This historic recreationist school churns out warriors that may very well have had a fighting chance in Rome's pits of the day.

Rome's ancient Etruscan rival, now a park full of ruins.

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

Installed in an act of one-upsmanship, the annual sundial in this church is also a symbolic victory for the Gregorian calendar.

Architectural monsters are devouring this palace's every door and window.

This hidden Art Nouveau courtyard is an opulent feast for the eyes.

The yawning maw of this pagan visage is said to bite off the hands of liars.

Rome's semi-secret peephole vista is also a former Crusader stronghold.

A master of trompe-l'oeil creates a stunning, tourist-fooling dome out of a flat ceiling.

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

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

Ancient snack bar of the Roman Empire re-opened.

These medieval skyscrapers dominate the skyline of this small Tuscan town.

The graveyard is filled with beautiful funerary art and boasts breathtaking views of Florence.

This bronze boar's snout has been rubbed to a golden sheen by visitors seeking good fortune.

Secret refuge and museum of the Duke of Florence.

Art and armour fill every inch of this rich kid's Italian villa.

Hop on the train and tour an elaborate miniature town made completely of junk (including the train).

Lines from a walking song are etched into a rock in Natural Bridge State Park.

The Virginia farm where John Wilkes Booth met his grisly end is now largely forgotten.

A cement mixer-turned-kaleidoscope in downtown Norfolk offers different views of the city.

The only recreation of William Shakespeare's indoor playhouse.

One of the last active volcanoes on the Eastern seaboard.

A home built with marble tombstones from the graves of 2,200 Union soldiers buried in a Virginia cemetery.