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Saturday, August 16, 2008, 10:00
Packed with stunning photography, it follows Francesco and the crew of the Black Swan through the Adriatic, Ionian and Aegean Seas, bound for Istanbul in Turkey.
On the way the Venetian historian entertains us both with a chatty ship's log, alongside a comprehensive exploration of the cultural sights, and his country's maritime conflicts.
There is plenty to see, for in the Mediterranean sunshine antiquities have been better preserved than in the rain of the north.
The first part of the coast which Francesco visits is Istria, once part of the Venetian empire, now within Croatia and Slovenia and Pula, once a Roman port and then part of the Venetian empire. Here you can see the most complete Roman amphitheatre in existence, and walk along streets in the Venetian style, all built in the hard-wearing Istrian limestone which was also used to build St Mark's Square in Venice.
Francesco could not sail along the beautiful coast of Croatia – with the "pearl of the Adriatic", the resort of Dubrovnik – without being confronted by the relics of more recent history, the bloody conflict in the Balkans during the 1990s.
In the town of Mostar, scene of bitter fighting between Christian and Muslim inhabitants, on each side of the River Neretva, the bridge, destroyed in the conflict, has since been rebuilt and young men of all creeds are once again meeting to jump from it into the river.
"It was a beautiful landscape, and you start to feel that something terrible happened not long ago," says Francesco, who was also moved by the grave of a young soldier by the side of the bridge.
"When you go to Mostar you see thousands of bullet marks. I met these two brothers who were jumping from the bridge in Mostar and they have these terrible memories."
On down the mountainous coast of Montenegro – with Albania dubbed the "unknown Mediterranean" because it is almost untouched by tourism – the Black Swan drops anchor at the tiny island of Scarpello, where Francesco visits the Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Rock.
This chapel was visited by Venetian sailors on voyages to the east, praying to the Virgin Mary for safe deliverance. And inside it is decorated with silver plaques left by sailors over the centuries, giving thanks for safe return as they sailed back into home waters.
In fact, says Francesco, Captain Julio, at the helm of the Black Swan, was no fan of praying for religious intervention, feeling that it would reflect badly on him as a captain if he called on a higher being to get him out of troubles at sea.
"He wasn't very happy when the priest came to bless the boat when we were setting out from Venice!" says Francesco.
Francesco was not just a passenger on board the Black Swan. As part of a crew of six he played his part in raising and lowering sails and pulling in ropes, under the direction of Captain Julio. And once the boat left the relatively sheltered Adriatic, there were some hairy moments.
"We broke three sails in the last part of the journey," he says. "We had the worst weather in the Aegean Sea, between Crete and Rhodes."
Francesco's inspiration for the voyage came from his ancestor Alvise da Mosto, who sailed the same route at the age of 20 in the mid 1400s. Alvise left behind his "portolano", a detailed guide to the coast which Francesco travelled.
Francesco has often had it in mind to follow in his ancestor's footsteps, and with two TV series for the BBC on Italy and Venice under his belt, he was delighted when the BBC agreed to film the voyage.
Mind you, he does acknowledge that he probably had it easier than Alvise.
"There were no problems with pirates, I had a marvellous cabin and the crew were great and the food was marvellous," he says.
"They would have suffered more than me, but we did follow in their footsteps. I was always finding places where they had been."
Francesco da Mosto is taking the opportunity to meet fans after enjoying a family holiday in Fowey. He will be visiting the Torbay Bookshop in Paignton (01803 522011) at 12.30pm on Friday, August 22 to sign copies of his book
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The recently restored Mostar Bridge and, left, Scarpello island
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