way to slash lunch breaks. The workmen, when they were b building thth, guguys had to o come downn and mamake their l lunch, they wouldld lose all l this t. So he e found out t what Ththey Were Cocooking and He Putut Ovens Upup there and he w would just t cook up t, mamake their l lunch up thth. That doesesnt sound. D. Rea . Suppoposedly. Money was tight on our year abroad, so our family lived in slightly less grandeur than this. This is a lot t cleaner ththn it u used to be. E. Itss very cleaean. J. Just north h of the city cecenter, in t this buildidi. Not t the whole e thing, you undersrstand. [tucci] soso our apartrtment s those Fofour Windowsws . Onone, two, ththree, four . . That w was us oon the end d there, rigig . Yyeah. [joan] i it was nicece. [tucci]i] youd nevever trave. [jojoan] no. My pararents, you u know, mom and popop, said, why are y you going . . You knknow. Yourur parents, who cameme from italaly . Who came f from italyy it was s florence, not colob. Dididnt want y you to go t to. Bubut it workeked out. It w was fun. I Thinknk Everybodydy ended p getting g a great dedeal out of. I cameme for sculplpture, cecertainly jojoan, with a all the fooood, cooking. It chananged everytything. Iit changed d everythingn. Iit changed d everythingg for meme, certainlnly. Whilile my fatheher wawas studyingng art, My Mom Wasas Studying G Somethig Justst as beautitiful, ththe local cucuisine. Onone of thesese because its so o big . Nono, a littlele more. Little morore. It d didnt knowow how to cok whenen we got mamarried. Didnt eveven know how to boioil water. While shshe was herere, my mother r was also i inspiry the E Spirit Of F the Renaisie Anand Set Out T to Discovevr Ththe Art of i italian cooook. When we e lived in f florence when eveveryone was s in scho, i woululd learn toto make different t recipes. I i loved. Mymy mother sosoon found t Ty Thatat Unlocks S so much of italilian cookingng. A simple C Combinationon of carrots, c celery, andnd oni. Fried up t together, its c called the e soffrit. [joan] looooking good,d, what do o you think,k, stan . [tucci] ] yeah, itss good. [joan]n] throw thehe tomato i . Its the b base of couountls italian didishes, includuding todayys offerin. A tucci Fafamily Favororite cd salslsa maria rorosa. [tucucci] now, p put some water inin it. [joaoan] put somome water in it, y yeah. Its a d Delicious Vegetablble sauce and wewe named it t after a beloveved neighboror here in n florence, in the Finine Traditioion of Tususcan Home C cooking, its cheapap, nutritioious and d full of totomato. [tucccci] i make e it quite o. [joan] dodo you . Yeahah. [tucucci] of couourse, yeah. The kikids love itit. But heheres the t thing, every titime my mothther coms to visitit, which isis too oft. Alrigight. Aalright, ananyway. I always g go, can Yoyou Showow Me How Toto make thisi, but minene still doeoesnt turnt the e way hers t turns out. I dont geget it. I t think thatts it, stan. I t think we didid it. [j[joan] we didid it. We did itit. Nicice. [tucci] ththere we go. O. [joaoan] its ninice to haveve. I love it,t, its fun. N. Thatss my hobby. Y. But i donnt have anynyone to c cook for ananymore. I i miss my grgrandchildrer. Ohoh dont, dodont. Bubut you coululd move to o en. If this s series doeoes well. Iif this sereries does w w. Wwhich serieies . The onone were shshooting right now. W. I got nenews for ya. A. [lauaughs] the timeme we shareded in Floe Chchanged evererything foro. Ffinally, yoyoure here. Yes. After a a year spentnt in the home of Ththe Renaissasance, we r returned toto america as a famamily rebornrn. Its s so delicatete, thisis sauce toooo, isnt it . You smsmell the swsweetness of the c carrot and d the butt. Our r eyes had b been opend to somome of the Greatetest Treasurures on earh and d some pretttty good fooo. Itits so goodod. For me, it was thehe stat of a lifelelong love a affair with itataly. Cheheers. Ccheers. Thanank you, thank you. U. To florenence. Tthank you, cheers. Theres a family whose name hangs over this region like thehe hot tuscacan su. Ththeir astoninishing wealh made Thehem One Of T the most Powerfrful Familieies on Eararth Baback in the e 1500s. They practically bankrolled the renaissance, payingng for Artisists Anand Scientisists like michelangelo and galileo to remakake the worlrld. [tucci] how many days a week are you here . They are the medici. I. So comome in. And iim going toto meet one of t them. Yoyou are in a a place ththat the Flolorentines C Cl the casinono de medicici. And ththis is a Plplace Creatd as a a Scientifific Laboratoy the medicici wanted alall the Bright Mininds in eurorope to come here and to create new things and d to experimiment with s sc, with thehe arts, with food,d, with spicices. So it was s like you s say a ththink tank. A ththink tank. Or a tastste tank. Exactlyly. Expert a art restorerer, daniniela murphyhy, is s sneaking meme in for an aududience with t the most popowerful medici o of them allll. Where i is he . Hes righght, right t there. Ohoh my. Meet c cosimo primimo de med. He l led the famamily at Thr Dizzzzying Heighght in the 1 1500s. Inin this fresesco, undergoingng restoratition, hehes become e so powerfufl hehes being c crowned grand dukeke of tuscanany by thehe pope himsmself he marriries an extrtremely wealthy wowoman, the Spspanish Prinincess eleanor dede toledo. Not onlyly does she e bring a lot of m money but shshe brings a a lot of Thtw Spices Frorom the new w worl. The chchocolates, the coffe, everythihing that isis the cuis. Thats w when the totomato arri . Thatats when itit arrives more or r less in ththat era t. Which h Completelyly Alterered italian. N. Completelyly. Complpletely. Cuisinine memedici moneyey cultivatetes city, Anand The Artsts and the e ideas Thatat Grew E in t the Renaissssance Changeged how we a all see the woworld. Bubut this famamily also c cd the way y things tasaste. Itit may seem m a long way Fromom Michelangngelo to the grereatest tbobone sk youveve ever eateten, but the memedici had a handnd in that t too. Secret. Fabibio picchi m may look like hes s fallen outut of a renaissasance paintiting, bubut hes actctually a renowneded chef, a a born and b bred florenent, and a mamaster of memeat. Back i in the 150000s most peoplple wouldntt even get closose to cututs of meat t this go. Tuscanys s Famous Chihianina Cattle N needed lotsts of lan, thatat was hugelely expensive toto run. Of c course, Thehe Medici Dit need to woworry about t tha. But why . 500 yearars later, t thankfuly you u dont needed to be a grand duduke to Enjojoy Ststeaks this s big, and fafabio wants s to cook fe tuscanys s signature e dis, the mamagnificentt biststecca alla a fiorentina. Good. Anand in case e lunch isnnt lg wortrthy enoughh of, like, ten n men, Fabio Pipicks Out a littttle appetizizer, yet anotheher cut of m mea. Wewe head backck to the dei fafabio owns. Thank you. U. Oh, look k at th, look at t the flowerers. He h hurries us s past any f d that hasnnt had a pupulse. And we head up to his Hideaway Onon the roof,f, where e he does hihis cooki. Oh my y god. Come e on. Werre startingng with the chiaianina beef,f, the medicici family favoririte. The cattlele has Grazezed ThtheTuscan F Fields for r 2,000 yearars. Theyre e of such hihigh qualit, ththat were e eating it r r. Oh my gogod. Thatss the best t sushi ive ever r had. [laughghs] and now,w, the main n even. So what t hes doingng now hehe says, thihis is, the e se [fabioio] the famimily secre. Besisides excessssive amouounts of salalt. Soso the littltle sort of f ws Ofof Olive Braranch like t this in thehe fire. So y youre getttting, yoyoure gettiting the flavavor of Thosose Olive E branches. It giveses it a veryry distininctive tastste. Duduring the r renaissancec, the e medici litit Fires Arord ThtheCity On N Feast Dayss and Handnded Out Roaoast beef to the c common peopople. Most of f the time t thoug, they k kept this a amazing meat foror themselveves. Thisis one actuaually cocomes from t the same ara wherere the medidici fafamily origiginated. Jejesus. This is s like no ststeak ive ever r eaten. Its b both crisp p and delie and Ththe Smoke Cacarries the tastste of the l land. Damn it it jusust melts inin your mou. Itss what Makekes Ththe regionalal Cooking O Oy About T so much Momore Ththan just a a tasty meala. Bubut the palalate is the e on that connenects italy. Y. Ill drdrink to thahat. Yeaeah. Chcheers. Therere comes a time in any sw about tuscany where the e host headsds ot toto the spectctacular hils anand tells yoyou how the Mediteterranean Susun has blessesed the tuscscan vivineyards fofor 3000 yeaea. They may e even have a thoughghtful sip of a a world famamous tuscanan e like chiananti classicico. But im nonot going toto do th. Im Going G On A GooddOld Fashshioned bar r crawl. And whwhen i say old fafashio, i meanan, like, ththe renaissa. Im going to meet a friend of mine, elisabetta, who isis a renaissssance schol. Shees incredibibly boring, but wewell make i it throug. My g god, i cannt believee you cacame. Hi. I. How a are you . How a are you . Good toto see you. Nice to o see you totoo. This littltle bar has s jut reintroducuced a 50500yearoldld tradition. In 155559, our oldld frien, Ththe Grand Duduke cosimoo primimo de medicici, Decrcreed That WWealthy Florentitines could d sell the w wine they produduced onon their Couountry Estats Didirect from m little Winis Cut T Into The W walls ofof their citity Palacess Insteaead of Throuough Taves and ininn keepers. S. So, you u would walklk by, ad you would d buy, not b by the g, but yoyoud buy byby the bott. Youdd buy a flalask. Yyou buy a f flask. They had a a little wowooden d, there e was a bellll. Sosometimes ththey would a ao placace things l like a Flasaskp Lilike an advevertisement t to, hey guyuys, we sellll wine. Because e i rememberer living e whenen i was a k kid. Id see e these thinings, i Alwaways Thoughtht they were for, you know, wherere youd puput a Lilittle Statutue or sometet. Yeaeah, like a a tabernacle. Yeah,h, exactly. Llets orderer some winen. Okk llets orderer some winen. Howow do you. D do i pull t . Rring ooh, its a a bell. Will somemeone come . . Well,l, theyre a awfully sl. Ohoh, hi. Thatats wonderfrf. Hi, how are yoyou . Here yoyou go. Ooh, thank y you so muchc. Ththank you, thank yoyou so much,h, thank y. Thats gooood. Thats gogood. I a always thouought wine, the taste e is betterr when it t comes throrough a win. Yeah. Yoyou get anotother wine . . Yyeah, oh yeyeah. Yyeah. It s seems to bebe empty. Oh, hi. How are yoyou . Can i get. T. Fifive hundreded years agog, everyoyone was encncouraged to drirink at l least a lititer of winene. Not for ththe winemakekers profit butut for healtlth rea. Comome on. Lets sitit. So tell l Me Everyththing Elelse you knonow. And Sosome People E needed te Momore Healthyhy than otheh. If y you were Prpregnant Yoyou could hahave one at t any. You couldld have one e at any . Yeaeah. If you u were pregngnant. Yyeah. Becacause it wasas considerer. Mymy mother didid that tooo. No, shshe didnt. Rreally . Yyeah. Like a a nourishmement. So, itits sort ofof the oppose ofof today . Yeaeah, of todaday. Okakay. Come onon. Letets go, comome on. This c could be a a Disappointny Short Winene crawl as b bar babae i is currently ththe only Functitioning Winene Window in flolorence. Even if f there are e still 130 or s so defunct t ones aroundnd the city. Y. These Lilittle Wine E windows dont exisist Anywherere Outstside of tususcany, Another Exexample of renaiaissance genenius. Thehere are toooo many of t. Yyeah. And d then, compmpletely by y c, we come e across anonother. But the e sign wouldld be from . That s sign. Thehe Little Dodoors of parar. Pparadise