In this episode of Mystery Places, we visit one of Italy’s most fascinating ghost towns, explore the mystery behind the edible bird’s nest in Malaysia, and visit the Bollate Prison in Italy. We also check out a peculiar structure referred by locals as the Dr. Seuss House.
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TVTranscript
00:00Music
00:18Our first mysterious place lies in Italy.
00:22It looks spooky.
00:25Things that were left behind, covered in dust, in the middle of deserted houses.
00:38As you can clearly see from up above, it's a ghost town.
00:55We learn the ghost town is called Apice.
01:00Today you can still watch tragic incidents like the one that happened in Apice on TV.
01:06A heavy earthquake was the reason why the inhabitants left 36 years ago.
01:13Allegedly, there are still people around in this deserted town, which is in danger of collapsing.
01:20We head towards Italy.
01:27The ghost town is supposed to be about 100 kilometers from Naples.
01:39All of a sudden, a roadblock.
01:42Behind it you can already see the mysterious town.
01:45But we are not allowed to carry on by car.
01:52From the internet we know it's not illegal to enter the town, but it is dangerous, because many houses are close to collapsing.
02:00And that's why they have all these roadblocks.
02:04Even from the outside there are things to discover.
02:14The former inhabitants have even left very personal belongings behind.
02:19There are even cars.
02:28There is nothing comparable in Europe.
02:31Noises coming out of a building.
02:34Who else is here apart from us?
02:36We go to check it out.
02:38And can hardly believe our own eyes.
02:41Unbelievable.
02:42A barber shop in a seemingly deserted town.
02:51There are actually people here.
02:53So, the rumours were correct.
02:56I am one of the last artists who stayed here.
03:00I am very linked to this historical center, because it gave me life to me and to my family.
03:08So, even if I stayed alone here, I like to work a lot.
03:15Until the Father eternal gives me the health of working again, I will always stay here.
03:22The hairdresser, Tommaso, is the only one who comes to Apice every day.
03:27Even though he doesn't live there anymore, he continues to cut and shave his customers from the neighboring villages, just like he did for the last 60 years.
03:36Because his barber shop is situated on the fringes of the town and is not in danger of collapsing, it is officially tolerated.
03:46But the earthquake, dating back 36 years, has changed Tommaso's life forever.
03:51In the area around Naples, earthquakes are a common occurrence.
03:55But the one in 1980 was especially bad.
03:57He remembers it very well.
03:59It was Sunday, and we had to watch a game.
04:08It was a very important game.
04:14It was very important, the Juventus was on the ground.
04:19We were all caught up in a moment.
04:23It was something incredible,
04:26because we were not used to see such a big thing.
04:30You know, it was so scary.
04:32It was a huge noise from all parts.
04:36This is what it sounded like.
04:39This original soundbite was recorded by accident during a concert.
04:46Luckily, there were no casualties in Apache,
04:49but almost all buildings were close to collapsing after the earthquake,
04:53even if they were still standing.
04:56Many were uninhabitable.
04:59Reconstruction would have cost a fortune.
05:02Most inhabitants fled in panic after the quake.
05:05They left many things behind.
05:09Others weren't so easily chased away, like the hairdresser Tommaso.
05:14But since the state didn't pay for the reconstruction,
05:17everyone left after a short while.
05:23The lively Apice turned into a ghost town.
05:31The state of Italy built a new modern Apice for the victims of the earthquake.
05:36It was a lot cheaper than rebuilding the old town.
05:39The end of the earthquake.
05:48Unfortunately, the values of the family were losing.
05:52The values of the unnoticed.
05:53The values of the united.
05:54The vai from one place to the other.
05:56The people who called you friends were all présents.
05:58We were all together, all together, all together, all together.
06:03It's dispersive.
06:06Unfortunately, even if it's a reality, it's dispersive.
06:10We're not going to get it.
06:12We've lost all the value of our country.
06:15I hope it won't end this way.
06:18I present my great friend, Professor Frusciante Antonio,
06:22who will accompany us all over the country
06:25because he knows almost better and more than me.
06:28In short, I'll do the best.
06:31I'll tell you everything.
06:35Above all, Antonio knows where it's safe.
06:38He knows the town inside out.
06:41This is where he came out of the church at his wedding.
06:50Right here, once was a village fair.
06:55Antonio shows us the street where he was born.
06:59The earthquake has completely destroyed it.
07:02We have rebuilt the street according to his description.
07:13It's very strange.
07:15In short, the vegetation, as you can see, is reappropriating the spaces.
07:20But as a kid, I played and we were together.
07:30So, the place of meeting was ours.
07:31It's our place.
07:32You lost your place where you had made part of life.
07:43Antonio shows us the old house he used to live in as an adult.
07:46It was so short. We lived one near the other.
07:53Sometimes, we asked the other one to turn the cigarette on,
07:58because he had burned the light.
08:01But he was on the other side.
08:07People lived in extended families.
08:09Until today, the inhabitants mourn over the old Apice
08:13and dream of rebuilding it.
08:18It's also possible,
08:19because when you lose something,
08:22it's clear that in my memory there is an emphasis.
08:26It's contemplated.
08:28But in everything I'm saying,
08:31the 90% is real,
08:35so let's say that
08:38that one of them is a lost paradise.
08:43But not all is lost yet.
08:45This old palazzo is one of the most intact buildings.
08:49It's actually quite safe to enter.
08:56This used to be the old office of the local notary.
08:59The files are just lying around,
09:01and they are in extraordinarily good shape.
09:04After all, they have been rotting here for 36 years.
09:08The apartment next door belongs to a hardware dealer,
09:15Apice's richest inhabitant.
09:17It looks absolutely intact to us.
09:22Downstairs, a bar.
09:23The wine bottles are full.
09:25Maybe someone was just about to open them
09:27when the earthquake started.
09:29Why everything is still here,
09:31Antonio is unable to say.
09:33The cars are a different story.
09:42Antonio reveals to us
09:43that the owners wanted to save the scrap charges
09:45and therefore just left the cars here.
09:52A policeman shows up.
09:54Will we get into trouble for entering the houses?
09:56Legal no-man's land.
09:58Do you speak Italian?
09:59No, yes, yes, Italian.
10:00Ah, okay.
10:01Because...
10:02He's making a documentary.
10:03But after a short conversation,
10:05local police chief Loveson Porcelli
10:08doesn't want to chase us away,
10:09but actually wants to help.
10:11He organizes a ladder.
10:13Now, I'll accompany you for a moment.
10:15I'll do it.
10:18The chief of police wants to show us
10:20the old church and the old cinema.
10:22Both are in this same building.
10:24He used to work in the cinema.
10:26All of the entrances are bricked up
10:28and this is the only way to get in.
10:30Hey, look a little, look a little bit.
10:33Let me look at how these guys are
10:34looking a little bit.
10:35It's not needed to function
10:36I am not very lazy!
10:37Look!
10:38Look a little bit!
10:39Look at what these guys are
10:40that they areaded.
10:41These guys are confused!
10:42These lines of current
10:43do not belong to the electrical
10:54but you are not connected to the electrical
10:56but it's a locked button.
10:57The chair helps us
10:58to enter the building.
11:00as well we have obviously entered the priests bathroom the church of Apiceh
11:15especially interesting for thieves almost everything was stolen apart from a few
11:20statues and the confessional box it was obviously too heavy to carry away
11:29thanks to a wedding photograph from Antonio we know what the inside of the church looked like
11:36but there are also horrible memories Antonio tells us that 500 years ago 50 people fell through
11:50the floor and died during an earthquake later on the cellar also served as a tomb we discover
11:58a human skull and bones this is where generations of former inhabitants lie a spooky place let's go
12:08to the cinema instead it was run by the church that's why it's right next door films were displayed every
12:19weekend after the earthquake people celebrated mass there for a while that's why there is a
12:25provisional altar the reason the floor of the actual church was threatening to collapse
12:31and couldn't carry the weight of many people anymore
12:34chief of police porcelli shows us the tiny projection room where he used to work as a film projectionist this is
13:02where he kissed the woman he would later marry but apart from that people were rather prudish
13:07but even still the chief of police describes his former home using the exact same words as
13:12But even still, the chief of police describes his former home
13:17using the exact same words as everybody else.
13:42Yes, absolutely, it's a paradise for everything.
13:46Maybe there is a ray of hope for the lost paradise.
13:49The mayor shows up unexpectedly.
13:52She wants to give an interview.
14:01Of course, we really focus on the recovery
14:04and reopening the historic center.
14:07We have already recovered the castle,
14:10so we are sure we will start.
14:12Of course, we don't know whether these are false promises,
14:15but we wish the former inhabitants
14:17that their ghost town will soon be a lively place once more.
14:21From Italy, we travel to our next mysterious place,
14:24which lies in Malaysia.
14:28Here, in the jungle of Borneo,
14:30lies a hidden place with a culinary secret,
14:33a secret for which the workers risk their lives.
14:41Is he still alive?
14:43No, no, he's really died.
14:44In these caves, swallow nests are collected.
14:47This yield is a million-dollar industry in Asia.
14:55In Cambodia, there are huge breeding shelters
14:58where the swallows build their nests.
15:00Female workers refine the nests in so-called cleaning shops in Thailand.
15:05From there, they go to China.
15:08The Chinese swear by the health-promoting effects
15:11the swallow nests have,
15:12and sometimes a portion can cost up to 120 euros.
15:16It's a true delicacy.
15:18The secret of this delicacy begins on Borneo,
15:30in the Malaysian part of Borneo to be precise.
15:33The Gomantong caves are situated here in the midst of the jungle.
15:39Many swallows build their nests in the caves of this region.
15:43On top of the mountain are a few huts.
15:48From here, the swallow's nest collectors climb down into the cave.
15:53The whole thing seems a bit improvised,
15:56but for them, it's everyday life.
15:58In Italy, it's the oldest worker.
16:15He is especially nervous when his colleagues descend.
16:19The peacock point is going down.
16:21The peacock point is going down.
16:23Why?
16:24It's because sometimes the ladder is broken,
16:29and then we will be pulled.
16:34Sharif has already lost eight colleagues.
16:40Jahar Mastan was accidentally pulled down from Delhi.
16:44What happened to him?
16:45What happened to him?
16:46It's because he is already careless.
16:49He died in September.
16:53Is he still alive?
16:54No, no, he's already died.
16:57Incredible.
16:58The only safety device is this, a thin rope.
17:04Our cameraman is not allowed to descend.
17:06For that reason, the collectors wear helmet cameras.
17:09The descent into the caves alone takes almost 30 minutes.
17:18There are metal ladders hanging down 80 meters above the ground of the cave.
17:23The bird's nest collectors use them as platforms.
17:26They are very skillful.
17:28That's important, because if a nest falls to the ground, they lose 40 euros.
17:35Roland is the boss of the bird's nest hunters.
17:38He takes us to the lower entrance of the cave.
17:45Roland hired a security team to ensure that the valuable bird's nests are not stolen.
17:54The team guards the cave for 10 days before the next team takes over.
18:01How are you?
18:02I'm going to die.
18:03I'm going to die.
18:04I'm going to die.
18:06There are only 4 people here.
18:08There are only 12 days in the cave.
18:14Four times a year, the men can harvest for eight days.
18:18During this time, the workers sit on ladders at the roof of the cave.
18:24The climbers are the ones who earn most in the cave.
18:27They receive a sort of hazard pay.
18:32They get 1,700 euros for these eight days.
18:36An amount many people in Borneo don't even make in an entire year.
18:41But danger is always lurking around the corner.
18:43Made from bamboo.
18:44It's a light material like this and then spin it like that.
18:52So the bird nest will fall down to the basket.
18:55The workers are very skillful with the self-made giant scraper.
18:59Nest after nest ends up in their baskets.
19:02The workers spend the whole day on the ladders.
19:04To climb up for a break would be too much of a hassle.
19:12But it's not the only way to harvest nests from caves.
19:17We travel to Cambodia.
19:23A breeder has agreed to show us how they produce in vast quantities.
19:27The safeguarded concrete bunker is a swallow nest farm.
19:30Here too, safety comes first.
19:33Son Au Un is the owner and the builder of the farm.
19:43We just want to observe our bird.
19:46That's why we install the video camera inside.
19:49We call it bird house and we build this house because we want to get their nest.
19:54If you want to see, we can take you to go inside.
19:59Son Au Un has just recently put the swallow nest farm into operation.
20:04The entrance door is solid.
20:06Nobody should be able to enter easily.
20:08There's also a water barrier which prevents insects from entering.
20:15It's incredibly loud inside the house.
20:18But there are no birds here.
20:20The house is empty.
20:21The noisy singing comes from loud speakers.
20:23We are playing the sound of the birds because we make them feel like in the house
20:33some birds stay already.
20:35This is the bird's shed.
20:40We put the bird's shed here because we want them to smell.
20:45We want them to believe that some birds stay in this house already.
20:48That's why they have their shed in this house.
20:52The birds are supposed to find ideal conditions to build their nests.
20:57Important, not just little corners because…
21:01This is the corner of the nesting plant.
21:04If you put the corner, the nest will be bigger.
21:06The building and operating of bird houses like these has become a mega business in Cambodia.
21:17Along the coast, whole bird villages have developed.
21:20Swallows prefer to breed in colonies.
21:23The more birds there are in a house, the more birds will be attracted.
21:26In this business, we don't give food to the birds.
21:33They find and then they eat by their own way.
21:37It's not like chicken or cow or duck.
21:42Several thousand birds with their mates are supposed to have space in Son Au Un's new house.
21:47He leads us to the second floor.
21:50So we have to quickly do the record.
21:53And you can turn off the light first.
21:54Mr. Sona is very worried about the well-being of his birds.
22:00In this house, I thought around 3,000 birds.
22:03I cannot count it.
22:05But maybe we can estimate it maybe 3,000.
22:14On this floor alone, he harvests around 6,000 nests.
22:19This is the new nest.
22:20The new nest.
22:21You see it?
22:22The small one.
22:23We just start to make the nest.
22:28The squares in the corners force the birds to build larger nests.
22:33The swallows make their nests from their saliva.
22:37After the breeding season, they leave them behind.
22:39For one nest, it's around 8 dollars to 10 dollars for one nest.
22:54That way, he makes almost 44,000 euros a year.
23:00In a country where the average income lies at under 110 euros a month.
23:05To transport the nests to his customers in China,
23:13Son Ao Un needs a middle man.
23:17People in China like to eat the bird nest.
23:21And when they eat the bird nest, it's young and the skin is very beautiful.
23:27The dealer doesn't just send the nest to China.
23:32There's still some refining to do.
23:34Cleanliness has top priority here.
23:46First, the workers wash the nests.
23:49The bird feathers must under no circumstances end up in the soup.
24:00Afterwards, each single nest is washed by hand.
24:04There is a whole cleaning division at work.
24:07Even the tiniest feather particle is sorted out.
24:09Because only a perfect product is able to realize a decent price in China.
24:24After the cleaning, a worker brings the nests back into shape.
24:29The dissolved nests are turned into so-called cookies.
24:34The cookies are once more checked and dried afterwards.
24:37After a few days, they are ready for delivery.
24:47The speciality is sold in supermarkets.
24:52The swallow nests from the breeding bunkers cost three years.
24:58The swallow nests from the breeding bunkers cost three years.
25:01per gram in the shop.
25:02The nests from the Malaysian cave are more than double the price.
25:12But the harvesting is a lot more dangerous over there.
25:15It takes several men to move the ladders up and down in the cave.
25:28There are many teams gathered together at the same time.
25:31To prevent arguments, the government has set strict rules.
25:34For 100,000 euros a year, you can buy a harvesting license for a particular spot.
25:47Without it, you are not allowed to sell the nests afterwards.
25:50Each year, the cave yields about 400 kilos of birds' nests.
26:02The natural cave produces the best nests.
26:05But there are differences according to size and quality.
26:10One has to be precise about it.
26:12That's why the boss himself takes care of the valuable yield.
26:16First grade, second grade, third grade and fourth grade.
26:26The most valuable nests are black.
26:33They are built by a very rare swallow species.
26:37This is a red one.
26:42This is a red one.
26:44This is a red one.
26:46This is a red one.
26:48This is a red one.
26:51The secret of the cave workers on Borneo.
26:53At the same time, a secret of the Chinese cuisine.
27:00From Malaysia, we travel on to Milan.
27:04We are at a prison in Milan.
27:07The bolate looks quite ordinary.
27:09Fences, high walls, cameras.
27:15We have to pass the sally port.
27:18The gate in front of us only opens once the gate behind us has closed.
27:23Afterwards, the grill clunks shut.
27:28And from now on, this prison is anything but ordinary.
27:32This is the front desk.
27:34We feel as if we are at the reception desk of a hotel.
27:37A senior prison officer hands us the visitors' passes.
27:39They do have a sense of humour, as these posters and the smoking prohibited sign with the tank busters show.
27:49Coloured walls, mural paintings and coloured grills catch our eye.
27:54All of which are designed by the prisoners.
27:56The intention behind it, whoever is kept busy and feels at least somehow at home in this environment, stays peaceful.
28:06Whether this idea actually works is something these two prisoners can tell us.
28:09The 60-fold bank robber Stefano Begni.
28:13Yes, you heard correctly.
28:14He robbed about 60 banks or post offices.
28:17He has spent 27 years behind bars.
28:19The word liberty, in my opinion, is an infinite word.
28:28Only, like many things, you will always appreciate it when you are missing.
28:33Our second interview partner is Franco Agnifili.
28:36He was sentenced because of international drug trafficking.
28:40He was also a member of the Italian Mafia.
28:43That's why his sentence was so severe.
28:45He still has 10 years to go.
28:46I'm paying for my penalty.
28:47Fortunately, this prison is a world open.
28:48It gives you thousands of possibilities.
28:49About 1,100 men are serving their sentences here.
29:07Amongst them, felons, sexual offenders and even serial killers.
29:11Bolate is not for model prisoners.
29:13For prisoners, the programme is for everybody.
29:16The prisoners are not constricted to their cells.
29:18They are allowed to move around freely in designated areas during the day.
29:23The only rule, they have to always carry these papers with them.
29:28That gives us a queasy feeling.
29:34This is our first impression of the worldwide unique occupational and reintegration programme.
29:40The theatre group is rehearsing a new piece.
29:44It's about hostile gangs and about violence, a great problem in every prison worldwide.
29:50Many of these men are imprisoned for life.
29:52Some will never leave.
29:54Frustration and aggression are inevitable.
29:57But thanks to the openness and the many possibilities, violence is not a problem in Bolate.
30:01The prison warden tells us the second reason for this concept.
30:13I have tried, and I can say that I have tried it myself personally in other experiences,
30:19that the detained, closed all day, who does nothing,
30:22comes out of trouble more than before and commits new crimes.
30:26The statistics back him up.
30:29The relapse rate for normal Italian prisoners is at about 60%.
30:37In Bolate, it's not even 18%.
30:41And that saves money.
30:43Because every single detainee costs the taxpayer about 45,000 euros.
30:48In spite of the openness, there are definite rules, of course.
30:55For safety reasons, visitors are not allowed to enter the cells.
30:59We are the first camera team to be allowed to film.
31:03We meet the former drug dealer, Franco, while he's cleaning up his cell.
31:07And we are surprised how homely it looks.
31:10Single cells such as this one, we hear, are only given to prisoners on good behaviour.
31:15But all prisoners are allowed to design their cells in whatever way they want,
31:20even paint them, paying with self-earned money.
31:26I chose this yellow color that gives me the feeling of open, light, a little freedom.
31:33Here I have my computer, which we can always buy from us,
31:39and there is no internet.
31:40The television, the refrigerator, the fridge that is always bought from us,
31:46from our detained.
31:48Here I have my mobile.
31:50There are the pensions, the dishes, the dishes.
31:56And this is the bath.
31:58It's a bath in ceramics and, compared to other prisons, the iron.
32:02And it's a good thing.
32:04And nothing else.
32:06Here is the cell.
32:08Photos of children everywhere.
32:11Franco has a son and a daughter.
32:13And I managed to go to another country.
32:19I was born for 12 years.
32:21And in these 12 years I had my first son in Spain,
32:26who is born in Spain.
32:28And nothing.
32:30If I had taken care of this time,
32:32I would have taken care of.
32:33I would have taken care of.
32:34I would have taken care of.
32:36But at the same time I would not have my children.
32:39Therefore, if I would have taken care of,
32:41I would not know from which part it depends.
32:48The first thing bank robber Stefano does is offer us a self-made espresso.
32:53I would have taken care of.
32:54I would have taken care of.
32:56I would have taken care of.
32:58I would have taken care of.
33:00Then he introduces his fellow prisoner to us.
33:03A black bird called Gino.
33:05He rescued it in the yard when one of its legs was injured.
33:08He built this bird house especially for Gino.
33:09But the bird isn't locked up inside the cage.
33:24I'm already in prison.
33:26I don't want to have an animal in gabbia.
33:29If it's domestic, I have it.
33:31Otherwise, I'll let him go.
33:33Because it doesn't make sense.
33:35Small pets are allowed in Bolarte.
33:38This is something very unique.
33:40It results in a verifiable decrease of aggression and violence behind bars.
33:49Start-up time for the prisoners.
33:51Nursery, workshops, kitchens.
33:54Everyone is busy here.
33:56There's even a sound studio.
33:57The idea behind it, whoever is busy doesn't get into mischief.
34:06We accompany former drug dealer Franco to his workplace.
34:13Which is a call center of an Italian electricity and gas supplier right in the middle of a prison.
34:21We can hardly believe it.
34:23This too is unique in the world.
34:26Twelve prisoners work here with a regular contract for 800 euros a month.
34:32External co-workers check and help as needed.
34:36The prisoners receive about 25,000 calls a month.
34:40It's mostly about bills or reminders.
34:42The callers from outside have no idea they're talking to a prisoner.
34:46The only measure of security, the phones can only be called from outside.
34:59It's impossible to place a call.
35:00And the computers, like in any prison, deny internet access to prevent crimes from being planned or even executed.
35:26Apart from that, no special supervision for the bad boys.
35:30They need less security personnel in Bolate and therefore save money.
35:35Theoretically, every prison could be organized like that.
35:38As our guide, senior prison officer Vito Francini explains.
35:42We don't do anything else.
35:43We don't do anything else than what is written in the penitentiary.
35:53The treatment and re-education.
35:55Obviously, we were the first to do it.
35:57Now, obviously, many other institutions go on the same length.
36:02But we don't do anything different from what is written in the law, in the penitentiary.
36:08During his workout at lunch break, former drug dealer Franco explains to us why it's working out so well.
36:16No, it's just like that.
36:20Here, let's say that you feel a little bit more free.
36:24And you also appreciate it.
36:26Because you don't want to, you don't want to, you don't want to, you don't want to transgress.
36:30At least for me.
36:31We meet bank robber Stefano at his job in the horse stables.
36:37This is not a classy riding stable.
36:39The horses are not ridden.
36:41Many are old, sick, or were mistreated by their former owners and confiscated by the state.
36:48The detainees built the stables by themselves, from recycled material.
36:54Like, for example, this volleyball net.
36:56These prisoners here are training to be grooms, for the time after prison.
37:04Including everything there is to learn.
37:06Grooming, mucking out, cleaning of hooves.
37:09They even practice how to saddle horses, even if they never get to ride them.
37:24I think it's very important to help you.
37:30It can be an economic help, but it doesn't depend on your family.
37:33And then, it gives you an experience for your future.
37:40I think it's the most important job for a detainee.
37:47The instructor, Claudio Villa, also gives courses in which prisoners can learn more about how to handle horses in general.
37:54Here, he demonstrates what to do to make the horse calm down.
37:59A simple occupational therapy.
38:02The prisoners are kept busy, and their day is structured.
38:06The main goal here in Bolate.
38:07The horse doesn't judge us as we are humans.
38:13So, staying with the horse gives us the opportunity to release the filters, the palettes that we humans have.
38:21So, with them, we manifest what we are.
38:24End of work after seven hours, but the day is far from over yet.
38:29Animal lover Stefano tends to the birds and the rabbit on his floor.
38:34If he finds it, that is.
38:36The animals belong to all of the prisoners in this cell block, not just to a single one.
38:41Hello. Are you scared?
38:48Our queasy feeling has vanished.
38:52Even the senior prison officers seem very relaxed.
38:55Absolutely.
38:57Because here, we live in a different life from others.
39:01It's all very safe, both of us and of us.
39:03We feel more safe inside than outside.
39:07We meet Franco again in this storage room.
39:09If the prisoners aren't happy with the food, they're allowed to order in their meals.
39:14Franco is just picking up his weekly order.
39:16He's able to cook for himself in his cell.
39:19The costs are deducted from his wages.
39:22The normal prison food is free of charge.
39:28Today, it's pasta, fish and vegetables.
39:31Doesn't actually look too bad.
39:32The prisoners eat in their cells.
39:35These huge refectories only exist in American prisons and movies.
39:40Discretto.
39:41If someone has no chance to spend money, they can eat.
39:42They can't eat.
39:43In general.
39:45They can't even buy a lot of food.
39:46They can't eat.
39:48They can't even buy a lot of food.
39:49Let's say that someone who doesn't have the opportunity to pay their bills can eat well.
39:54Maybe they can recycle it a little bit.
39:56Some people can recycle it, but all of them can be eatable.
40:00With respect to certain institutions, eating is impossible.
40:08Then everything calms down. Time to think things over.
40:12Stefano often thinks of his two grown-up sons.
40:19Let's say that I've done more prison than freedom.
40:23I've spent 27 years in Patrigalere.
40:27I've taken over 54 years now.
40:31Unfortunately, more I'm going on with the age,
40:34more I'm aware of what I've lost.
40:36The family effects, the freedom in itself,
40:39which doesn't have a price, according to me.
40:42Ex-drug dealer Franco wants to show us a video
40:45of the christening of his seven-year-old daughter.
40:48He wasn't allowed to go on a supervised trip, something that's only rarely permitted.
40:53Looking at the images, Franco is unable to hide his emotions.
40:58I'd like to be here.
40:59I don't know.
41:00I don't know.
41:01I don't know.
41:02I don't know.
41:03I don't know.
41:04I don't know.
41:05I don't know.
41:06Soon the cells will be locked up for 12 hours overnight.
41:07Not everything is different to ordinary prisons.
41:09But on the whole, we have the feeling the concept in this prison actually works.
41:22From Milan, we go on to Alaska.
41:37Alaska.
41:38Endless wilderness, virgin nature, high mountains.
41:44The 49th federal state is the largest, iciest and emptiest state of the USA.
41:54And it's here we find a truly mysterious place.
42:02This tower consists of houses built on top of each other.
42:06It goes up 50 meters into the sky.
42:09An extraordinary sight.
42:10That's why our reporter Nora takes a closer look.
42:13Wow.
42:19The tower is notorious.
42:21The architect is said to have died many years ago.
42:24He allegedly built the tower to have the perfect view of Alaska's highest mountain.
42:29The media calls the tower Dr. Seuss House, named after the author of How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
42:40Just rumours, because we actually found him.
42:45The builder of the tower.
42:48After long investigations, we came across the name Philip Weidner.
42:53How are you?
42:56Fine, how are you?
42:58So you must be Philip.
42:59I am.
43:00I'm Nora.
43:01Pleasure to meet you.
43:02Hi.
43:03Nice gloves.
43:04The other beaver.
43:05Okay, so you are alive.
43:07I am alive, yeah.
43:09Well, this morning I woke up.
43:11Yeah.
43:12Nice to hear.
43:13Still breathing.
43:15Philip Weidner has been living in Alaska for 30 years.
43:19He is a lawyer, but also a civil engineer.
43:22And he built this house.
43:26So what is the idea behind this tower?
43:28Why did you build this?
43:30Because I could.
43:32And I wanted to.
43:34But the first idea was to build a house?
43:36Just a normal house?
43:37Just a log, a log house.
43:38Yeah.
43:39Yeah.
43:40Yeah.
43:41Philip doesn't need a permit for the building.
43:44By the way, he simply calls his masterpiece, Tower.
43:54I think you heard of the name Dr. Seuss House.
43:56Right.
43:57What's the story behind this name?
43:59I don't like that.
44:00Why?
44:01What?
44:02Well, people call it that, but I...
44:03And you're not the Grinch.
44:04No, I'm not the Grinch.
44:05Well, maybe some people might think I am, but no.
44:11We are allowed to enter the tower.
44:13It's not very safe, though.
44:15That's why the climber Brett comes along.
44:18Philip only accompanies us halfway up.
44:20From then on, you have to climb up ladders, which he is unable to.
44:29Okay.
44:39Wow.
44:40At first sight, we realized this is not just randomly hammered together.
44:47The original block house is solid.
44:49A hole 150 square meters large.
44:52Many locals helped Philip to build this.
44:55Each additional house was a new challenge.
45:08With every additional floor, the weight, which the underlying houses have to carry, increased.
45:15So we stuck on top of this house.
45:22It weighed 14,000 pounds.
45:26And we picked it up with a crane at midnight.
45:28It was 30 below zero.
45:30And we dropped that 14,000 pounds of platform on top of those eight pillars.
45:36Yeah.
45:37They had iron caps.
45:38We figured it all out and we just dropped it in.
45:41Philip and his friends worked on the tower for three summers and a winter.
45:47There's still a lot to do.
45:52But this is all going to be glass.
45:54And this is going to be glass, kind of like a greenhouse.
45:57What do you want to continue to build this?
46:00Am I going to?
46:01Yeah.
46:02Oh, of course.
46:03When?
46:04Well, when I get some more money.
46:06So was it expensive to build this whole thing?
46:09Yeah.
46:10Yeah.
46:13How much the costs were exactly, Philip doesn't remember.
46:17He wants to build a large bathroom and a bedroom in the upper floor of the original house.
46:24Eight massive wooden pillars carry the main load.
46:27The tower has shrunk 30 centimeters due to the continuously heavier weight.
46:32In order to prevent further shrinking, Philip has to add pillars.
46:36We put a jack in there.
46:37That's one of our...
46:38So otherwise it would come down.
46:39Well, it's just that helps...
46:40That helps carry everything.
46:41Okay.
46:42The pressure point.
46:43A total of 25 tons of steel were used to support the beams.
46:56It doesn't inspire much confidence, but it seems to work.
46:59The tower has even endured a 7.2 earthquake.
47:03Even if the legend that Philip built the tower for its view is not correct, the higher we get, the more breathtaking the view from the window is.
47:20And originally, I was just going to do this.
47:30Yeah.
47:31One house on top of a house.
47:32And then we got this one up and we started looking at it and we thought, well, we can put another one.
47:36So you're kind of addicted in building houses.
47:37Yeah.
47:38Well, yeah, I guess it just was fun.
47:39Philip owns a total of five houses, which he designed himself.
47:52The tower definitely is the most unusual and largest of all.
47:56Of course, he doesn't need all of the space just for himself.
47:59I've got a family and everybody and we're all going to share it.
48:04Yeah.
48:05Yeah.
48:06Well, I can come around.
48:07Sure.
48:08You're welcome.
48:09When there's a lift.
48:10Yeah.
48:11You're welcome.
48:12Yeah.
48:13He wants to share the house with two children and four grandchildren.
48:19With that many houses, it's no wonder our reporter loses track, but not just her.
48:25So this is the third house.
48:28Well, let me think.
48:33Wow.
48:34It's quite deep.
48:35See, it's hard to tell.
48:36But there's little side places too.
48:38That's why people ask how many stories.
48:40I can't tell.
48:41I don't know how many stories there are.
48:46Halfway up the tower, there are still no stairs, only ladders.
48:50Because he injured his leg, the owner can't climb any further.
48:54We hand Philip a camera and a walkie-talkie.
48:57From now on, Brett, who also helped building, is accompanying us.
49:03Philip, can you hear me?
49:05Yes, I can.
49:06Okay.
49:07The view is so nice.
49:08I like it very much.
49:09It just gets better and better.
49:10I don't know if you're going to be able to get to the top, but the top is pretty stunning.
49:19We think so too, so let's go up.
49:21But climbing keeps getting more difficult, because there's hardly any space left.
49:26But that doesn't keep Philip from having big plans for the upper floors too.
49:33So the upper floors are just for the view?
49:36No, they're also going to be livable too.
49:38And some of those upper floors, there's going to be places with platforms, with beds and things,
49:45so people can sleep up there.
49:46And then most of those upper floors have 360 degree decks on them.
49:53And then, finally, the last ladder.
50:14It's almost 50 meters above the ground.
50:16The perfect view.
50:18Today, we can't go up to the very top floor, the church spire, because it's too icy.
50:25On the top, there's another building.
50:27What are the plans for this one?
50:29I'm going to put a plastic bubble.
50:32So you can set up there and look at the northern lines.
50:37The plastic bubble is supposed to go up there, where the rod is.
50:41Philip wants to install a radio station in the church spire itself.
50:47So there are a lot of names.
50:49What is this?
50:51We have Joey, a girl named Storm, Jesus was apparently here.
50:56Oh, great.
50:58But these are all the kids who have gone up here and wanted to show something that they've been here.
51:04But they aren't allowed to go there.
51:06No one's allowed up here.
51:07Okay.
51:08This is invite only.
51:12Of course, everybody wants to come up here.
51:18It's a lot of work to do.
51:20Yeah.
51:21Yeah.
51:22What do you think?
51:23How long does it take to finish this house?
51:26Well, the basic structure is done.
51:29Now I just got to get the decks down to get the windows in.
51:32Yeah.
51:33Yeah.
51:34But that's, you know, if I really got on it, I could do it in a year.
51:38Philip Weidner, a man with dreams.
51:41And one thing is certain, by building this house, he himself has become immortal.
51:47So, Phil, thank you very much for having me.
51:49It was a pleasure.
51:50It's really a privilege to meet you.
51:52Yeah.
51:53And good luck.
51:54That was the story behind this mysterious house, on top of a house, on top of a house, on top of a house.