Original subtitles

FRANCESCO: Venice, the most beautiful city in the world.

But it is dying.

We Venetians are an endangered species.

There are only 61,000 of us left.

So we depend upon our 15 million visitors a year.

Once, though, we were millions.

This island city was just the centre of a vast and mighty empire.

Its name didn't suggest romance, honeymoons

or Cornetto ice cream, but trade, power and war.

Venezia, pearl of the Adriatic.

City of water, most serene republic.

Long before Britannia ruled the waves, Venice did.

I'm about to set off on a fantastic adventure.

For the next three months,

I'm following the trade routes of Venice.

My mission, to see the great sights of the Mediterranean,

and the remains of our once vast empire.

The cities we built,

the art we created.

(SPEAKING ITALIAN)

The legacy we left behind.

I will see the bad things we did, too.

But most of all, I'll experience life as my ancestors did.

Exploring.

Trading. Seeking new pleasures...

(SPEAKING ITALIAN)

...however strange.

This is the journey of a lifetime.

My voyage will follow south along the coast of the Adriatic.

Cut through central Greece, head out to the Greek islands

before following the Turkish coast all the way to Istanbul.

But my starting point is Venice.

(BELLS TOLLING)

I'm on my way to see the boat

which is going to take me from Venice to Istanbul.

Ever since I was a boy,

I've dreamt about the glory days.

When my city was capital of one of the most powerful empires

on Earth.

And now, at last,

I'm going to relive those days.

Wow! E bellissima!

This beautiful old boat is the Black Swan.

In a few days' time, I will set sail upon her

on the greatest journey of my life.

Wow!

I'm a little nervous about meeting Captain Giulio and his crew.

Especially since it's traditional

to give new recruits like me a tough time.

(SPEAKING ITALIAN)

Francesco.

Okay, okay.

-Okay? -Okay.

Captain Giulio wants me out of his way.

And I've still got a lot to do at home.

But first, let me tell you why this voyage

is so important to me.

I grew up with many reminders

of my intrepid ancestors.

And they are a daunting bunch.

I learnt to ride my bike in this room,

surrounded by all these paintings.

This is Nicola Da Mosto. He's paying soldiers before going to sea

on a very important expedition.

And that, Antonio Da Mosto.

Admiral of the Venetian Navy.

This is Francesco Da Mosto, like me.

Lord of Catellon in Montenegro.

But the greatest explorer in the family is Alvise Da Mosto.

His travels are legendary.

Now that I'm embarking on my own voyage,

I can look him in the eye at last.

Although, when it comes to packing,

Alvise must have been a little more organised than me.

He probably had someone doing it for him, though.

I must admit,

I'm not the most organised person in the world.

Right now, I can't find my maps.

Just when I really need them.

-WOMAN: Francesco... -Hey.

We have a little island in the Venice lagoon.

It's where I go when I want some peace and quiet.

I've promised Captain Giulio I will supply the maps for the journey.

So I hope they are here.

Oh, here's Venice, look.

I restored this hut with my own hands.

I like it because it reminds me

how Venice's first settlers lived 1,500 years ago

when we were refugees.

Escaping invading barbarians on the mainland.

Over there is Torcello, Venice's first island.

You see, we didn't come to live on this lagoon because it was pretty.

We came here because we were persecuted.

We could only find some peace in a swamp full of disease.

In just a few centuries, Venice transformed itself

from a marsh settlement to the most glorious city on Earth.

But it was all thanks to the sea.

In our golden age, we were the link between East and West.

A meeting point for great thinkers and artists.

Home to immense riches and beauty.

This is the Fondaco dei Turchi.

Once was the home of the Turkish merchants.

And under those arches, all the merchandise entered in.

This is the Rialto market.

In the 15th century, was nearly the centre of the world.

Banks, spices, you could hear any languages.

(MEN SHOUTING IN ITALIAN)

This is Fondaco dei Tedeschi. German merchants.

You see, Venice was the whole Mediterraneo

crushed into a perfect little diamond.

There are a few things I need to see again before I set sail.

The Palazzo Ducale was home to the Doge, ruler of Venice, and his government.

This building celebrates our greatest moments in history.

The Sala di Scudo

shows the Venetian empire at the height of its power.

In these maps we can see Venice as it was once.

Not just its lagoon, but look,

much of the northern mainland, Italian,

the coast of Dalmatia,

the Greek islands,

and even, if briefly, Istanbul.

And Istanbul is where my journey will end.

Once it was called Constantinople

and was Venice's great rival for power.

The paintings here commemorate the many sea battles between us.

These are all sights I'm soon to see for myself.

Even today, sailing to Istanbul is not easy.

So I'm taking my maps to the Compagnia Dellavela,

the Venetian sailing club, to go over the route with Captain Giulio.

(SPEAKING ITALIAN)

I was a little agitated after our last meeting.

But he seems a lot friendlier today.

Many of my ancestors left their families for years to go to sea.

But times have changed.

And I feel sad leaving mine for just three months.

My children, Toto and Delia, are learning to sail.

These are things a father only experiences once.

FRANCESCO: Whoa!

Being with my daughter provides a good opportunity

to brush up on my knots.

I'm running out of time, and I still have lots to do.

FRANCESCO: Wow.

(EXCLAIMS IN ITALIAN)

My last night in Venice

is the highlight of the Venetian calendar.

It's the festival of the Redentore,

when we celebrate our seafaring city.

Everybody decorates their boats and heads out onto the lagoon.

And my family is no exception.

(LAUGHING)

The festival of the Redentore began as a thanksgiving

after one of the city's many plagues.

(DANCE MUSIC PLAYING)

Of course, today, it's just an excuse for a big party.

Francesco!

Tomorrow we set sail.

But tonight is about family.

And, of course, Venice.

It's 6..00 in the morning.

The people closest to me have come to see me off.

My family, my doctor and my priest.

(SPEAKING ITALIAN)

I promised my mother I would have the boat blessed before we left.

So Father Corrado and his assistant have come to do the honours.

(PRAYING IN LATIN)

The blessing, in Latin,

asks God to protect the Black Swan and all who sail on her.

And now the moment I've been dreading in my heart.

Okay.

We Italians say, "Partire è un po' morire."

Leaving is a bit like dying.

(SPEAKING ITALIAN)

In all the excitement of leaving,

I'd forgotten that the colour green is supposed to be bad luck for sailors.

(WHISTLING)

One by one, I bid farewell to the landmarks of Venice.

Just like my ancestors did before me

when they set sail on their great adventures.

I have so much before me.

Friendships to be made.

Places to see.

Things to learn.

This, not living on the lagoon, is what it means to be a Venetian.