IF YOU CAN’T WAIT TO GET THERE

PBS and Fifty Rubies Productions presented a six-part documentary series Inside Tuscan Hills, debuted on November 1, 2004 on PBS, check local listings for details.

Shot entirely on location over the course of five months, first-time filmmaker Dakkan Abbe produced, directed, and edited the most in-depth documentary about Tuscany ever made. With unprecedented access to the vineyards, artisans, workshops, kitchens, and homes of the Tuscan people, each 30-minute episode takes us Inside the Tuscan Hills, exploring the rich culture of rural Tuscany, a place where ancient traditions have never disappeared.

Hosted by Camille Abbe, the series moves through Tuscany geographically, starting in the vine-draped hills of Chianti and moving down to the dramatic countryside around Montalcino and Montepulciano and all the way to the wild Maremma coast. Then it goes back up north to the chestnut-clad hills of the Casentino before ending in the jagged marble mountains above Carrara. The numerous villas, farmhouses, cypress trees, and vineyards serve as a backdrop to the compelling stories of the artisans, chefs, and farmers who live there.

Inside the Tuscan Hills is a celebration of the possibilities of life, a reminder that there are places where man and his surroundings are integrated into something approaching perfection. “This series will enrich, enliven, and inspire its viewers with the beauty and richness of life Inside the Tuscan Hills,” Dakkan Abbe explains. “I am honored to share my unforgettable journey and visually stunning exploration of the rich culture in one of the world’s most enchanting regions.”

Every episode brings the viewer face to face with the traditional artisans who still practice their craft as generations before them. We meet master shoemakers, mosaic artists, ceramic painters, coppersmiths and many others. Chefs open their kitchen doors and show us the secrets of hand-rolled pici, wine-bathed filletto, succulent porchetta, and many other mouth-watering Tuscan dishes. We see a joyful blessing of the fields at a wine estate that melds pagan beliefs with Christian rituals. In Cortona, cross-bow archers in Renaissance costumes compete in a 700-year old festival. A visit to the bubbling hot-springs of Saturnia shows both the glamour of its private spa and the wild beauty of the public pools.

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