Built to be the ideal penitentiary, this abandoned panopticon saw several revolts and even a prisoners' coup.

Why a column on the entrance is inscribed with a verse from the Quran is one of Sicily's many mysteries.

Psychoanalyst Carl Jung reported a paranormal experience after visiting this mosaic-lined Roman baptistry.

Featuring the last fully walkable parapet walkway in Europe.

A massive mausoleum towers over the gravestones in a 19th-century Italian "model village."

A stunning medieval castle houses this eclectic, interactive tribute to all things wine.

A mysterious ancient elephant said to possess magic powers is now the symbol of a Sicilian city.

This 18th-century dissection theater's frescoes display a gorgeous tension between the terrestrial and esoteric.

Rome's first modern graffito is all that is left of a peaceful protest from the 1970s.

Hidden in a high mountain cave, this hermitage dates back to the ninth century.

The pristine waters crossing this forest form a hidden waterfall among the dense vegetation.

On the shores of Lake Garda, the ruins of a Roman villa that allegedly belonged to the poet Catullus.

A 2,000-year-old engineering wonder hides beneath an Italian town.

The ruins of the largest gladiatorial school in Rome are largely hidden under modern streets.

An incredible mosaic-lined monument said to have held the remains of an ancient Roman empress.

Known as the Royal Palace of the Euganean Hills, this often overlooked castle has been home for multiple noble families over the centuries.

A military museum, art park, mausoleum, and architectural oddity all on one fascist's estate.

A map of Italy made entirely of trees.

An 18th century fountain and two columns are all that remains of Rome's forgotten river harbor.

When this funny little building went up in the 19th century, most people thought it would simply fall over.

An abandoned bell tower in the middle of nowhere is the last testimony of a forgotten medieval village.

This small, ancient Roman temple was once a church dedicated to the patron saint of penitents.

The underground sanctuary of a mysterious ancient Roman religious cult contains an exquisite traditional fresco.

These pools have been abandoned for over 20 years.