This small Roman arch was transformed into a dwelling by the founder of the Trinitarian Order.

A former mining village that now operates as an open-air museum.

This abandoned semaphore station hearkens back to the days of the optical telegraph.

A never-inhabited village that was built as part of Mussolini's agricultural reforms.

This caldera was once associated with the Etruscan god of the underworld.

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

The ruins of this once gorgeous medieval church are still standing, despite the region's constant flooding.

Knights Templar are visible inside this stunning Cistercian abbey.

Built as a defensive structure, this medieval walkway road offers a unique view of the village of Brisighella.

A 14th-century abbey founded by a forest-loving order of monks now sits in the center of a pristine nature preserve.

This site marks the oldest known settlement in Campania, inhabited around 9,000 years ago.

This tiny chapel atop a sea stack is dedicated to the patron saint of Ponza, Saint Silverius.

A prehistoric route that has claimed many victims is now closed to traffic.

This small hermitage is located along an ancient route that connected the Tiber and Rieti valleys.

A giant owl named Rocco oversees mythical woodland creatures along these charming mountain trails.

The 16th-century son of Sienese nobility carved this hermitage out of volcanic rock.

A Roman calendar dating to the first century is tucked away in a small town alley.

The ruins of a rural church and a statue of Archangel Gabriel are tucked away in Majella National Park.

Europe's only Temple of Mithras located in a natural cave.

This stretch of the ancient Roman road is preserved in a valley that witnessed many battles and legendary highwaymen.

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.

This crystal clear water basin feeds the Lao river and powers a hydroelectric power plant.

This archaeological site built into a tuff outcrop is filled with rock dwellings, the ruins of a medieval castle, and a necropolis.

This long-abandoned village sits across a narrow gorge from a still-inhabited settlement that was once its twin.