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

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

This 21st century cabinet of curiosities includes dinosaur bones, moon rocks, film memorabilia, and more.

These gutted monastery ruins still stand proudly in the middle of the Italian countryside.

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

An ancient artistic garden parlor full of hidden water wonders.

The world's largest bamboo labyrinth is a living demonstration of the plant’s immense potential.

The city of Parma's cathedral is home to one of the greatest illusionistic frescoes of the Renaissance.

The mountaintop inspiration for Umberto Eco's "The Name of the Rose."

The Sighignola summit on the Swiss border offers views so breathtaking it's been named one of the most beautiful places in Italy.

This half-finished "city of toys" was almost Italy's own Las Vegas.

This monastery built into a cliff hides a perfectly preserved hermit in a glass coffin.

Nestled in the heart of Milan is a real wunderkammer of morbid curiosities.

A relic from the Industrial Revolution got a second life as a contemporary performing arts space.

A landmark in the history of technology and computing is hidden in a tiny Baroque chapel.