dbshaw's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Catania, Italy

Elephant Fountain

A mysterious ancient elephant said to possess magic powers is now the symbol of a Sicilian city.
Melendugno, Italy

Torre Sant'Andrea

Dramatic sea stacks adorn the coast of this small village on the Adriatic coast.
Alberobello, Italy

Alberobello

Southern Italy's spinning top village.
Province of Matera, Italy

The Village of Craco

An Italian hillside ghost town.
Matera, Italy

La Palomba

An abandoned quarry hides an open-air gallery of huge sculptures, some made from the rubble of 9/11.
Matera, Italy

Sassi di Matera

People have been living in the cave houses on this Italian hillside since the Neolithic era.
Foligno, Italy

Calamita Cosmica

The giant skeleton sculpture is surprisingly well-traveled.
Genga, Italy

Temple of Valadier

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

Towers of San Gimignano

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

Santa Maria presso San Satiro

Small on the outside, big on the inside, this church is an astonishing act of visual deception.
Milan, Italy

Milan's Duomo "Dinosaur"

Milan's duomo is covered in beautiful carving including a curious "dinosaur-like" beast.
Milan, Italy

L.O.V.E.

This giant middle finger statue sends an unambiguous message to Italy's bankers.
Milan, Italy

Horned Madonna of Portinari Chapel

The odd depiction of the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus is rooted in the Catholic Church's eradication of Catharism.
Milan, Italy

San Bernardino alle Ossa

An ossuary built in 1210 to collect bones from the Ospedale Maggiore of Milan.
Ferrara di Monte Baldo, Italy

Santuario Madonna della Corona

This centuries-old Italian chapel hangs midway down a sheer cliffside.
Verona, Italy

Whale Bone of Arco della Costa

A whale rib was used to advertise the store by the arch that offered exotic goods from far away.
Verona, Italy

Juliet's Balcony

Pilgrimage site for star-crossed lovers.
Venice, Italy

The Mad Colored Houses of Burano

This community on a small Venetian island has taken to painting their houses in bright neon hues.
Venice, Italy

Giant Hands of Venice’s Grand Canal

A new sculpture calls attention to climate change in the centuries-old city it threatens.
Venice, Italy

Libreria Acqua Alta

This Venice bookstore has resigned itself to constant flooding by keeping its books in bathtubs and boats.
Padua, Italy

Scrovegni Chapel

Built to repay the sins of the father, this church is home to one of the most valuable works of Western art.
Vernazza, Italy

Cinque Terre

Five candy-colored villages on the Italian Riviera.
Riola, Italy

Rocchetta Mattei

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

Santa Maria Novella Pharmacy

The oldest operating pharmacy in the world features 800-year-old recipes.