Emerging from the sidewalk, this sculpture of a whale commemorates the importance of baleen in traditional Japanese puppetry.

The 17th-century hacienda where Simón Bolívar spent his last days before dying from tuberculosis.

A narrow opening between the mountains of the Amalfi Coast creates a scenic hidden beach.

Skulls and skeletons are omnipresent in this church dedicated to souls trapped in purgatory.

This former fascist summer camp was abandoned for decades.

The now-abandoned Fascist summer colony served a dark purpose during World War II.

This ancient market is often referred to as the oldest shopping mall in the world.

An unusual house built using an iso-elastic membrane.

This serene, turquoise lake in an extraordinary nature reserve showcases a rare natural phenomenon.

A quiet Sicilian village is home to a cafe that had an important role in "The Godfather."

The only visible reminders of an elaborate engineering project that kept the tower from reaching the tipping point.

A semi-abandoned village destroyed by U.S. bombings during World War II dominates the valley of Turano.

The world's first underwater farm is home to more than 700 plants.

A unique Tuscan hideaway acts as an art mecca as well as a hotel.

The steel cable lets adventurers zoom between two mountain towns at speeds of up to 75 miles per hour.

On the coast of Sardinia, a once-great mining village is finding new life as a coastal resort town.

This breathtaking monastery was established by Saint Benedict himself 1,500 years ago.

The abandoned ruins of a failed resort hide on this verdant, picture-perfect island.

This seaside Italian village doesn't just look Escher-esque, it actually inspired the mind-bending artist.

A line of abandoned, alien-like fortresses dot the mountains of North Italy.

A madman's personal garden filled with 1,000 sculpted heads.

Overlooked amid the tourist bustle of Florence, this museum is dedicated to the craft of stone inlay.

This abandoned island off the Venetian coast has been a radical monastery, a political prison, and a secret Nazi base.

These delicate sand pyramids look like naturally occurring gothic spires.