Alex Polizzi's Secret Italy

The first leg of Alex's journey sees her travelling across the north of Italy to uncover some of the secrets it conceals. Venice is a city that Alex has visited many times, but this is a trip like never before as she visits a prison with a difference and has a brush with some memories of her grandmother. After leaving Venice, Alex spends time in a hidden gem nestled among the Lombard Alps, before rounding up her northern adventure in achingly cool Milan, Italy's fashion capital, where she gets up close and personal with many of Maria Callas's fabulous stage costumes.

In Central Italy, Alex heads to the relatively undiscovered Le Marche region, sampling local seafood delicacies and meeting the designer of one of Italy's leading shoe brands. She then heads to Rome, taking the opportunity to meet up with an ex-boyfriend and visiting a family home.

Alex begins this weeks journey in Naples, Italy's third largest city, with a population of 960,000. The city is a historic heritage site and is also close to Mount Vesuvius, which Alex explores wondering why people chose to live so close to the volcano. Alex then heads to the Amalfi coast, where she remembers her honeymoon. She samples a menu cooked by chef Mamma Agata.

The final leg of Alex’s journey reaches a fitting crescendo in the secret south, a region that Alex knows little about. In Puglia, Alex marvels at the truli and samples some of the unique wine their. She then heads to Mone Pollino national park before concluding her adventure in Matera, a place with atmospheric cave dwellings and some of the oldest settlements in Europe. She also heads to the local festival - Festa della Madonna Bruna, a week-long carnival which ends with a pagan-style rite of destruction and a firework display.