Once the hunting reserve of a noble family, this is one of the few remnants of Pleistocene planitial forest in northern Italy that still stands.

A floating bridge leaning on barges allows pedestrians to reach the historical center.

This 16th-century monastery has been turned into a surrealist architecture compound.

The ruins of a medieval village that was abandoned after a 19th-century inferno.

The second-highest village in Lazio has attracted artists for 400 years and is now a spectacular open-air art gallery.

The marshy karst plain has reclaimed this beautiful 17th-century church.

This lake was sacred to the Sabine people who constructed a temple here on a floating island.

This unusually shaped fortress houses a blend of centuries-old frescoes and modern art.

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

This Roman amphitheatre was also the location of the first gladiator school.

An enormous sinkhole that local lore attributes to the anger of the Virgin Mary.

Production site for handmade clay bricks.

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

Italy's only urban waterfall has enchanted artists and travelers for centuries.

The Roman Emperor's lost summer home and grotto full of enormous sculptures sit along the Italian seashore.

A fairy-tale-like forest that was sacred to Jupiter and Saint Anthony.

The hermit's humble home is hidden near the forested peak of Monte Marrone.

This medieval settlement was abandoned after a series of landslides. What remained was largely destroyed during a mock battle for a WWII film reel.

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

This amazingly well-preserved villa just outside Pompeii boasts rare examples of ancient Roman paintings.

Buried next to Pompeii, this lesser-known Roman villa was the opulent vacation home of Emperor Nero's wife.

For centuries, this large Roman villa remained hidden thanks to the eruption that buried nearby Pompeii and Herculaneum.

Beautiful views and Roman-style statues on the Italian coast.

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