A cave in southern Italy adorned with thousand-year-old Biblical frescoes existed in obscurity until fairly recently.

A Milanese café entirely designed by the American director Wes Anderson.

This beautiful park on the outskirts of Rome protects the ruins of two colossal ancient aqueducts.

A modern sliver of architecture in Roma.

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

An underground paleo-Christian burial site composed of the remains of several cemeteries and Basilicas.

Crushed coral and crystals give the sand its signature coloration.

Dramatic sea stacks adorn the coast of this small village on the Adriatic coast.

A sunken idol welcomes parishioners to Davy Jones' Locker.

This giant middle finger statue sends an unambiguous message to Italy's bankers.

These "anatomical machines" are only one of the many strange items in this Italian crypt.

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

Abandoned medieval hill town.

The engineering wonder and pleasure dome of a much-maligned emperor still holds undiscovered secrets.

An Italian hillside ghost town.

The doodles of a genius line the walls of a secret room under the Medici Chapel, where they were hidden for nearly 500 years.

The skull of the patron saint of lovers lies in the Basilica di Santa Maria in Cosmedin—maybe.

Sitting on an Italian hilltop is this surreal fortress built by the mad inventor of electrohomeopathy.

The oldest operating pharmacy in the world features 800-year-old recipes.

Hidden in an Italian forest is a completely homemade amusement park that has taken a lifetime to create.

Geothermal waterfalls in Tuscany.

According to the local folklore, the myriad colors of this lake are the result of a lovelorn wizard's blunder.

The middle finger of modernity.

Architectureal fantasy quarter of Rome.