More than 450 years ago, an Italian nun became the first woman to paint the iconic subject.

A copy of the famous statue can be found in this Florence piazza, along with one of the most breathtaking views of the city below.

A slightly creepy gallery of plaster cast models in the same museum as Michelangelo's David.

Renaissance hospital featuring a rotating door into which unwanted babies were dropped.

This strange bovine gargoyle is said to have been put in as a passive aggressive form of revenge.

The middle finger of modernity.

This enchanting 600-year-old tree is so magical it inspired the beloved tale of Pinocchio.

Legend says this mysterious stone head belongs to a woman who was petrified by an alchemist.

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

The famous sculptor left his mark on this Italian wall in an internationally protected example of street art.

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

A large statue of Pope Gregory XIII in Bologna was disguised as Saint Petronius to avoid destruction.

Stuck in the arcade of Casa Isolani are three arrows of mysterious origins.

A striking memorial recalls thousands of Bolognese men and women killed fighting fascists in World War II.

This building features dozens of faces along its facade, although one is a bit chilling.

The remains of an ancient Roman city are hidden underneath Bologna's beautiful public library.

Legend has it this fountain built to symbolize the Pope’s power hides a strange secret concerning Neptune's manliness.

A large grotto built in the 16th century amidst Florence's famous Boboli gardens.

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

Plaques on its facade commemorate the Tiber's most destructive deluges.

This hydrochronometer was invented by a Dominican monk and is a prime feature in this garden.

A detailed pachyderm supports Rome's smallest Egyptian obelisk.

The spot where the fascist dictator made some of his most famous speeches including declaring war on Britain and France.

Hundreds of lucky felines haunt the ruins where Caesar was murdered.