Architect and historian Francesco da Mosto embarks on a journey to cross the Mediterranean sea, retracing the trade routes of his ancestors in a sailing clipper from the 19th century. Before he leaves his home in Venice, however, there is research... (more) to do for the voyage and new skills to acquire - not least gaining the respect of the crew of the White Swan, with whom he will spend the next few months in cramped quarters and sometimes dangerous situations as he visits the greatest treasures of the Mediterranean. Francesco also visits the Doge's Palace for reminders of the greatest age of Venice, when the city's empire stretched across the Mediterranean, and he marks the Festival of the Redentore, a fantastic night of Venetian celebrations and fireworks.