Episode One

In the first episode of this series tracing the story of the most famous trade route in history, historian Dr Sam Willis is in Venice to explore how Renaissance architecture and art has been shaped by the east - and by thousands of exchanges along the Silk Road. From there he travels to China's ancient capital, Xian. Here, Sam's story takes him back in time to reveal the tale of an emperor who struck one of the most significant trade deals in history - exchanging silk for warhorses.