This sword isn't waiting for a king to pull it out. It was placed there by a saint.

These gutted monastery ruins still stand proudly in the middle of the Italian countryside.

In this medieval church, a centuries-old stuffed crocodile hangs from the ceiling.

An architectural oddity where the triglyphs of the courtyard of walls create an optical illusion.

A room filled with frescos that make it seem like the walls are crumbling down while giants die in despair.

A hidden bas-relief of a hare on a church main portal that brings good luck to the ones who find it.

The oldest church in Mantua was buried for centuries under the facades of other structures.

A medieval tower with a suspended iron cage used as an open-air jail for criminals who were exposed as a warning.

It took more than 300 years to build this church, which is home to two sacred vessels believed to hold the blood of Christ.

The seat of the Mantua bishop holds many secrets within its walls.

This megalithic tomb was crafted by a mysterious civilization that settled the island of Pantelleria.

Thousands of well-dressed mummies below a monastery.

The walls of this medieval church are covered with perfectly preserved frescos, including a pristine example of the Dance of Death.

Skulls from the plague of 1656 and World War II bombings are united by a cult dedicated to caring for the ancient dead.

A young Italian couple has been locked in an embrace for over 6,000 years.

The final resting place of the poets Shelley and Keats.

A burial vault located under Tiber Island in the middle of the Italian capital.

The crypts of Capuchin friars decorated with the bones of over 4,000 friars, including an entire "crypt of pelvises."

This Tuscan church contains a gallery of over 700 ex-votos depicting near-death experiences.

Many famous English poets including Elizabeth Barrett Browning are laid to rest at this Swiss-owned cemetery in Florence.

Eighteen mummies have stood guard behind the altar of this tiny church since 1833.

Naturally preserved bodies are eerily staged throughout the crypt in varying poses.

Venice's island of the dead.

An ossuary built in 1210 to collect bones from the Ospedale Maggiore of Milan.