has been provided by the following.

- [Narattor] In the heart of Barolo lies Cantine Oddero Winery.

Today, the sixth generation of the Oderros continue the family tradition of producing wines from ancient vines in Piemontese terror.

Oderro wines since 1878.

- [Narrator] Victor Rallo and chef Dave Pasternack's Esca restaurant in New York City's Theater District.

Serving contemporary Italian coastal cuisine.

Crudo, fresh fish, prime meats, and pasta.

Dishes rooted in the simplicity of Italian flavors.

Esca, New York City.

- [Narrator] The Magaldi group.

STEM, solar thermo-electric Magaldi.

(upbeat rock music) (gentle piano music) - [Narrator] Alessandra Poli has spent her life traveling the world and sharing stories of her adventures as a TV producer.

Now, she'll explore her homeland and offer a look at the Italy tourists don't see.

- Rome, the city where I was born, never stops to amaze me.

Art, culture, history, but most of all, its very passionate people.

Follow me on Passion Italy, and I'll show you the real Italy.

(uplifting music) - [Narrator] The Real Italy, it's a love for stunning landscapes, the creativity to transform marine life into light, the soul to give voice to long lost instruments, the magic of stone masonry, and tasting some of the best cheese in the region.

- This is Puglia, a true jewel in southern Italy.

Let's discover it together on today's Passion Italy.

(bright music) (cheerful guitar music) - [Narrator] Today, we're in Puglia.

We will travel from Altamura in the Murgia National Park to the Val D'Itria dotted with Trulli houses.

And then we're off to the pure beaches of Polignano coast.

Sava is our last destination.

Puglia is a land of sun and hospitality, steeped in ancient history, tradition, and natural beauty.

It is located on a strip of land in the heel of Italy's boot, surrounded by two seas, the Ionian and the Adriatic, which have sculpted magical shorelines.

Centuries of history and a range of charming landscapes are just some of the reasons why Puglia is such a unique holiday destination.

Another way to enjoy Puglia is tasting its exceptional food and wine.

They offer an authentic explosion of flavors.

Puglia is waiting for you.

Let this extraordinary land captivate you.

(lively music) Altamura is known as the city of bread, and its bread-making traditions and reputation have existed for centuries.

In 37 BC, Horatio, a Latin writer, told travelers that it is by far the best bread to be had and advised them to stock up before they leave.

(speaking in foreign language) Modern-day adventurers would be well-advised to do the same.

The bread of Altamura is a coarse grain bread made from wheat flour and baked in old wood-burning ovens.

The bread is so good, but don't miss the focaccia.

(speaking in foreign language) Simply delicious, and so fluffy and easy on the pocketbook.

Here in the Antico Forno Santa Chiara, you can taste one of the best in town.

(speaking in foreign language) (passionate guitar music) The village of Altamura has many peculiarities which make it a privileged tourist destination.

After centuries of decline, it was in the Middle Ages that Altamura gained back some power, thanks to the emperor Frederick II of Svevia.

In 1232, he ordered the construction of the Romanic-style cathedral, which became one of the most revered shrines of Puglia, and today it is a city icon.

The rose-shaped window in the facade is a rare example of 14th Apulian style.

There is also a Gothic portal, probably from the early 15th century.

What captures the visitors' attention is the cathedral doorway, rich in decoration and filled with sculptures.

(upbeat guitar music) Bread is not the only must-eat treat here.

Vito di Cecca is a young and talented cheese maker whose family has made cheese for generations.

Vito is a real artist, not content to just make the traditional cheeses of his ancestors.

He loves to experiment with new styles.

His varieties of blue cheese are even envied by French producers.

The proof is in the pudding.

(glasses clinking) - I start to work on my grandfather cheese factory.

I was 10, because me father needs small hands to do little bocconcini.

For me, cheese means everything.

(passionate string music) Our job is really hard.

Without passion, you cannot work in humidity, in the cold, put your hands in 90 degrees water.

We work like 18 hours a day.

We getting up at four o'clock in the morning.

I don't have a night life.

I live for my job, so you really need to have the passion for this.

And that's what we got, because we got from my grandfather, from my father, we don't tell the hard work.

All our mozzarella made it from raw milk, so it's a live cheese.

It's like having a soul in your hands, because feel amazing.

We have milk that is from Atti cow, so we get really, really great milk, because without good milk, we can't have good cheese.

Five years ago, I decide to produce blue cheese in Puglia, because no ones in our region make blue cheese.

The first time, I didn't get good result, was really hard.

My sister and my brother, they were making laugh about me.

They say no ones will buy blue cheese.

Then I'm just have to getting better and better.

I was start to believe in what I was doing.

At the beginning, I follow the routine, like how to make Gorgonzola, Roquefort.

Then I wasn't happy, because I'm a cheese maker.

Every day, I try to make it in a different way.

I just start to do all my way, my receipt.

I always like when I try something new, because cheese is not a museum; cheese needs to evolve.

My girlfriend asked me if I was ready to get engaged, I was thinking what to give to her.

Then I just decide to make a cheese for her that really fits her.

She loves Primitivo wine, so I decide to do this blue cheese that looks blue from outside and yellow inside, because she's blonde.

This was my ring.

My cheese are wild.

Most of my cheese are made from raw milk.

The taste are not always the same.

This is what I was looking for, because if you make 100 piece of cheese and they are all the same on the taste, on the way they look, it is not anymore an artisan product.

For me, create every month a new cheese is the biggest satisfaction ever.

The things that really makes me happy is see a customer that's being loyal to you for like 60 year.

The most important thing is making the best mozzarella, the best burrata, the best caciocavallo in the town.

Then they have to say this cheese is amazing.

(upbeat guitar music) (speaking in foreign language) (effervescent music) - [Narrator] The beautiful Putignano, well-known for its carnival, which is the oldest in Europe, is a town less than 25 miles away from Bari.

The drive across the Apulian countryside, with this dark, almost red soil, the carpet of green and silver olive trees against the absolute white stone walls is simple breathtaking.

(exuberant music) The landscape is sprinkled with typical conical stone structures built from corbeled limestone slabs, known as the Trulli.

They are visible in almost every wheat field and olive grove.

But they are at their most picturesque when clustered together in the hundreds to form a town like Alberobello.

It is the most ancient and famous Trulli settlement, dating back to the 14th century.

(exuberant music) At that time, the area was populated with entire feudal colonies.

The new settlers made these drywall constructions without mortar, simply to evade the taxes imposed on the new communities under the kingdom of Naples.

In fact, the Trulli could be dismantled in a hurry, leaving no trace at all of their existence.

Trulli are traditionally built today by specialist craftsman who are called mastery Trullari in Apulian dialect.

(cheerful guitar music) Alessandra is so curious about how a Trulli is actually made that she's gonna visit one of the last living Trullaro, Giuseppe Micollis.

(chiseling stone) (speaking in foreign language) - [Narrator] Many Trulli have symbols painted onto their cones.

These symbols have religious or mystical significance and were meant to protect the inhabitants.

(soft guitar music) Alessandra continues her trip, heading out to the Adriatic coast.

The sea, with is turquoise and emerald shades, is enchanting.

She stops in the town of Polignano a Mare, located on the Adriatic Sea, in the province of Bari, and she quickly sees why it's called the "pearl of the Adriatic."

A craggy slice of land with several caves along its limestone cliffs that have had their share of invaders throughout history.

Arguably, it is one of the most romantic spots in the region.

(gentle guitar music) The town is thought to be one of the most important settlements in Puglia, and was later inhabited by the successive rulers, ranging from the Huns to the Normans.

The Arco della Vecchia Porta is the gateway to the historic Medieval city center.

(relaxed music) The reflection of Polignano's crystal clear sea, the light of the sun passing through the water, are captured by Peppino Campanella's original lampshades.

His creations are inspired by this spectacular location, which is his amazing terrace on a seaside cliff.

Alessandra meets Peppino in his extraordinary workshop, creating another lighting gem.

(intriguing music) (speaking in foreign language) (precious music) (spirited orchestral music) Driving through the captivating Val D'Itria, you will see Ostuni long before you arrive.

Ostuni is known as a white pearl, and it's not difficult to understand why.

We are right in the Ostuni plain, covered in millennial olive trees, which were protected by strict laws since the time of Frederick II.

The twisted shapes and imposing for of these ancient trees make them natural works of art.

It's amazing to think that these trees have never stopped producing oil for the last 2,000 years.

Oil production reached its peak in the 1400s, when the Brancati family arrived here from the Veneto region.

Their olive oil was also exported to northern Europe, where it was used to light noble palaces and courts.

Entering Masseria Brancati, you can feel the flow of history that surrounds you.

Humans have been here since the Paleolithic Era.

The underground mill of the Masseria was built during Roman times.

Masseria Brancati is a really interesting place to visit on your way to Ostuni.

(playing lute) Alessandra had the pleasure to meet Antonio Dattis, an eccentric luthier at Gesualdo's Medieval castle in the Campagna region.

(strumming lute) In the castle's museum, some of his unique instruments are preserved.

Antonio has been carving wood since he was eight.

His main passion is to create rare musical instruments, reproductions of antique models, and unique pieces fabricated from his fantasies.

Antonio lives in Sava, one of the biggest towns in the Taranto Province, on the Ionic coast of Puglia.

In Sava, you will find a less touristic corner of Puglia, and here you will experience the real Apulian life.

(playing instrument) (speaking in foreign language) - It's time to say goodby to Apulia, but it's so hard to leave this beautiful region.

Don't forget to join me on Passion Italy for more stories of passion.

(upbeat music) - [Announcer] Funding for this series has been provided by the following.

- [Narattor] In the heart of Barolo lies Cantine Oddero Winery.

Today, the sixth generation of the Oderros continue the family tradition of producing wines from ancient vines in Piemontese terror.

Oderro wines since 1878.

- [Narrator] Victor Rallo and chef Dave Pasternack's Esca restaurant in New York City's Theater District.

Serving contemporary Italian coastal cuisine.

Crudo, fresh fish, prime meats, and pasta.

Dishes rooted in the simplicity of Italian flavors.

Esca, New York City.

- [Narrator] The Magaldi group.

STEM, solar thermo-electric Magaldi.

(upbeat rock music) (grand music)