Also known as the Square Colosseum, this building is a prime example of fascist-era rationalist architecture.

This old medieval prison tower has been a site of astronomical research for more than 250 years.

A cone-shaped top and cylindrical body set this 900-year-old structure apart from other Italian bell towers.

The tomb of the mythological founder of Padua is not hidden in some obscure crypt, but stands right in the middle of the city square.

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

When a massive landslide hit one of the world's tallest dams it created a tragic environmental disaster.

This bustling Italian plaza is built on the ruins of an ancient Roman amphitheater.

A stunning hermit's shrine on a steep rocky spur in Northern Italy.

This Italian stadium makes liberal use of fascist statuary to evoke classical sporting arenas.

Centuries ago, red and white wine poured from the statue's breasts whenever a new Venetian ruler was elected.

Where Venice's gondolas go for a tune-up.

Thousand-year-old Viking runes adorn an ancient Greek lion at the entrance to the Venetian Arsenal.

What looks like a link in Gondor's early warning system is actually a centuries-old Italian fortress.

The incorrupt tongue of the patron saint of lost things is venerated in this basilica.

Two stone columns flank the grand Venice square, but there were supposed to be three.

The oldest botanical garden in the world that technically isn't the oldest.

One of the world's oldest working clocks is curiously missing the Zodiac sign of Libra.

Fountain where visitors can earn a license to be mad.

The marble facade hides a little-known medical museum with early surgical instruments and rare copies of canonical texts.

A sinister pyramid in the Frari contains the heart of the famous neoclassical sculptor.

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

The world's most active stratovolcano is almost always erupting.

The Pope’s secret escape route.

Crushed coral and crystals give the sand its signature coloration.