missjessiqueen's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Vatican City

Stufetta del Bibbiena

The Vatican's secret porn-festooned bathroom was painted in erotic murals by one of the greatest artists of the Renaissance.
Vatican City

Gallery of Maps - Galleria delle Carte Geografiche

Breathtaking and huge 430 year old maps of Italy.
Rome, Italy

Lacus Curtius

A mysterious chasm in the heart of the ancient Roman Forum, the Lacus Curtius was once believed to be a gateway to hell.
Rome, Italy

Torre Argentina (Roman Cat Sanctuary)

Hundreds of lucky felines haunt the ruins where Caesar was murdered.
Rome, Italy

The Dome Illusion

A master of trompe-l'oeil creates a stunning, tourist-fooling dome out of a flat ceiling.
Rome, Italy

The Head of St. John the Baptist at San Silvestro in Capite

One of several skulls claiming to belong to the beheaded St. John the Baptist is on display at this Roman church.
Rome, Italy

Santa Maria della Concezione Crypts

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

Meridian Line of the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels and the Martyrs

Installed in an act of one-upsmanship, the annual sundial in this church is also a symbolic victory for the Gregorian calendar.
Rome, Italy

Porta Alchemica

An alchemist's "magic door" stands in the middle of a Roman park.
Rome, Italy

Basilica di San Clemente

A Nesting Doll of Churches.
Rome, Italy

The Martyr Murals at Santo Stefano Rotondo

Charles Dickens was not a fan of the ghastly wall dressings in this 6th century church.
East Sussex, England

Seven Sisters Cliffs

These stark white cliffs were spat up by the sea and are slowly being retaken by it.
Koloa, Hawaii

Lithified Sand Dunes

A prehistoric landscape hidden in the cliffs of Maha'ulepu.
Los Angeles, California

Linda Vista Hospital

A hospital closed seemingly in the middle of operations, leaving behind fodder for horror films and ghost hunters.
Los Angeles, California

The Last Bookstore

This iconic L.A. bookshop is housed in an abandoned bank—both symbolic and chic.
Los Angeles, California

Underground Tunnels of Los Angeles

During prohibition, corrupt city officials ran drinking dens under the streets of Downtown Los Angeles.
Bombay Beach, California

Bombay Beach

Version of the French Riviera destroyed by the sea.
San Francisco, California

Drawn Stone

Art in the form of a winding, man made crack in stone.
Venice, Italy

Poveglia Plague Island

A small island less than half a mile from Venice is a forbidden island with a dark and twisted past.
Redwood City, California

Pulgas Water Temple

A classically inspired temple in Redwood City.
San Francisco, California

Ruins of the Sutro Baths

The seawater playground of gilded-era San Francisco burned to the ground in 1966.
San Francisco, California

Camera Obscura & Holograph Collection

A walk-in working camera obscura produces 360-degree live images of the San Francisco coast.
Belvedere Tiburon, California

Lyford's Tower

Once the gateway to the utopian dream-village of a Civil War embalmer.
Belvedere Tiburon, California

Lava House

An abandoned, unfinished mansion on grounds strewn with lava rocks.