60 Minutes' Italian connection

Editor's Note: This segment was originally published on October 19, 2014, before the trial of the Costa Concordia's captain concluded. Captain Schettino was found guilty of manslaughter.

When any 60 Minutes team travels to Italy to report on a story, it often means working with Rome-based producer Sabina Castelfranco.

A familiar voice on CBS News Radio, Castelfranco has produced a variety of stories for CBS News and 60 Minutes for more than 20 years.

For Morley Safer's story this week on the fashion industry's attempts to save Italy's historic and iconic ruins, Castelfranco worked her connections to get the team inside the Colosseum.

"It really took me months," Castelfranco tells 60 Minutes Overtime. "I needed to find the right people to give me the right authorizations to get into a place like the Colosseum."

Part of the problem, she says, is the constant turnover of the people in charge.

"We have revolving governments in Italy," Castelfranco says. "With the story of the Colosseum, and only the Colosseum, we had four different culture ministers."

Among the stories Castelfranco has produced is a piece on the Antinori family and their 600-plus year legacy of winemaking, as well as stories on the 50th anniversary of Lamborghini, the wreck of the Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia, and the Vatican Library.

"Entering the Vatican is an experience all in itself," Castelfranco says. "It took a year of work to organize, and in the end, we only had three days in the Vatican Library. But what an experience."

That experience was only made richer working alongside Safer, Castelfranco says.

"I have a soft spot for Morley because he represents 60 Minutes. And not only that, I've done a number of stories with him, possibly more than with any other correspondent. He's a fatherly figure. He's someone who adores Italy. He's someone I look up to."

The above video was produced for 60 Minutes Overtime by Magalie Laguerre-Wilkinson and Craig Crawford.