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A palatial ruin in Philadelphia
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built from the riches
of an industrial golden age.
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All the wealth in the world
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couldn't protect him from losing
many of the people he loved.
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In France,
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a remote outpost that threatened
the lives of millions.
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This is designed to be the hinge
on which the fate of Europe turns.
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An opulent retreat in Italy
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transformed to suppress a revolution.
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Men persecuted for their beliefs
were rounded up and locked away.
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When they resisted,
they were crushed with violence.
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00:00:51,920 --> 00:00:57,480
And in Poland, a power-hungry
dictator caught in a twisted romance
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at a fairy tale stronghold.
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At first, the relationship
was shrouded in secrecy,
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but he was clearly happy
with the bargain being struck.
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In southeast Pennsylvania
stands the relic of an era
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when the titans
of industry ruled America.
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In the countryside just outside
Philadelphia,
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you see this grand
neoclassical building
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with tall columns
and two enormous wings.
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It feels like you could be standing
in a grand European palace.
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But this is in the USA,
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and we're pretty famous for
not having a monarchy.
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We dealt with that in the 1700s,
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but if a royal didn't live
here, who did?
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The man behind
this ostentatious residence
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was the very epitome
of the American dream.
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This was once the home of one
of the wealthiest Americans
of his day,
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a man whose life
was blessed with riches.
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He was also a man driven by a burning
desire to leave a lasting legacy.
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It is truly one of the greatest
collections of art
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ever assembled in one location
in, probably, global history.
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But all the money in the world
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could not save this family
from tragedy.
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That tragedy would involve one of
the greatest disasters in history,
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the Titanic.
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I first found this place
when I was 11 years old,
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and it just all struck me.
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I'd never seen anything
like it before.
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In 2023,
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Edward Thome headed up the
group that purchased this property
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with the seemingly impossible task
of restoring it to its former glory.
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We are now solely responsible for
this building and its well-being.
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So, there's a great sense of
responsibility that comes
with that as well.
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It was so reminiscent of the
palaces of Europe,
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such as Versailles
or Buckingham Palace.
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It's not something that
you're used to seeing
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in the United States of America.
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The origins of this lavish residence
began in a period of great prosperity
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known as the Gilded Age.
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In the late 19th century,
early 20th century,
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the American economy
was just in overdrive.
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A few individuals made a fortune
from the booming industries
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such as steel, railways,
and shipping.
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People like John D Rockefeller
and Andrew Carnegie,
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these were men who'd started out
from very humble backgrounds,
even poor,
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and became these titans of industry.
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Philadelphia native, Peter Widener,
was one of those men.
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He was born in 1834, the son
of a German immigrant bricklayer,
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and began his career as a butcher.
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In the early days of the Civil War,
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he won a contract to supply mutton
to the Union troops
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within a ten-mile radius
of Philadelphia,
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and with that mutton contract,
he earned $50,000
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which is about $850,000
in today's money.
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He invested that windfall
in up-and-coming industries.
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He was involved in US Steel,
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Standard Oil,
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American Tobacco.
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Peter also invested heavily in the
American public transit system
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and amassed a fortune in the region
of $35 million.
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Yet, from early on, his personal life
was marked by tragedy.
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He lost the eldest of his three
children, Harry, to typhoid fever
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at the age of 15.
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The final blow was his wife
passing in 1896
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due to an unexpected heart attack,
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and at that point, his two sons,
George and Joseph,
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were living out on their own
and building their own houses.
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Widener's grief would drive
the creation of his most
important investment.
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He said to George and Joseph,
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"I don't want to live alone
for the rest of my life.
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"If I build a house large enough
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"that we can all coexist in,
will you move in with me?"
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And of course, they said yes.
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Peter's new family home
took two years to build
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and cost around $300 million
in today's money.
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By December 1899,
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Lynnewood Hall was complete.
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It was a big media event.
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Widener invited movers and shakers
from across society.
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The press showed up and everyone
gushed over the fabulous luxury
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and appointments
of this remarkable home.
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If you picture Downton Abbey
transported to Philadelphia,
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then you get a pretty good idea
of how the household was run.
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It was truly a charmed life.
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They had a French chef,
of course, an English butler
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and European maids.
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It was one of the largest homes
in the country and remains so today.
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There were 44 in-house staff
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and there was about 160
on the estate as total.
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All the family portraits hung in
here, of Peter and his two sons.
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This leads right into the
dining room,
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which is where the family would
spend a lot of time every evening.
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They would sit around a giant table
here in the middle with, you know,
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Peter and George and Joseph
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and their wives and
all the children.
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Yet, Lynnewood Hall
was always intended
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to be much more than
just a family home.
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Widener had a particular affinity
for European Old Master paintings,
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and he spared no expense
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in acquiring some of the most
celebrated works of his time.
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So, Lynnewood has five galleries,
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and a lot of different aspects
of this house
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were designed to accommodate
specific works of art.
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This entire wall was covered with
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Romney, Hoppner, Gainsborough,
Reynolds.
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We had two El Greco's here
on either side of this door.
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We had the largest private
collection of Rembrandts
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anywhere in the world at the time
outside of Buckingham Palace.
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But Peter Widener wasn't
just motivated by personal pleasure.
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You know, you have to remember
he came from nothing.
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He was completely self-made.
He was very proud of that
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and he had a great appreciation
for this art collection
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and wanted to share it
with everyone.
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And they opened up Lynnewood Hall
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as a, kind of, museum to the public
for months every year
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for the grand price of five cents.
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His son, Joseph, later said,
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"Art belongs to those
who appreciate it.
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"Others merely own it."
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Yet, heartbreak continued
to follow his every achievement.
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Peter Widener had been part
of the creation of the very thing
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that would bring grief to his family
once again.
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In the early 1900s,
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00:08:01,960 --> 00:08:05,960
he purchased a stake in the
International Mercantile
Marine Company.
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Peter's son, George,
was also a shareholder
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and he,
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his wife, Eleanor,
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and their 27-old-son, Harry,
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arranged passage on the maiden voyage
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of the company's newest cruise ship.
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This kind of travel was
a huge part of the lives
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of America's economic elite
during this period.
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That was supposed to be the most
elegant way to cross the Atlantic.
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Eleanor, George and Harry
were already in Europe
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attending to business matters.
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This journey would bring
them back to America.
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At 6.30 pm on April 10th, 1912,
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they set sail aboard the
RMS Titanic.
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Little did they know,
not all of them would make it home.
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On the 14th of April,
five days into the voyage,
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the Widener family sat down
for what would be
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their last meal together.
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One of the things that's
interesting to me is
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many people are aware that there was
a lavish dinner party on Titanic.
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What's not known is the fact
that the Wideners were the ones
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who threw that dinner party
as a retirement present
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for Captain Edward J Smith.
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It's said that the tables
were set with fresh flowers,
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bone china and sterling silver
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as the meal was served.
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After the dinner,
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I believe Eleanor retired to
her room with her lady's maid
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and the gentleman, of course,
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went to the smoking room
for cigars and brandies and such.
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At 11.40 pm,
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disaster struck.
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Of course, everyone knows the story
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of the Titanic hitting
the fateful iceberg
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and the roughly two-hour period
when the ship was sinking
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and people came to the realisation
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that there were nowhere near
enough lifeboats
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for even half of the passengers
on the boat.
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Panic set in and the
vessel's officers
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enforced a strict
women-and-young-children-only rule
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in the limited number of lifeboats,
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leaving the adult men
to fend for themselves.
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The Widener family had the
experience that many families had
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of separating right there
at the rail.
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It was a heartbreaking scene.
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George, you know,
pulled his wife aside
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and he took off a gold and emerald
ring and gave it to her
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and he said, you know,
"Don't forget about me,
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"but I want you to do everything
that we talked about doing."
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Eleanor and her lady's maid survived.
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George and his 27-year-old son,
Harry,
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unfortunately, all perished
in the sinking.
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Eleanor and her maid
made it home on April 19th.
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There, they found Peter
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distraught with the news of
the deaths of his son and grandson.
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Peter Widener was never
the same again.
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Overcome with grief,
his health suffered dramatically.
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We've been told that Peter
would come out to this balcony
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and stare at the driveway,
which is to our left,
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just hoping one day
that a car would show up
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with both George and Harry in it.
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Only three years after the disaster,
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Widener died at Lynnewood Hall.
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He was 80 years old.
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The incident had such an impact
on him
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that his doctor even said
that he died of a broken heart.
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After Peter's death,
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the property passed to his
last remaining son, Joseph.
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Lynnewood Hall remained
in his hands until he died in 1943.
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After Joseph's death, neither
his children nor his extended family
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00:11:45,840 --> 00:11:48,560
wished to take on the
vast responsibility
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00:11:48,600 --> 00:11:50,120
of taking care of the property.
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The Widener's fabulous
art collection
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00:11:53,960 --> 00:11:55,840
was donated to the National Gallery.
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Those grand rooms must have
seemed very empty
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when all those paintings were gone.
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Today, Edward Thome
and his colleagues
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00:12:08,920 --> 00:12:11,520
at the Lynnewood Hall
Preservation Foundation,
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00:12:11,560 --> 00:12:15,680
are working hard to keep
Peter Widener's story alive
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00:12:15,720 --> 00:12:20,400
and to realise his dream of
making his home accessible to all.
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When you have a building
of this significance,
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00:12:24,720 --> 00:12:26,720
not just in its design
but its history,
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00:12:26,760 --> 00:12:29,640
it is so important to share it
with the community, moving forward.
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The goal is to, again,
open it to the public
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00:12:33,240 --> 00:12:36,560
as a cultural centre, art museum
and a recreational venue.
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In northern France
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is an ominous collection of buildings
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intended to decide the fate
of Europe.
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It almost feels like an entire town
is laid out next to the railway,
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00:13:00,800 --> 00:13:03,560
but there are no houses
or shops to speak of.
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00:13:03,600 --> 00:13:04,920
So, what is this place?
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This construction is low.
It's close to the ground.
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Whoever built these buildings
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did not want them to be seen.
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00:13:16,800 --> 00:13:19,120
The style of architecture tells us
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00:13:19,160 --> 00:13:23,280
that this was not created
for the sake of pleasure or comfort.
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00:13:24,680 --> 00:13:28,360
When the world was plunged
into the chaos of conflict,
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00:13:28,400 --> 00:13:32,560
these structures were designed
to oversee the glorious victory
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00:13:32,600 --> 00:13:34,200
of a cruel regime.
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00:13:35,320 --> 00:13:39,480
The blood of hundreds,
if not thousands
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00:13:39,520 --> 00:13:41,480
of slave labourers
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is cast in this concrete.
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00:13:44,240 --> 00:13:47,440
We can smell the evil
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00:13:47,480 --> 00:13:49,360
of Nazi construction.
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00:13:50,800 --> 00:13:55,520
Hitler had so much hubris
that he believed that from here,
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00:13:55,560 --> 00:13:59,040
he would witness
the downfall of Britain.
242
00:13:59,080 --> 00:14:01,760
Yet, in the dying days of the war,
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00:14:01,800 --> 00:14:05,640
the men stationed here
received chilling new instructions.
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00:14:06,800 --> 00:14:09,720
An order comes off the teleprinter
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00:14:09,760 --> 00:14:14,040
that could result in the deaths
of thousands.
246
00:14:31,600 --> 00:14:35,440
Didier Lede was one of the first
to explore these bunkers
247
00:14:35,480 --> 00:14:38,680
when the shroud of secrecy
was finally lifted.
248
00:14:53,720 --> 00:14:57,280
But this was a treasure
with a menacing origin.
249
00:14:57,320 --> 00:15:01,480
These structures date to a time
in World War II
250
00:15:01,520 --> 00:15:05,320
when Allied forces were being
crushed by the Nazi war machine.
251
00:15:07,480 --> 00:15:10,400
By 1940, Germany had blitzed its way
252
00:15:10,440 --> 00:15:13,680
through Poland, Belgium
and into France.
253
00:15:13,720 --> 00:15:17,160
Hitler wanted to stay close
to his troops on the front line
254
00:15:17,200 --> 00:15:18,240
to give orders.
255
00:15:20,080 --> 00:15:24,640
This site was supposed to be
the platform by which Hitler
256
00:15:24,680 --> 00:15:26,960
would oversee Operation Sea Lion,
257
00:15:27,000 --> 00:15:29,640
the conquest of Britain.
258
00:15:29,680 --> 00:15:32,600
It's got to be a hop,
skip and a jump
259
00:15:32,640 --> 00:15:37,240
away from where the Nazis
are going to fight the British
260
00:15:37,280 --> 00:15:38,960
in England.
261
00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:41,040
It's got to be in France.
262
00:15:41,080 --> 00:15:47,880
In 1942, they set about constructing
the largest Third Reich headquarters
263
00:15:47,920 --> 00:15:49,640
ever built during the war.
264
00:15:51,040 --> 00:15:55,480
Even the name of the complex
catered to Hitler's vainglorious ego.
265
00:15:56,600 --> 00:15:58,440
In homage to himself,
266
00:15:58,480 --> 00:16:01,080
he called his new base of operations
267
00:16:01,120 --> 00:16:02,880
Wolfsschlucht Zwei,
268
00:16:02,920 --> 00:16:05,760
aka Wolf's Lair II.
269
00:16:05,800 --> 00:16:09,040
Hitler attached considerable
myth to his persona.
270
00:16:09,080 --> 00:16:12,760
One of those ideas was
that he was a wolf,
271
00:16:12,800 --> 00:16:17,240
a wolf like the beasts, um,
who inhabited German mythology.
272
00:16:18,240 --> 00:16:19,440
From the beginning,
273
00:16:19,480 --> 00:16:22,720
its construction was stained
in innocent blood.
274
00:16:41,720 --> 00:16:45,600
By early 1944,
Hitler's command centre,
275
00:16:45,640 --> 00:16:48,200
designed to orchestrate
the destruction of Britain
276
00:16:48,240 --> 00:16:49,240
was complete.
277
00:16:50,320 --> 00:16:53,080
Up to 3,000 men were based here,
278
00:16:53,120 --> 00:16:56,280
although the Fuhrer himself
had still never visited.
279
00:16:57,360 --> 00:17:00,760
But its role in Germany's war effort
soon had to change.
280
00:17:01,880 --> 00:17:03,160
On the 6th of June,
281
00:17:03,200 --> 00:17:06,680
the largest amphibious
invasion force ever assembled
282
00:17:06,720 --> 00:17:08,840
stormed the beaches of Normandy,
283
00:17:08,880 --> 00:17:11,200
just four hours away from this site.
284
00:17:12,360 --> 00:17:15,320
Hitler's troops were caught
completely off guard.
285
00:17:16,720 --> 00:17:18,240
The belief was that the allies
286
00:17:18,280 --> 00:17:23,800
didn't have the potential or
the power to stage an invasion.
287
00:17:25,160 --> 00:17:27,120
So, when the Allies land on D-Day,
288
00:17:27,160 --> 00:17:29,000
Hitler is in bed...
289
00:17:30,200 --> 00:17:35,640
..and nobody wants to be the one
who wakes up the Fuhrer.
290
00:17:36,720 --> 00:17:43,360
By the time Hitler's senior officers
actually do get him awake,
291
00:17:43,400 --> 00:17:48,520
the commanders find
that Hitler doesn't know
292
00:17:48,560 --> 00:17:52,520
which way to send reinforcements.
293
00:17:53,800 --> 00:17:56,000
After the Allied invasion began,
294
00:17:56,040 --> 00:17:59,840
it took Hitler 11 days to
decide to go from Germany
295
00:17:59,880 --> 00:18:01,920
to Wolf's Lair II in France
296
00:18:01,960 --> 00:18:03,480
for the very first time.
297
00:18:04,720 --> 00:18:09,680
And that means that a
bunker system that was built
298
00:18:09,720 --> 00:18:14,240
to prepare for the invasion
of Britain
299
00:18:14,280 --> 00:18:18,120
needs to become a complex
300
00:18:18,160 --> 00:18:22,440
capable of commanding
multiple army groups
301
00:18:22,480 --> 00:18:26,520
to defend Nazi-held France.
302
00:18:47,240 --> 00:18:50,680
Just as they were debating,
the air raid warning sounded.
303
00:18:50,720 --> 00:18:52,960
Allied bombers were in the air
304
00:18:53,000 --> 00:18:56,400
and the whole party
scrambled into the shelters
305
00:18:56,440 --> 00:18:59,280
deep in the hillsides
where the meeting continued.
306
00:19:00,920 --> 00:19:04,480
At this point,
Hitler demanded the V-1 rocket,
307
00:19:04,520 --> 00:19:07,680
a terror weapon built
to pound London into submission,
308
00:19:07,720 --> 00:19:10,240
be used against the invading forces.
309
00:19:10,280 --> 00:19:11,480
He seemed to believe
310
00:19:11,520 --> 00:19:14,680
that this would act as some sort of
Sword of Damocles,
311
00:19:14,720 --> 00:19:17,280
um, striking down the enemy.
312
00:19:17,320 --> 00:19:21,080
The artillery general advised
it was far too risky
313
00:19:21,120 --> 00:19:23,920
to send the V-1 to the front lines.
314
00:19:23,960 --> 00:19:26,080
These things were entirely
unpredictable
315
00:19:26,120 --> 00:19:28,480
and he worried that
they would kill their own men
316
00:19:28,520 --> 00:19:32,320
if they fired them anywhere close
to the invasion forces.
317
00:19:33,920 --> 00:19:36,520
The supposedly great Fuhrer
318
00:19:36,560 --> 00:19:39,240
was visibly shaken by
the general's reaction,
319
00:19:39,280 --> 00:19:43,720
and dismissed their recommendation
to retreat from Normandy and regroup.
320
00:19:44,720 --> 00:19:47,560
After only 12 hours at
Wolf's Lair II,
321
00:19:47,600 --> 00:19:50,400
he makes a feeble excuse to leave
322
00:19:50,440 --> 00:19:53,440
while his generals return
to the front lines
323
00:19:53,480 --> 00:19:55,760
to try and hold back
the Allied invasion.
324
00:19:56,920 --> 00:20:03,240
And Hitler appears not to be a man
of great physical courage.
325
00:20:03,280 --> 00:20:05,320
Hitler's response is,
326
00:20:05,360 --> 00:20:11,560
"I am in such danger here in France.
I am going to get back to Germany.
327
00:20:11,600 --> 00:20:15,640
"I'm going to command from
someplace where I can feel safe."
328
00:20:18,880 --> 00:20:20,480
Once back in Germany,
329
00:20:20,520 --> 00:20:24,320
Hitler never again stepped foot
inside Wolf's Lair II.
330
00:20:25,640 --> 00:20:28,360
On the 25th of August 1944,
331
00:20:28,400 --> 00:20:33,200
the Free French Allied Forces entered
Paris and declared it liberated.
332
00:20:34,720 --> 00:20:38,360
The next day, from the safety
of his Berlin bunker,
333
00:20:38,400 --> 00:20:43,280
Hitler would send an alarming message
to this base's communications room
334
00:20:43,320 --> 00:20:46,240
calling for the bombardment
of the French capital.
335
00:20:47,400 --> 00:20:50,600
Hitler gives a scorched earth order
336
00:20:50,640 --> 00:20:53,800
to destroy the entire city.
337
00:20:54,800 --> 00:20:58,360
The order was received by
General Hans Speidel,
338
00:20:58,400 --> 00:21:02,200
who just months earlier
had been part of the failed plot
339
00:21:02,240 --> 00:21:06,480
to assassinate Hitler and take
control of the armed forces.
340
00:21:08,560 --> 00:21:11,640
The residents of Paris
were completely unaware
341
00:21:11,680 --> 00:21:14,480
how close they came
to total annihilation.
342
00:21:32,960 --> 00:21:35,720
As the Allies advanced
through France,
343
00:21:35,760 --> 00:21:38,320
the Germans fled Wolf's Lair II.
344
00:21:39,400 --> 00:21:41,480
After their eventual surrender,
345
00:21:41,520 --> 00:21:45,480
the US Army occupied this complex
until 1946.
346
00:21:46,480 --> 00:21:51,080
It then served as a NATO base
and school for French special forces
347
00:21:51,120 --> 00:21:54,160
until it was abandoned in 1993.
348
00:22:01,160 --> 00:22:05,000
After NATO left,
the site became overgrown
349
00:22:05,040 --> 00:22:08,840
and many of the stories
of its history became forgotten.
350
00:22:10,200 --> 00:22:15,160
Since then, a local association has
worked to maintain these buildings,
351
00:22:15,200 --> 00:22:19,200
and plans are underway
to convert it into a museum site.
352
00:22:32,480 --> 00:22:37,000
On the small Italian island
of Procida, off the coast of Naples,
353
00:22:37,040 --> 00:22:41,200
is an ominous structure that
harboured aristocrats and villains.
354
00:22:45,440 --> 00:22:47,120
At the island's highest point,
355
00:22:47,160 --> 00:22:50,560
your eye is immediately drawn
to this building
356
00:22:50,600 --> 00:22:55,200
that's commanding and daunting
in equal measure.
357
00:22:55,240 --> 00:22:56,960
As you approach along the driveway,
358
00:22:57,000 --> 00:23:00,960
you are met by these
two large, wooden doors.
359
00:23:01,000 --> 00:23:05,440
But were they meant to keep
people out or in?
360
00:23:07,000 --> 00:23:12,560
Beyond the gates is a large open
courtyard lined with stoneworks.
361
00:23:12,600 --> 00:23:16,040
It's a demonstration of lavish
opulence.
362
00:23:17,200 --> 00:23:20,880
When you step inside,
the mood drastically changes.
363
00:23:21,880 --> 00:23:25,960
You've got piles of shoes,
rows of rusting beds,
364
00:23:26,000 --> 00:23:28,760
baskets of thread
all over the place.
365
00:23:28,800 --> 00:23:31,120
Maybe it was a factory of some sort,
366
00:23:31,160 --> 00:23:33,920
but honestly, it's just creepy.
367
00:23:35,960 --> 00:23:39,880
Exploring deeper into
the building's underbelly,
368
00:23:39,920 --> 00:23:44,000
you can see a place
that is even more unsettling.
369
00:23:46,440 --> 00:23:49,000
That's when you see bars
on the windows,
370
00:23:49,040 --> 00:23:50,680
and there's the real giveaway.
371
00:23:50,720 --> 00:23:52,960
Nobody came here by choice.
372
00:23:53,000 --> 00:23:57,800
What began as the stronghold
of a really powerful dynasty,
373
00:23:57,840 --> 00:24:00,880
slowly emerged into
something much more sinister.
374
00:24:22,160 --> 00:24:27,000
In 2017, Luigi Primario
got the chance to find out
375
00:24:27,040 --> 00:24:29,040
when he became a city councillor
376
00:24:29,080 --> 00:24:32,360
tasked with the regeneration
of this foreboding site.
377
00:24:33,920 --> 00:24:37,480
What he discovered was a tale
of intrigue and oppression
378
00:24:37,520 --> 00:24:40,480
that echoed the very history
of Italy itself.
379
00:24:49,160 --> 00:24:53,920
The oldest part of this palatial
ruin dates back to the 16th century,
380
00:24:53,960 --> 00:24:58,400
when Italy wasn't the unified
country we know and recognise today.
381
00:25:00,400 --> 00:25:04,960
The region was under control
of the Spanish Aragonese dynasty,
382
00:25:05,000 --> 00:25:07,640
who ruled over
the Kingdom of Naples.
383
00:25:08,920 --> 00:25:12,720
Procida was entrusted to the
d'Avalos family,
384
00:25:12,760 --> 00:25:17,040
who were an influential clan
of Spanish dukes
385
00:25:17,080 --> 00:25:20,720
who controlled
a powerful mercenary army.
386
00:25:22,400 --> 00:25:26,240
In 1563, a prominent member
of the family,
387
00:25:26,280 --> 00:25:29,360
Cardinal Innico d'Avalos d'Aragona,
388
00:25:29,400 --> 00:25:32,320
decided to make Procida his home.
389
00:25:32,360 --> 00:25:34,720
He called his new island fortress
390
00:25:34,760 --> 00:25:36,440
the Palazzo d'Avalos.
391
00:25:38,640 --> 00:25:42,040
For the next century, the
d'Avalos family ruled over Procida,
392
00:25:42,080 --> 00:25:46,440
but their reign was dramatically
cut short in the 1700s.
393
00:25:46,480 --> 00:25:50,640
Following the death of childless
Spanish monarch, Charles II,
394
00:25:50,680 --> 00:25:55,480
this region was caught up in a
European conflict of succession.
395
00:25:55,520 --> 00:25:59,600
The Spanish House of Bourbon
emerged victorious.
396
00:25:59,640 --> 00:26:03,760
By 1736, the future Bourbon king,
Charles III,
397
00:26:03,800 --> 00:26:06,440
had conquered Naples and Sicily.
398
00:26:06,480 --> 00:26:09,200
He kicked out the d'Avalos family
399
00:26:09,240 --> 00:26:12,560
and took the palazzo over
for himself
400
00:26:12,600 --> 00:26:14,680
to have a grand hunting lodge.
401
00:26:16,000 --> 00:26:17,880
For the people
living under Bourbon rule,
402
00:26:17,920 --> 00:26:19,520
life couldn't have been
more different.
403
00:26:20,800 --> 00:26:24,880
These people were often
under the oppressive thumb
404
00:26:24,920 --> 00:26:27,160
of their feudal lords.
405
00:26:27,200 --> 00:26:31,200
Discontent ran deep
and it was only a matter of time
406
00:26:31,240 --> 00:26:33,360
before that exploded into violence.
407
00:26:35,720 --> 00:26:37,840
In the wake of the French Revolution,
408
00:26:37,880 --> 00:26:40,000
rebellions swept through Europe
409
00:26:40,040 --> 00:26:43,440
and the ruling Bourbons
faced a series of uprisings.
410
00:26:44,440 --> 00:26:46,120
In order to maintain rule,
411
00:26:46,160 --> 00:26:49,360
the Palazzo d'Avalos
entered a dark, new era.
412
00:26:51,360 --> 00:26:58,240
By 1831, this once-regal residence
had been converted to a prison
413
00:26:58,280 --> 00:27:01,640
to house political enemies
of the State.
414
00:27:10,280 --> 00:27:13,080
The conditions inside were horrific
415
00:27:13,120 --> 00:27:19,280
and the prisoners often faced
beatings, starvation and torture.
416
00:27:20,560 --> 00:27:25,720
For many, it seemed their only
option for survival was to escape.
417
00:27:26,720 --> 00:27:28,280
But they were wrong.
418
00:27:28,320 --> 00:27:33,440
In 1848, around 140 prisoners
arrived on Procida from Sicily.
419
00:27:33,480 --> 00:27:35,800
Reports suggest that they tried
to break out,
420
00:27:35,840 --> 00:27:37,880
but they were trapped by the guards
421
00:27:37,920 --> 00:27:39,680
and then ruthlessly massacred.
422
00:27:50,280 --> 00:27:53,640
The event sent shock waves
through Europe.
423
00:27:53,680 --> 00:27:56,600
It's actually said to be one
of the reasons that Gladstone,
424
00:27:56,640 --> 00:27:59,720
who was the British Prime Minister
at the time,
425
00:27:59,760 --> 00:28:03,480
broke off diplomatic relations
with the Bourbon monarchy.
426
00:28:05,320 --> 00:28:08,160
Instead, he chose to back
the Italian rabble-rouser,
427
00:28:08,200 --> 00:28:09,480
Giuseppe Garibaldi,
428
00:28:09,520 --> 00:28:13,280
the heroic revolutionary that
overthrew the Bourbons in the 1860s
429
00:28:13,320 --> 00:28:15,720
and was finally able to unify
the country.
430
00:28:16,920 --> 00:28:20,080
While the birth of modern Italy
had arrived,
431
00:28:20,120 --> 00:28:23,880
the Palazzo d'Avalos remained
a place of incarceration
432
00:28:23,920 --> 00:28:25,280
for the next century...
433
00:28:28,120 --> 00:28:30,680
..and soon, the prison needed
to expand
434
00:28:30,720 --> 00:28:34,200
to meet the growing demand
of a different breed of criminal.
435
00:28:36,120 --> 00:28:41,200
In the 1970s, the prison started
to be overrun with Italian mafioso.
436
00:28:41,240 --> 00:28:45,920
We're talking mob bosses, hitmen,
henchmen, the whole range.
437
00:28:47,320 --> 00:28:53,760
Giacomo Retaggio started working here
in 1963 as the prison's only doctor.
438
00:28:54,960 --> 00:28:58,960
From the very start,
his tenure was marred by violence.
439
00:29:24,800 --> 00:29:26,800
Over the next 25 years,
440
00:29:26,840 --> 00:29:30,840
Giacomo got to know some of the
prison's most dangerous convicts.
441
00:29:54,080 --> 00:29:59,240
In 1982, this included Naples'
public enemy number one,
442
00:29:59,280 --> 00:30:03,480
Camorra mafia boss,
Luigi "The King" Giuliano.
443
00:30:03,520 --> 00:30:06,840
Luigi headed up the powerful
Giuliano clan,
444
00:30:06,880 --> 00:30:08,640
which had a reputation for being
445
00:30:08,680 --> 00:30:11,880
one of Naples' most bloodthirsty
criminal families.
446
00:30:11,920 --> 00:30:13,840
At the time of his arrest,
447
00:30:13,880 --> 00:30:18,680
Giuliano was in the midst of a
brutal war with a rival Camorra clan
448
00:30:18,720 --> 00:30:22,200
led by Raffaele "The Professor"
Cutolo.
449
00:30:23,280 --> 00:30:26,280
Cutolo himself was already
behind bars,
450
00:30:26,320 --> 00:30:32,000
running his empire entirely from the
notorious Poggioreale prison
in Naples.
451
00:30:33,800 --> 00:30:36,880
Luigi begged to be sent
to Procida prison.
452
00:30:36,920 --> 00:30:42,000
He knew that if he was sent
to Poggioreale prison,
453
00:30:42,040 --> 00:30:45,040
where Cutolo's men were locked up,
454
00:30:45,080 --> 00:30:46,880
he would face death.
455
00:31:12,360 --> 00:31:16,440
But Giuliano was wrong to think
he'd be safe at Procida.
456
00:31:31,880 --> 00:31:35,760
Among the prisoners was one of
Cutolo's former henchmen
457
00:31:35,800 --> 00:31:37,960
and he had it in for Giuliano.
458
00:31:39,400 --> 00:31:42,920
In November, he was stabbed
by another inmate and left for dead.
459
00:32:13,440 --> 00:32:15,880
Luckily for him, he survived.
460
00:32:15,920 --> 00:32:18,000
Not so lucky for Naples.
461
00:32:18,040 --> 00:32:20,360
After he was acquitted
of all charges,
462
00:32:20,400 --> 00:32:24,240
he continued his reign
of terror for the next 20 years.
463
00:32:25,840 --> 00:32:29,760
Giuliano was eventually arrested
in 2000
464
00:32:29,800 --> 00:32:33,320
and turned into a government
witness to avoid jail time.
465
00:32:34,400 --> 00:32:37,200
But during that period,
the ageing prison here
466
00:32:37,240 --> 00:32:40,880
had already been forced
to shut its doors for good.
467
00:33:11,720 --> 00:33:16,080
For 30 years, Palazzo d'Avalos
sat completely abandoned
468
00:33:16,120 --> 00:33:18,120
until the government took it over
469
00:33:18,160 --> 00:33:20,680
and made it a place
that tourists could visit.
470
00:33:39,240 --> 00:33:42,280
In the northern Polish town
of Kamieniec
471
00:33:42,320 --> 00:33:46,360
is the ruin of a site
where romance and patriotism
472
00:33:46,400 --> 00:33:47,880
painfully collided.
473
00:33:53,080 --> 00:33:56,200
There's little houses and shops
and a church.
474
00:33:56,240 --> 00:33:59,160
It seems like a place where
things move slowly.
475
00:33:59,200 --> 00:34:02,960
But at one end of town is
something quite unexpected.
476
00:34:04,400 --> 00:34:08,400
Set back from the street is
a towering stone structure
477
00:34:08,440 --> 00:34:10,600
ravaged by the passage of time.
478
00:34:12,600 --> 00:34:17,120
It's got this big facade, two
wings spreading out on either side.
479
00:34:17,160 --> 00:34:19,640
It seems like somewhere
really important.
480
00:34:19,680 --> 00:34:22,920
Central Europe is dotted
with palaces such as this,
481
00:34:22,960 --> 00:34:26,480
but this one is remarkable
because of who ended up here
482
00:34:26,520 --> 00:34:27,520
and with whom.
483
00:34:29,480 --> 00:34:33,640
One of the world's greatest generals
was caught in a love affair.
484
00:34:33,680 --> 00:34:35,840
For him, it was passion.
485
00:34:35,880 --> 00:34:39,160
For her, it was duty to her country.
486
00:34:39,200 --> 00:34:43,120
She carried the very existence
of Poland on her shoulders.
487
00:34:43,160 --> 00:34:45,320
But the question was,
would it pay off?
488
00:34:53,640 --> 00:34:56,840
I first came here maybe
20 years ago.
489
00:34:56,880 --> 00:35:00,320
There's something magical
about this ruin.
490
00:35:00,360 --> 00:35:03,160
This was called
Versaille of the North.
491
00:35:05,720 --> 00:35:08,680
Tomasz Dabrowski is part of a group
492
00:35:08,720 --> 00:35:11,920
dedicated to honouring the role
this building played
493
00:35:11,960 --> 00:35:14,480
in his nation's
struggle for independence.
494
00:35:16,520 --> 00:35:18,720
When I thought about history
of this place,
495
00:35:18,760 --> 00:35:21,640
I realised that the history
is so strictly connected
496
00:35:21,680 --> 00:35:23,160
with history of Poland.
497
00:35:25,560 --> 00:35:29,440
Its epic story began in the
early 18th century,
498
00:35:29,480 --> 00:35:32,400
when this region was a battlefield
499
00:35:32,440 --> 00:35:34,440
fought over by neighbouring states.
500
00:35:35,440 --> 00:35:39,160
We're in what one historian famously
called "God's playground," Poland,
501
00:35:39,200 --> 00:35:40,880
which was at the intersection
502
00:35:40,920 --> 00:35:43,080
of all the great powers of Europe.
503
00:35:43,120 --> 00:35:45,680
This land was under the control
of Prussia,
504
00:35:45,720 --> 00:35:48,320
a kingdom comprised of
northern Germany
505
00:35:48,360 --> 00:35:50,440
and much of modern-day Poland.
506
00:35:51,600 --> 00:35:54,000
Its king, Friedrich Wilhelm I,
507
00:35:54,040 --> 00:35:58,520
bestowed palaces and estates
upon the noble families.
508
00:35:58,560 --> 00:36:01,920
This one was called
Finckenstein Palace
509
00:36:01,960 --> 00:36:06,800
and it was named after the ruling
family that constructed it in 1716.
510
00:36:07,800 --> 00:36:10,200
It would be the
von Finckensteins' home,
511
00:36:10,240 --> 00:36:14,480
but also a place for the king to
stay when he travelled from Berlin.
512
00:36:14,520 --> 00:36:16,400
At the turn of the century, though,
513
00:36:16,440 --> 00:36:19,240
it would host a very different
set of guests.
514
00:36:20,360 --> 00:36:22,440
In the late 1700s,
515
00:36:22,480 --> 00:36:25,840
50 years after Finckenstein Palace
was built,
516
00:36:25,880 --> 00:36:28,440
Poland was plunged into chaos.
517
00:36:29,560 --> 00:36:32,600
European borders
were rapidly shifting
518
00:36:32,640 --> 00:36:35,880
and this region was caught
in the crossfire.
519
00:36:37,000 --> 00:36:40,960
The great powers of Prussia,
Russia and the Habsburg Empire
520
00:36:41,000 --> 00:36:44,640
set about on a devastating
series of partitions
521
00:36:44,680 --> 00:36:48,560
that really completely reduces
the Polish state to nothing.
522
00:36:49,880 --> 00:36:54,160
The result of this was that Poland
was all but wiped off the map,
523
00:36:54,200 --> 00:36:58,360
and if they had any chance
of restoring their statehood,
524
00:36:58,400 --> 00:36:59,920
they'd need help from abroad.
525
00:37:02,200 --> 00:37:05,640
The Polish prince, Jozef Poniatowski,
526
00:37:05,680 --> 00:37:07,680
in cahoots with his noblemen,
527
00:37:07,720 --> 00:37:11,560
devised a strategy to save
the nation from obscurity.
528
00:37:12,600 --> 00:37:14,120
The plan they came up with?
529
00:37:14,160 --> 00:37:18,120
Well, it's been used over and over
again throughout history,
530
00:37:18,160 --> 00:37:19,880
a honey trap.
531
00:37:19,920 --> 00:37:23,720
The prince and his officials
identify the perfect person
532
00:37:23,760 --> 00:37:26,280
and she's a countess named
Marie Walewska.
533
00:37:26,320 --> 00:37:28,880
Even though she was already married
and had a child,
534
00:37:28,920 --> 00:37:31,960
she was known throughout Poland
for her great beauty.
535
00:37:34,240 --> 00:37:39,640
The scheming nobles then set their
sights on an ambitious
neighbouring ruler
536
00:37:39,680 --> 00:37:42,360
who could champion their cause
for independence.
537
00:37:44,400 --> 00:37:47,360
And at that time, there was only
one real candidate,
538
00:37:47,400 --> 00:37:49,080
Napoleon Bonaparte.
539
00:37:51,720 --> 00:37:57,600
They realised that Napoleon has a
natural interest in fostering
Polish nationalism
540
00:37:57,640 --> 00:38:00,880
as a way of weakening, you know,
Russia, Austria and Prussia.
541
00:38:02,400 --> 00:38:05,920
Napoleon met Marie Walewska
first time
542
00:38:05,960 --> 00:38:09,720
in the Royal Palace in Warsaw
in January, 1807.
543
00:38:09,760 --> 00:38:12,920
This meeting was not coincidental,
of course,
544
00:38:12,960 --> 00:38:16,880
because Marie Walewska
impressed Napoleon so much
545
00:38:16,920 --> 00:38:20,360
that he wanted to know her better.
546
00:38:23,840 --> 00:38:27,280
The Polish plan appeared
to be working.
547
00:38:27,320 --> 00:38:30,720
When Napoleon returned
to his European campaigns,
548
00:38:30,760 --> 00:38:33,560
he didn't forget his newfound
mistress.
549
00:38:34,600 --> 00:38:38,800
In 1807, Napoleon invites
Marie Walewska to the countryside,
550
00:38:38,840 --> 00:38:41,920
where he is resting after another
important battle.
551
00:38:43,560 --> 00:38:47,720
As she arrived, she was greeted
by the magnificent facade
552
00:38:47,760 --> 00:38:50,000
of Finckenstein Palace.
553
00:38:50,040 --> 00:38:53,600
Marie understood the role
she had been chosen to play,
554
00:38:53,640 --> 00:38:56,040
but she was also conflicted.
555
00:38:56,080 --> 00:38:59,840
She would have to choose
between her family and her country.
556
00:39:02,920 --> 00:39:06,280
She's very concerned about her
reputation because she's married,
557
00:39:06,320 --> 00:39:08,720
she has a child,
she's of noble birth.
558
00:39:09,720 --> 00:39:13,480
Napoleon was all too aware
of Marie's personal situation
559
00:39:13,520 --> 00:39:15,800
and continued the affair regardless.
560
00:39:17,640 --> 00:39:19,720
So, they end up holing up
in a bedroom
561
00:39:19,760 --> 00:39:21,600
of the north wing of the palace.
562
00:39:21,640 --> 00:39:25,360
Here, there were the room
occupied by Marie Walewska.
563
00:39:25,400 --> 00:39:27,800
So, there was the bed.
564
00:39:27,840 --> 00:39:30,360
Spent time, but mostly it was closed
565
00:39:30,400 --> 00:39:33,240
because she was supposed only
to meet with emperor.
566
00:39:35,000 --> 00:39:36,240
Marie told one friend
567
00:39:36,280 --> 00:39:39,920
that she really felt like she
was married to Napoleon at the time,
568
00:39:39,960 --> 00:39:42,560
but, of course, she knew
she was actually
569
00:39:42,600 --> 00:39:46,000
in service of a much greater cause.
570
00:39:46,040 --> 00:39:49,960
That cause received a boost
in April, 1807,
571
00:39:50,000 --> 00:39:53,200
when Napoleon made a deal
with the Shah of Persia
572
00:39:53,240 --> 00:39:54,920
at Finckenstein Palace.
573
00:39:54,960 --> 00:39:58,760
Napoleon's plan is to, basically,
create this continental system
574
00:39:58,800 --> 00:40:00,320
to close off all of Europe,
575
00:40:00,360 --> 00:40:03,080
including the Russian Empire,
to British trade.
576
00:40:04,160 --> 00:40:10,280
Special envoy came here
the 26th April of 1807.
577
00:40:10,320 --> 00:40:15,160
It was the most important political
event here
578
00:40:15,200 --> 00:40:18,240
because treaty between
France and Persia
579
00:40:18,280 --> 00:40:20,720
was really important for Napoleon.
580
00:40:23,640 --> 00:40:25,840
After the treaty had been signed,
581
00:40:25,880 --> 00:40:29,000
Napoleon continued his war
with Russia.
582
00:40:29,040 --> 00:40:33,680
At the Battle of Friedland in June,
his army emerged victorious,
583
00:40:33,720 --> 00:40:36,440
forcing the Russians to make
a settlement.
584
00:40:36,480 --> 00:40:39,000
This was the moment that Marie
was waiting for.
585
00:40:39,040 --> 00:40:41,280
The French are negotiating
with the Russians
586
00:40:41,320 --> 00:40:43,800
and the fate of Poland
is on the table.
587
00:40:45,080 --> 00:40:50,240
Marie had left behind her husband
and child to spend two months
with Napoleon,
588
00:40:50,280 --> 00:40:53,840
in the hope his favour
would sway his decisions,
589
00:40:53,880 --> 00:40:55,120
but, in the end,
590
00:40:55,160 --> 00:40:56,320
it would all be for nothing.
591
00:40:57,840 --> 00:40:59,680
Under the terms of the deal,
592
00:40:59,720 --> 00:41:04,160
Russia kept most of the Polish
territory they previously held,
593
00:41:04,200 --> 00:41:07,680
Napoleon merely electing to form
a small Polish state
594
00:41:07,720 --> 00:41:09,600
called the Grand Duchy of Warsaw.
595
00:41:10,960 --> 00:41:13,480
Poland's dream of true independence
596
00:41:13,520 --> 00:41:14,560
was over.
597
00:41:15,760 --> 00:41:19,160
Marie's mission had failed
and it was absolutely clear
598
00:41:19,200 --> 00:41:22,440
that Napoleon would always put
his beloved France first
599
00:41:22,480 --> 00:41:24,680
over any romantic involvement.
600
00:41:25,720 --> 00:41:29,240
Napoleon made sure Marie was taken
care of for the rest of her life,
601
00:41:29,280 --> 00:41:31,360
but the affair was all but over
602
00:41:31,400 --> 00:41:33,560
and the hopes of the Polish people
603
00:41:33,600 --> 00:41:34,840
died with it.
604
00:41:36,960 --> 00:41:38,560
As the years passed,
605
00:41:38,600 --> 00:41:43,240
Finckenstein Palace continued
to be a home for wealthy nobility,
606
00:41:43,280 --> 00:41:47,840
but during World War II,
it was looted by the Soviet Red Army
607
00:41:47,880 --> 00:41:50,320
as they advanced through Poland,
608
00:41:50,360 --> 00:41:52,360
and in 1945,
609
00:41:52,400 --> 00:41:55,080
it was completely destroyed
by a fire.
610
00:42:02,000 --> 00:42:04,200
Today, the site is privately owned
611
00:42:04,240 --> 00:42:07,360
by a member of the
Polish Napoleon Foundation,
612
00:42:07,400 --> 00:42:11,160
and it became a shrine to a
pivotal moment in Polish history
613
00:42:11,200 --> 00:42:14,640
that unfolded within
the walls of this great palace.
614
00:42:15,640 --> 00:42:18,160
The romance was even
immortalised in a film
615
00:42:18,200 --> 00:42:20,800
starring Charles Boyer
and Greta Garbo
616
00:42:20,840 --> 00:42:23,160
and the film was called
The Conquest.
617
00:42:24,240 --> 00:42:28,320
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