This domed temple was built in a hidden cave mouth as a refuge for sinners seeking absolution.

A labyrinth of ancient tunnels hidden below the city holds the ruins of 2,500 years of history.

This immaculate and historic water garden culminates in a massive stone dining table with an inset fountain for chilling the wine of the Cardinal's guests.

This sword isn't waiting for a king to pull it out. It was placed there by a saint.

This enchanting 600-year-old tree is so magical it inspired the beloved tale of Pinocchio.

Abandoned medieval hill town.

Five candy-colored villages on the Italian Riviera.

A fairy tale castle in modern Rome.

The once forbidden "secret cabinet" of erotic art from excavations of Pompeii and Herculaneum.

Ruins of a 10th century church tucked away deep in a botanical garden.

The largest and most famous wax anatomical collection anywhere in the world.

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

An Italian hillside ghost town.

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

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

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

A large grotto built in the 16th century amidst Florence's famous Boboli gardens.

The last moments of the ill-fated Pompeiians, frozen forever in plaster.

As can be expected from a centuries old church built in a canal city, the undercroft of this house of worship is beautifully flooded.

The glowing blue Nymphaeum of Emperor Tiberius.

2300-year-old Roman road connecting the empire.

The only "Egyptian" pyramid in Europe and the legendary tomb of Remus.

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

The underground sanctuary of a mysterious ancient cult.