Original subtitles

FRANCESCO: After five weeks sailing the Mediterranean,

we have docked in Athens for a few days to rest and refuel the boat.

So, I'm using the time to go on a road trip.

I'm heading into Greece's wild west.

Grazie, ciao.

It's a long way, so I need some wheels.

MUSIC: "Born To Be Wild" by Steppenwolf

Where I'm going people are tough, really tough.

So I need to look the part.

ENGINE REVS

I'm half way from Venice to Istanbul,

following the trading roots of my ancestors.

We're in Greece and I'm heading south into the Peloponnese.

The Corinth Canal divides the Peloponnese from the Greek mainland.

This is a land steeped in myth and history.

My first stop is an ancient site of architectural splendour.

A vast arena built with just one purpose, to entertain.

This is Epidaurus, the mother of all the theatres.

These theatres were the cradle of all dramatic art today.

Whether Hamlet, Tosca, or Buffy, The Vampire Slayer.

Epidaurus was built 2,500 years ago.

It was the Greeks who invented theatre.

This place seats 14,000 people.

Although, I'm not so sure how comfortable those stone benches are.

It's every Greek actor's dream to perform here

and I've got a date with one who's done it.

Francesco! Artemis!

How's it like to perform here?

Oh, well, it's a great honour for an actor to perform here.

This is one of the most handsome theatres in Greece and the most big, as you can see.

You feel so, so tiny here, you know,

but when the performance begins, you have another emotion that fills you.

And how is it possible to hear you when you're down there?

Well, the acoustic here is great.

I'll show you. You stay here...

..and watch. OK.

The acoustics are meant to be so good that even the smallest noise can be heard from the stage.

Francesco. Yeah. Hear this.

SOUND OF PAPER TEARING

Wow. It's fantastic!

Wait!

PAPER CRUMPLING

Brava!

It was marvellous. What was it?

Well, it was a monologue from Libation Bearers from Aeschylus.

It's over 2,000 years old.

Thanks.

I'm finding these Greek roads a little nerve-wracking.

It seems that Greeks have their own way of dealing with anxiety and stress.

They're even more laid back than us Italians!

Their secret to keeping calm -

worry beads, in Greek called, komboloi.

MUSIC: "Don't Worry, Be Happy" by Bobby McFerrin

So many kombolois here.

Yes, there are a lot. Wow!

But why do the Greek use a komboloi?

Because they won't have a company.

They feel alone. Maybe, maybe.

Do you have an old one to show me?

Yes.

They're all the kinds here. Uh-hmm.

This is the oldest.

It's about 400 years in amber.

Amber, it is the most lucky, or every one is lucky?

Every komboloi can give you good luck, if you choose with your heart.

I'm doing a trip from Venice to Istanbul, sailing.

I would like to buy one.

I show you

an olive wood.

People in our country love very much this material.

This is black coral with silver.

This is a little heavier. Can I try that one, blue one?

This one?

Yes, the big one.

OK. This is blue lagoon, blue coral.

Nice colour. I like it.

You like it. This is my choice.

It's very difficult to choose, but if I have to pick one.

And now, I don't worry any more.

I'm heading inland into Arkadhia.

In the ancient world, this was a safe haven in time of war.

Today, the very word Arkadhia means earthly paradise.

And seeing the real place, I'm not disappointed.

It's so quiet, it's hard to believe not long ago,

a great city flourished here.

A place of learning, culture and power.

It was called the Florence of the East.

Today, the city of Mystra lies in ruins.

Ruins like this never fail to move me.

It's a reminder that in the future

people will see what's left of our homes and lives in the same way -

a humbling thought.

But some of Mystra's treasures survive.

This is the convent of the Pantanassa.

It's home to a masterpiece of medieval art.

These frescos were painted in the 1430s.

They follow a strict code,

a hierarchy seen in all Greek churches of the time.

At the top is Christ, protecting us all.

Beneath him is La Madonna, the Holy Virgin Mary.

Then come the Saints.

The frescos tell the story of Christ,

his birth...

..His teachings...

..His entry into Jerusalem.

The colours are not realistic, but bright and vibrant.

Other churches in Europe are a little terrifying,

but here the feeling, because of the colours, is joy.

God is not to be feared, but loved.

It is He that gave us happiness and beauty.

The Ottoman Turks conquered Mystra in the 15th century.

The city never regained its power and fell into decline.

I'm entering the Mani, the most remote part of the Peloponnese.

The inhabitants of this region are known as Maniates rather than Greeks.

They are a people apart, used to doing things their own way.

To understand them, you must see inside one of their churches.

This church was built hundreds of years ago

and I'm surprised it's still standing.

This is, how you say, DIY church.

Locked.

All I need to do now is find the way to get in.

SPEAKS GREEK

This feels like a real Aladdin's Cave.

Over the centuries, the villagers have continued to decorate it.

Simple modern icons are mixed with ancient frescos.

This may not be the most impressive church I've ever seen,

but it's definitely the most intimate.

It's not just the Maniates' churches which are hard to get into,

but their hearts too.

They are tough people

and this is Greece's frontier land.

Even today, they have a reputation for being unfriendly.

I'm a little nervous about stopping here,

but it looks like these days,

they've swapped their pistols for backgammon.

SPEAKS GREEK

They went away.

They don't want to play backgammon with me!

Luckily not everyone in Mani is quite so hostile.

George was born and bred here,

but he's up for a game.

What are the people in the Mani like?

They live...very, very tough life.

It's difficult? That's why their nature,

because from the morning to the night,

they did not know nothing else except to work,

that's why they have a tough life.

That's why they become tough people,

I say.

Three and one.

And six. And six, yeah.

Sixes or fives.

Ah! We are both double!

Great, very good! We drew and we are happy.

You can tell just from the landscape that life could be hard here.

The problem was, there just wasn't enough fertile land for everyone.

This is Vathia, a village full of towers today destroyed.

Each house was a, how you say, fortezza,

a fortress to protect the people.

Not just from outsiders, but their neighbours.

In a charged atmosphere like this,

fights broke out over food or family honour.

The villagers built their homes like towers,

so they could defend themselves from their rooftops.

The vendettas could last months, even years.

The women could go in and out of the homes with food and armour.

And when it was harvest, the men go out.

They worked together in fields as if nothing is wrong.

Then they go home, lock their doors and try to kill each other again.

It's crazy.

Today, Vathia is uninhabited,

but not because they all killed each other.

In the early 20th century, many villagers emigrated to America.

Considering what life here was like,

I don't blame them for wanting to leave.

It's difficult to imagine anything sweet

coming out of this harsh place, but the Mani is famous for its honey.

Can I taste some honey?

Yes. We go?

OK...

This for you. Here.

I have to admit, I'm a little scared of bees.

Do you have something for the hands? No. No.

Apparently bees can smell your fear.

Fortunately, I'm in good hands.

Sotiris has been looking after bees for over 30 years

and he's assured me that smoke calms them down.

I hope he's right!

Wow. Mamma mia!

Whoa!

So many.

And the queen is here?

The queen, yes, is here, but it's difficult to...

No, no, we don't wake her up!

We leave her quiet.

It's better. OK, leave it, no, we don't want to bother her.

Just to know that she's here.

And there is only one queen?

Yes, only one. Only one.

Oh, this is all honey.

Wow.

Can I taste it?

Oh, my God.

Go away, little one.

Then how I do it?!

Mmm!

Buono, that's good. Yeah.

Yeah, I like it.

My journey through the Peloponnese is nearly at an end.

I'm heading for a place that once

witnessed a terrible tragedy for my people.

It goes back to the days when Venice ruled half of the Mediterranean.

This is the fortress of Methoni.

We call it the Eyes of Venice.

We had 100 fortresses like this all around the Med.

You see, we couldn't have a big army in each place.

So if attacked, we hide in the fort

and wait for the navy to come rescue us.

Strategically, Methoni was the most important of all our fortresses.

From here we could prevent Turkish warships sailing up towards Venice.

As long as we had Methoni, our empire was safe.

All Venetian forts have our logo,

the lion of St Mark, but the details change.

Sometimes the book is open,

sometimes it's closed and the lion grips a sword.

It all depends what Venice's relationship is to that particular place.

Here the book is open without the sword drawn.

Here Venice is the law giver and the defender of Methoni.

The Turks tried many times to take Methoni,

but each time we fought them off.

Then, in 1500, the unthinkable happened.

The sultan himself arrived with a vast fleet

and laid siege to Methoni.

After a long resistance, the Turks breached the walls.

In their attack, they were merciless.

It was a massacre.

The Turks killed the men and sold the women and children into slavery.

The few men who survived the attack were taken here to the bourtzi,

the tower that juts out from the end of the fortress.

This was the last thing they saw

as they were taken inside and executed.

The locals say that when the winter winds hit the bourtzi,

you can still hear the screams of the dying.

When the ruling councillors of Venice

heard the news about the loss of Methoni,

they wept.

Venice was losing her grip over the Mediterranean.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk