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

A Milanese café entirely designed by the American director Wes Anderson.

A space dedicated to contemporary art and culture, co-chaired by fashion icon Miuccia Prada.

This grisly effigy displays an early Christian martyr who was skinned alive and beheaded.

Artistic tombs, monuments, and a beautiful "Hall of Fame" lurk inside this cemetery.

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

These ramparts, once lined with towers, were constructed in defense of Beaune.

For centuries young Thai men used this Giant Swing as a slingshot to heaven.

Bangkok's men with dangerous jobs come here in search of protective talismans.

This elephant kraal is the only one remaining in Thailand, dating back to the 16th century when these massive mammals were integral players in war and trade.

The 340-year-old house that inspired the classic Nathaniel Hawthorne novel.

The only structure left with direct ties to the Salem witchcraft trials of 1692.

Statue in Salem of the woman who starred as the witch Samantha in the sitcom "Bewitched."

A former waterfront market is now in the center of town due to some interesting Boston engineering.

This nearly 200-year-old restaurant's history includes an exiled French prince, JFK, and a very hungry Daniel Webster.

An architectural oddity hides in plain sight on this iconic London bridge.

The smaller of the three towers of San Marino is a former prison inaccessible from the ground level.

High in the clouds of San Marino sits an ancient tower with some curious prisoner graffiti.

A small window on Via Piella offers a lovely and rare peek at Bologna's lost canals.

The mummified relic of St. Catherine sits forever on a golden throne.

The headquarters in Salem doubles as an occult art gallery.

This one-block alleyway is stuffed with street art that is colorful, cultural, and intensely political.

Since 1973, this block has been home to the most concentrated collection of murals in San Francisco.

France's most famous cemetery, with some of its most curious tombs.