-Property-hunting Brits have been snapping up dream homes abroad for years.

-Oh, wow.

-But some won't settle for just a room with a view.

-This is not a house.

It's 50 rooms.

It's spanning 1,200 years.

-Their hearts are set on saving the ghost villages of Europe.

-It's massively important, and it makes me feel proud and nervous to do the right thing.

-In this series, we catch up with the British guardian angels moving heaven and earth... -Yay!

-...to save abandoned hamlets, borgo, and quinta across the continent.

-I don't know the number, and I don't speak Spanish.

-We meet some brand-new owners, too... -Oh, dear.

The last year has probably cost me over £200,000.

-...uncovering ancient mysteries and holding history in their hands.

-What is that?

-I don't know.

-Will they be flying high... -Whoo!

Cheers!

Yay!

-We've got windows!

-Yeah.

-...or falling flat?

-Whoa!

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!

-Hold on, yeah?

Hold on.

-Whew!

-Ooh!

-[ Chuckles nervously ] -Our village saviours are throwing themselves in at the deep end, as they restore the past to build their future.

-We bought a village.

-We bought a village.

-We bought a village.

-And we're still buying villages.

♪♪ -On today's show... -The excitement never dwindles.

-No.

-Does it?

-...two village owners in France tackle a much-loved old building.

But will it be too late?

-The barn is just falling, about to fall down.

And we still are against the clock on this, aren't we?

-In Italy, a Scottish family restoring their ancestors' birthplace comes across some unusual features.

-This hole that we've left up here was actually a spy hole.

-They used to put their shotguns out there and shoot anybody at the door that was trying to break in.

-And also in Italy... -And this will be our main bedroom.

-...lack of workforce causes delays at this quirky hamlet.

-We kind of, like, had a bit of an argument on the phone, and... -They only worked one week.

-And you kind of think, "Oh, well, it can't be that bad," but it is.

-And it is.

[ Both laugh ] ♪♪ -Normandy is France's agricultural heartland.

Two thirds of this region are used for farming, an activity which left its mark everywhere on this territory.

Little farming hamlets are dotted all over this region, and 100 miles south of Rouen stands La Buslière, a centuries-old settlement where residents would have lived a completely self-sustaining lifestyle until well into the 1970's.

[ Chickens clucking ] Since mechanization took over the farming, however, this hamlet has lain abandoned and forlorn.

It would have crumbled into oblivion if it wasn't for Englishmen Paul and Yip, who bought the whole village two years ago and have been trying their best to bring it back to life.

-This whole situation is still very big for us, 'cause we've got a very clear vision... -Yeah.

-...of how we would like this place to look.

-Yeah.

-And so... -The excitement never dwindles.

-No.

-Does it?

-In 2020, these two landscape gardeners bought the whole village for the price of a family hatchback.

They live in the only habitable cottage and are slowly trying to restore the rest of the crumbling buildings to create holiday lets.

But La Buslière is much more than a business for these first-time homeowners.

[ Birds chirping ] -There's a lot of emotion gone into all of this, you know, massively.

-You know, we might be short on finances to just press on as quickly as we might want to, but we're not short on investing emotion and our hearts into this place.

-Definitely.

-We feel... there's something special about it.

-Yeah, massively.

-And we feel very lucky to be part of, hopefully, this place, this place's history, you know, in the decades... -To come.

-It's autumn 2022.

The old bakery at the edge of the village has been the boys' biggest concern lately.

Its roof is close to collapse, and with winter on the doorstep, it's time for an emergency intervention.

-We're gonna start dismantling the chimney... -Yeah.

-..and get rid of all this ivy and all the stuff that's growing into it.

So we're gonna take it down and then rebuild the chimney and then take the roof off.

-Paul and Yip are desperate to save the history of their village, and the bakery is a vital part of that.

But despite already taking on plenty of jobs, this is by far the most dangerous.

-So we're gonna take it down a bit by bit and cut each bit of the ivy as we go, so we're not pulling at it and dislodging everything.

That's the plan.

It's a fair, old job.

-And it's not long before they encounter a weighty problem.

-For some reason, there's a huge stone just here when it would make complete sense -- if you look at all the other buildings that have got stone chimneys, they start with the bigger ones at the bottom, and they work up to smaller ones, which makes sense, that the higher you get, the smaller the stones you're carrying up.

-With the ivy cut away, the big stone is released.

-Wait, hang on, hang on, hang on, hang on.

-Hey?

-Yeah.

I haven't got that.

Hang on.

-I've got -- You got that?

-Yeah.

-Sure?

Careful behind you.

-Yeah.

-That's a fair big stone to be having right up here, isn't it?

We won't be doing that again.

-That's mad, that is.

That's quite heavy, that stone.

-Well, it's granite, pure granite.

-With the obstacle removed... -Oh, these are amazing.

This is gonna go back so nicely.

-Yeah.

It will.

-...Paul and Yip steadily remove several layers of stone, which were part of the old chimney.

-All right, we've got that?

-Yeah.

-Sure?

-Yes.

-And just two hours later, they successfully and safely remove most of the crumbling chimney.

-So we've got about ten more stones we want to take off of that, to expose that beam, and then that is probably us for today, I reckon.

-Work is not over yet, but for Paul and Yip, it's another small step in the right direction to save La Buslière's crumbling buildings.

-And we still are against the clock on this, aren't we?

-Definitely.

-You know, it's all ticking away, and you know, the barn is just falling -- about to fall down, so we're gonna do our best.

-Definitely, yeah.

-And it's nice to feel that we're gonna be part of giving it a new lease of life, which is really important to us.

-Yeah.

Yeah.

[ Waves crashing ] ♪♪ -The beautiful region of Puglia in Southern Italy has been under more than ten different dominations since the end of the Roman Empire.

from the Ostrogoths to the Spanish realm, every new ruler introduced heavy property taxes here, to the disappointment of the local population.

So the locals came up with an ingenious solution.

They invented trullis, simple dry stone dwellings with conical roofs, which could be quickly smashed down if a tax-inspector visit was announced.

Entire villages made of trulli were built throughout history, and 50,000 of these ancient buildings still survive.

100 kilometers south of Bari stands a historical trulli settlement called Cotogni.

This complex, made of three trullis, a lamia, or barn, and a large central building, was the hub of a busy farming community that lived off the land.

♪♪ -Originally, they start to build those in about 1700.

And each one is different.

-They were meant to be easily taken down, but sort of, like, 300, 400 years later, they're still standing.

-After running a restaurant in Lincoln for the last 18 years, Tracey and her Italian husband, Ivano, fell in love with this cluster of buildings and bought them all.

Over the next 12 months, they want to restore this old hamlet and transform it into a holiday village.

-We bought the property for 180,000 Euro, and we have a renovation budget of 240,000 Euros, and that's pretty much all we've got.

-And then we need to live for a year.

-And we need to live for a year.

-For a year.

That's the other -- the other problem, but we'll -- we'll solve that as we come.

-It's January 2023, and to kick off the renovations, Ivano and Tracey have drilled a well in the middle of the village.

Old residents of Cotogni would have carried water from the nearest river three miles away on the back of a mule.

But to be a profitable complex, it needs modernizing.

-It's all ready.

You can see also the cable there.

So everything is here.

It just needs to be connected by a plumber and electrician to the main tank of where the water will be stored, then will be pushed obviously to the whole buildings.

-With access to water secured, the next job for these rookie village owners is to oversee the renovations of the buildings.

All the villages containing trullis in Puglia are protected by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites, so renovations can only be undertaken by specialized builders to preserve their historical relevance.

-There's no way that we could do the trullis' renovating.

You need a special builder, which is called a trullaro.

They make sure that everything is sort of... -Did properly.

-...is done properly.

-Yeah, all the stones are placed in a way and -- because they're all dry, so they need to be placed in a way so it doesn't fall down, basically.

-The couple has hired a specialist trullaro to restore both the trullis and their own house.

This is the most recent building on site, and it was used to store the olives harvested from the fields, and Ivano and Tracey are turning it into a two-bedroom house.

-So the floor was poured on Monday.

-Monday.

-It needs a few days to dry, and then they'll clean it, wash it, and do the protection on it.

-Yeah.

-Into the -- into the bathroom.

It's got a lovely view, the bathroom as well, actually.

In the morning, the sunrise is that way, and it sets on this side.

So you go -- the sun, the light all day.

-And this will be our main bedroom through here, which we've kept the original stone on this wall.

Obviously, Ivano is quite tall, so he'll be able to... -Yeah, I can reach.

I can reach the window.

-He'll be able to open the windows.

-I can reach the window.

-The couple may have grand plans for their future house, but getting hold of their contractors hasn't been easy.

With so many trullis in the region and so few specialist builders, in the last few weeks, they've only visited twice, so work is lagging behind.

-We kind of, like, had a bit of an argument on the phone, and... -They only worked one week, and then... -It's just -- I mean, everybody kind of said before we came out to Italy, you know, "Everything is so much slower."

-Yeah.

-"Everything's kind of like different pace."

-And you kind of think, "Oh, well, it can't be that bad," but it is.

-And it is.

[ Both laugh ] -It's a frustrating time for Ivano and Tracey, as their hands are tied and they can't do any building work, but to guarantee its survival, the village will soon have to start paying for itself.

So can they be open for the lucrative summer season?

♪♪ Coming up... there's a big booking at this reborn village in Italy... -With people from Canada, the States -- the East and West Coasts and central -- and also Mexico.

-...and high expectations from their customers.

-We both really want to expand this concept, so I think it's really important that it -- that it goes well.

-And in France... -All the ivy has climbed up the outside of the building, and it's just penetrated the wall.

-...there are unexpected problems for Paul and Yip as they battle to save their crumbling bakery.

-And I want to get this down before it sort of collapses.

This is great, this is, getting this done.

♪♪ -In the late 1800's, the rural villages of Italy were the very model of sustainability.

Often perched on hilltops to guard from invaders, their residents would grow their own food, make their own wine, and live a life based on mutual help and neighborly care.

Nestled in the beautiful Valle di Comino between Rome and Naples, the village of I Ciacca had a population of about 70, which began to dwindle in the early 1900's when many residents emigrated to England and Scotland, looking for fortune.

-This is the Edinburgh Italian tug-of-war team in 1928.

There's my grandfather, his brother.

-Cesidio di Ciacca is a Scottish lawyer.

His own ancestors left I Ciacca to set up a new life in the UK, and he grew up near Edinburgh, living above the small restaurant they set up.

-We made ice cream, and we made crisps -- Di Ciacca's potato crisps.

I remember packing these bags and putting a little blue sack of salt with them.

-Despite growing up in the UK, Cesidio was captivated by the magic of the village where his ancestors lived and visited I Ciacca numerous times as he grew up.

-This is me, 1975, the third time I came here.

-And during his lifetime, as his Italian relatives passed away, Cesidio witnessed this village slowly declining until it became completely empty in the 1970's.

It would have crumbled into oblivion if this Scottish son of Italian immigrants didn't dedicate his life to save I Ciacca from disappearing.

♪♪ Thanks to Cesidio and wife, Selina, I Ciacca has been saved from ruin for generations to come.

-This was the doorway to my -- my auntie's house.

This hole that we've left up here was actually a spy hole, and -- and therefore, people looked out of here to see who was at the front door.

-And local folk tales say that they used to put their shotguns out there and shoot anybody at the door that was trying to break in.

[ Laughs ] -It's October 2022, and instead of shooting down strangers, these days, the couple's priority is to attract visitors to I Ciacca.

There's still work to do, and the village costs a lot of money to run, so it needs to bring in an income.

Cesidio has a vineyard and olive grove, and wants to use the village and its produce to organize events and attract tourists who are looking for a slice of rural Italy.

And today they have a very big booking.

-With people from Canada, the States -- north and the East and West Coasts and central -- and also Mexico.

-This large group belongs to an organization called Secret Suppers.

Two days ago, its 18 members were collected from all over America and whisked away to Cesidio's diffused hotel in nearby Picinisco for a surprise weekend of food tasting and sightseeing, most of which will take place at the reborn village of I Ciacca.

Organizers of the trip Jacob and Danielle have been planning the trip for the last nine months, hoping to wow their customers.

-We knew there was a traveling audience of people that really wanted to explore food and drink and culture and learn more about these areas.

-We both really want to expand this concept, so I think it's really important that it -- that it goes well.

-The trips to I Ciacca cost every participant around 1,500 Euros, so it's important that Cesidio can impress.

To kick off the weekend, he takes them on a tour of the reborn village.

-So when we -- when we started to look at this, this has been completely and utterly abandoned.

Don't ask me why, but eventually I persuaded my family that the right thing to do was to try and put it together again.

-After Cesidio has explained the history of I Ciacca, old and new, the guests are left to roam its ancient alleyways, while Cesidio, his son, Giovanni, and Chef Matteo prepare lunch, using the food that was consumed here for generations.

-These are prosciutto.

It's the traditional pig from here, and I'm doing it because my mother said to me that when she was on honeymoon, she remembered the cellars being full of prosciutto.

And when I researched it, I found out the prosciutto they used was black pig.

-In centuries gone by, all the residents would have gathered around one big table in this very spot overlooking the houses to celebrate religious festivals and special occasions.

Together with the local ham, Cesidio is serving pecorino cheese made in the neighboring village.

It's a simple lunch that local villagers would have had for centuries while working in the fields.

And to go with it, Cesidio has chosen the Maturano wine produced on the slopes underneath the village.

-All we've done is allow this grape to speak for itself and the land to speak for itself.

If that persuades people to come and visit, fabulous.

If it persuades enough people to come and visit that it gives jobs to young people, even better, because it means it's easier for my children and my children's children to remain here.

-At the end of the meal, these guests are truly bowled over.

-It's very nice to see.

And he's making some beautiful wine.

-I just think that he has such a way with people that just brings you into the whole dynamics of what he's -- what his family built, you know, and then he's just changing and making it better.

-As the day comes to an end, the visit seems to be going well, but with more events planned for tomorrow, can Cesidio and his family keep wowing these guests with the magic of their lost village?

-[ Speaking indistinctly ] -Saving Europe's lost villages takes time.

And back at La Buslière, it's 18 months to the day that Paul and Yip took over their village.

And even though it sometimes feels small steps forward, Paul and Yip are beginning to see big changes.

-Well, I'd completely forgotten what it had looked like -- just completely wild, so it's kind of nice to see how it was.

-Yeah.

-It's something that keeps us buoyant for this project, doesn't it?

-That's it, above water.

-Yeah.

We'll make a difference, won't we?

-Yeah.

-Sooner or later.

-[ Chuckles ] -But there's little chance for Paul and Yip to get complacent.

As winter sets in, the absolute priority for the boys is to save their ramshackle bakery.

After clearing the building and removing the chimney, today they're concentrating on the back wall, which is leaning dangerously.

They built scaffolding to work alongside it, but with subzero temperatures, the boards have become slippery overnight.

-We're gonna get some hot water in the watering can, and we're gonna melt the frost and make it safe.

Fingers crossed.

-Making the scaffolding safe, it's time to inspect the wall from up top.

-There's a gap here between the two walls, so they've basically split apart.

-All the ivy has climbed up the outside of the building, and it's just penetrated the wall.

So the wall has fallen this way.

-Yeah.

So it's good that we're catching it at this stage.

So we're gonna prop it up from the inside because it's all quite precarious.

And I want to get this down before it sort of collapses.

-Paul and Yip now need to demolish the bulging wall stone by stone to then rebuild it.

But there's a real risk that the whole building will collapse in the process.

So they've decided to prop up its ancient, heavy roof.

-Keep the pin on it.

That's it.

Yeah, that's it.

-Yeah, we're trying to find an acrow that's long enough.

-But there's a problem.

-The acrow isn't tall enough.

I'd say we're about two and a half, three foot short.

We've got a load of these blocks, which is good building blocks, so we'll just make a little platform, won't we, Paul?

-Yeah.

[ Creaking ] -Platform built.

But the boys are still a little short of the mark.

-It's a hair's breadth away, isn't it?

-It is.

We're gonna have to get a couple more blocks, so I'm gonna go and get those.

-Well done.

-And then we should be there.

-I'll stay here and hold fort.

-Yes, you hold the fort.

-Luckily, that seems to do the trick.

-All right, that's it.

That'll do.

Fine.

Bingo.

-Whew!

-And now I'll go back up and dismantle the last bit, knowing that the roof's not gonna collapse.

Famous last words.

-With the roof propped up, Paul and Yip can start to slowly demolish the damaged wall.

-Look out, cats.

-That'd be awful, wouldn't it?

This is great, this is, getting this done.

-And three hours later, they've removed enough of the damaged wall to allow for safe rebuilding.

-Pleased?

-I am pleased, yeah.

-It's something to build on, isn't it?

-We can just start building up, tying it all in.

There's loads to do yet, but basically, that's -- that's where we're at.

-Renovating Europe's lost villages can be an incredibly slow process, but patience is vital.

Days like today ensure the history and heritage of our continent won't be lost forever.

-The amount of time and work that went into constructing these walls... -Yeah.

-...you know, so you can't just give up on the building.

-No, no, no.

-Coming up... -Oh, it's warm.

Ah!

Just laid.

-There are many exciting new arrivals for Ivano and Tracey.

-We've got builders.

Hooray.

-And a big night at I Ciacca... -Everybody thought somebody else was bringing the bottle openers, Giovanni.

Who's brought the bottle openers?

-...provides food for thought for owner Cesidio.

-The quality of food is good.

We need to get theater into this, and we weren't well enough prepared with it.

♪♪ -Back at the hamlet of Cotogni in Southern Italy, it's January 2023, and finally, the specialist trulli builders have arrived on site.

Their first job is to turn this old storage facility into Ivano and Tracey's new home.

-We've got builders.

Hooray.

Thankfully.

-This morning we have builders, yeah.

-This morning, we've got builders.

So hopefully they are installing all the fans, a hot and cold pump, all the vents throughout each room.

-And then they'll put the ceiling up.

-Yeah, and then they're gonna put the ceiling up.

They'll do this room ready for us for next Friday when they install the kitchen, and then Saturday we have the sofa delivered.

-It'll just feel like night and day, won't it?

-It'll be like heaven.

[ Laughs ] -The next steps in the house are fitting the kitchen and the bathroom and connecting water and electricity, and that's likely to take at least another two weeks.

While they wait, though, Ivano and Tracey are getting to work with the grounds.

-Oh, look at the rosemary.

Oh, amazing.

Oh, isn't that beautiful?

I love rosemary.

Rosemary is one of my favorite herbs, really.

-The couple has been busy reclaiming the unloved grounds and turning these 8,000 square meters behind their house into a productive field once again.

-We got -- We planted about 75 plants of -- between broccoli, romanesco, cauliflower.

And now it's -- some of them are ready to be harvested.

-Since Ivano is a chef, when the trullis are finally renovated and their holiday village is ready to welcome guests, he intends to offer food that's come directly from the land, so it's important to tend to their vegetable field now.

-See, that's the romanesco.

Look at that.

Look at that -- homegrown.

We're gonna plant much, much more.

We got the onion to plant now, the carrots.

We want to be as self-sufficient and as -- as possible, you know, even for our guests.

-There are close to five acres here, so tending to their land is a big task for Ivano and Tracey, and as well as vegetables and olive trees, the couple have taken in five chickens, which they keep in this rickety, old coop they found on the site.

-Ooh, oh, yes.

Yes, there is eggs.

-Oh, yeah.

Ha!

Look at that.

Oh, it's warm.

Ah!

Just laid.

Hopefully, we'll have some more, and now we need to build an outside pen so they can come out.

-Things across the hamlet are moving in the right direction, and it's been a positive start to the new year.

-In about a half an hour, hopefully we'll have another egg.

In half an hour, we'll have another white egg.

Amazing.

-Ivano and Tracey don't have unlimited funds though, and need to open for guests by the summer.

Their hands are tied as they can't do building work, so will they be able to stick to their ambitious schedule?

[ Birds chirping ] ♪♪ 250 miles west of Cotogni at the reborn village of I Ciacca, owner Cesidio is hosting a big group of American tourists who've traveled all the way here to discover the traditions and gastronomy of this ancient settlement.

-So you can just smell a bit of the fermentation at the moment and the... -After a day spent tasting the food produced at I Ciacca, today, these visitors will get stuck into the production process, starting off with a visit to the cellar, where Cesidio's wine is maturing.

-Smelling this, so it's gonna have kind of a yeasty smell?

How, like, from year to year, how do you smell the different yeast?

-So we're very fortunate -- back to Cindy, we've got land that we know has never had pesticides or chemicals used on it, because it was abandoned for 60 years.

We don't add yeast or anything else, so we're completely dependent on the air that's here.

-After tasting this year's wine, Cesidio's wife, Selina, and Chef Matteo have organized a master class in pasta making.

This is a ritual that would have taken place every single day in the kitchens of this village, using flour and eggs produced in the fields that surround it.

-One group has made tagliatelle.

Another group has made ravioli with local cheeses, and the third group is making something which in other parts of Italy is called frappe or chiacchiere, which is simply fried ribbons of dough.

-Wow!

[ Indistinct conversations ] -Mm!

[ Speaking indistinctly ] -It's okay.

-It's normal.

It's normal.

-Okay.

It's normal.

-This is normal.

You're okay.

Keep going, keep going, keep going.

-The pasta making has been a hit, and by the afternoon, the group has worked up quite an appetite.

So Cesidio has organized a final dinner event in a magical location -- an ancient olive grove where the guests will feast surrounded by nature.

-This is an olive grove which was abandoned.

We've planted 400 new trees here, having to protect them because deer eat them, because in this -- this place here we have deer, lots and lots and lots of deer, some bears, who visit regularly, brown bears, but they're vegetarian, so you needn't worry about it.

-The menu tonight is deliberately rustic -- home-baked bread, sausages, and beans, all sourced locally and cooked in the olive oil coming from the very trees they're sitting under.

But while the food prep is going well, there's a small problem with the wine.

-Everybody thought somebody else was bringing the bottle openers, Giovanni.

Who's brought the bottle openers?

-It's down to Cesidio to race back to the cantina to fetch the corkscrew, and the party can finally get started.

[ Both speaking Italian ] -We'll start at this end.

♪♪ These dishes are dishes which, for centuries here people have used to go for pilgrimages in the mountains, to go to work in the fields, and we're really proud of them.

Thank you, Matteo.

-Thank you.

-Yes, cheers.

-As they tuck into their secret supper, It's like stepping back in time for these guests, thanks to the Cesidio and Selina have been committed to staying true to the village roots.

-I mean, the sunset right now, it's like it -- it looks like a picture.

It looks like this is all a backdrop, and we're not really here, but we are.

-It feels like a postcard.

Yeah, for sure.

-I'm surprised that not as many people have heard about this place as they may have.

And I imagine that this place will only get more popular over the next few years.

-The only person not completely satisfied is Cesidio himself.

Despite the success, at the end of the two-day booking, he can still see ways to improve.

-For me, the quality of food is good, the location's good.

We need to get theater into this, and we weren't well enough prepared with it.

We need more help.

We need more staff.

We need more people running around to get it right.

-The organizers of the tour, Jacob and Danielle, don't share any of Cesidio's misgivings, though.

-We just wanted to say thank you for being here with us tonight.

This is beyond special.

I mean, the ability to have this kind of high-quality food in this setting is so amazing, so we really can't thank Cesidio and everyone else enough for being able to enable this.

-So cheers, and walk safely back.

-Salut.

Secret supper!

-Cheers!

-With a table full of happy diners, it's mission accomplished for Cesidio and his family, but there's still work to do as this remarkable family venture looks to perfect its offering so their reborn village can carry on thriving.

♪♪ -Coming up... -The van is here.

The kitchen.

Oh!

Now it all goes wrong, and it doesn't fit.

[ Laughs ] -...more exciting new arrivals at Cotogni.

-It doesn't fit.

The -- The tiles are thick.

Huh.

-And as Yip and Paul climb to new, dizzy heights... -I'm the clumsiest person alive, but... -So anything could happen today.

-[ Chuckles ] -How will they manage with their roof work?

-I killed my husband then.

It's the last thing I want to do.

♪♪ -In Normandy La Buslière, Paul and Yip are still busy trying to save their village's cherished bakery.

Though they demolished the wobbliest parts of the outer walls, its precious stone-built oven is still at risk from being hit by falling roof tiles, so today they plan to remove them all.

-Yeah, we're gonna hook over a roof ladder, and I'm gonna carefully get up there and start...

Throwing them down.

-...throwing the tiles down.

I'm the clumsiest person alive, but... -So anything could happen today.

-[ Chuckles ] You hold these ladders for me.

-Nature has taken over the village since it was abandoned.

And Paul and Yip's battle is to bring it back to life.

The bakery roof has been leaking generously, so there's no telling how solid the structure is at this point.

-Mind you, I can put weight on there.

-You should be able to, yeah.

-There we go.

-You're away, aren't you?

-Oh, I'm well away now.

-You'll hear a sudden crash in a minute, and the whole roof will be on the floor.

It will be perfect.

-It's looking very decrepit up here.

It's all, you know -- There -- There is no saving this roof.

-It's -- It's had its day.

-No.

-As Yip removes the tiles, at least the boys can stop worrying about them collapsing on top of the old oven.

Though at the moment, there's a risk of them falling on top of the village's other residents.

-Oh, mind out, Marla.

I don't want to kill a cat.

-Yip's aim won't win him any awards today, so Paul has come up with an ingenious solution.

-Brought the dumper because it's bigger than the wheelbarrow.

-[ Laughs ] -[ Laughs ] So it will be very useful to collect all the tiles in.

-Hang on.

-You're moving it.

-Be careful.

-Sorry, poppet.

-I killed my husband then.

It's the last thing I want to do.

I don't want you to hurt yourself.

I'd rather be the one that's hurt.

If you're hurt, I will have to look after you, and you're the better one to look after people.

I'm a bit selfish.

-Right, come on, crack on.

-Paul has decided to have a go at the west side of the roof himself, so that Yip can get some rest.

-Paul hates getting further than two rungs up a ladder, so it's all bravado that he's saying, "I'm fine."

[ Both laugh ] -Right, you ready?

-Yeah.

-We've got to hope I can get my leg up high enough now.

-[ Laughs ] -Oh, God.

-Oh, God.

You be careful up there.

-But despite his fear of heights, Paul makes a quick job of stripping down the ancient tiles, and just an hour later, the end is in sight.

-That's better, isn't it?

-Much better.

-Lovely.

-Ah!

Thank God for that.

We're really on the last strokes now, aren't we?

-And just before the sun sets, it's job done.

-It's been an amazing day today.

-Very productive.

-Mm, very productive.

-Especially as we didn't really think that we would get all of that stripped today, did we?

-No.

-There may be no more danger of tiles falling and ruining the ancient oven, but Paul and Yip's worries aren't over yet.

-Actually, doing what we've done now has left it more vulnerable than it was.

-So it adds a bit of a time crunch as well.

-So, yeah, that's it, so -- and we're already plate spinning, so we've just got another plate.

But no, well done.

It's a good day.

-Yeah.

-Good day's work.

♪♪ -Back at Tracey and Ivano's, their little trulli hamlet named Cotogni is about to take a big step forward.

-The van is here.

The kitchen.

Oh!

Now it all goes wrong, and it doesn't fit.

[ Laughs ] -Work to turn the trullis into a B&B can only start once their own house is ready, and they'd hoped to be in over a month ago.

And although delays in the builder's schedule mean they're about eight weeks late, at least now their new kitchen has arrived.

-It'll look nice once it's all done.

But, you know, getting excited.

It's good.

-Once the units are built, though, there seems to be a problem.

-It doesn't fit.

The -- The tiles are thick.

Huh.

-It seems nobody accounted for the thickness of the tiles, which were installed after all the measurements of the units were taken.

-Squash it.

Squeeze it.

-You can't squeeze it.

[ Speaking Italian ] [ Indistinct conversation in Italian ] -After trying to shuffle the units around unsuccessfully, at last they come up with a solution.

-We'll have to lose this.

-There's no room for a spice rack, which was made to measure at quite a cost.

-This cost about 350 quid, this little thing.

-Despite their disappointment with the spice rack, though, the rest of the installation seems to progress smoothly, and by the end of the day, it's all fitted.

-Oh!

It's looking sexy, huh?

-Yeah.

It's okay.

-"It's okay."

Really nice.

Really good.

-It's really nice, yeah.

-Much remains to be done inside, but as the builders aren't in... ...the following day, Ivano and Tracey are back working in the grounds.

They're keen for the hamlet to produce as much food as they can to keep their business profitable and Cotogni alive.

-Now we need to attach those two together.

-So far, they have five chickens, but they want to buy more.

So today they're building a new chicken run entirely designed by Ivano -[ Speaking Italian ] ♪♪ [ Speaking Italian ] Wait a minute.

[ Speaking Italian ] [ All speaking Italian ] Okay.

[ Drill whirring ] We'll attach these here so it won't go.

-The run won't be complete until a modern and fox-proof hen house is delivered in the next few days.

But as soon as it arrives, Tracey and Ivano can introduce their birds to their new accommodation.

-It's the first time we do something that big.

-Yeah, it is, yeah.

We put concrete posts, and we dug it with a pickaxe and it's got a roof.

-Everything.

Yeah, it's got a roof.

I have a corrugated roof painted as well.

We paint it as well to just blend in into the -- under the trees.

-With any luck, it won't be too long until Ivano and Tracey can move into their own new house as well.

-Yeah, they're definitely -- they're gonna have their home before the -- we're gonna have ours, won't they?

-Yeah, that's for sure.

-Yeah.

-Lucky chickens.

-Lucky chickens, so... [ Both laugh ] -These village saviours invest their time and money in breathing new life into their settlements, which means sacrifices need to be made.

Will Ivano and Tracey's remarkable dedication and passion lead to a new beginning for Cotogni?

Next time... Paul and Yip cook up a business plan.

-So we are on a bit of a mission now.

-And then we can start getting some money in to this project.

-There's heart-breaking news for Ivano and Tracey.

-They broke in there.

It must have be a couple of them.

They stole all our farming equipment.

We'll never see it again.

-And after surviving forest fires, two village owners in Portugal get some good news.

-I am very excited.

-We are, because it means that we can actually see some building work start.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪