A sculpture serving as an homage to Pope John Paul II.

A treasure trove of Renaissance-era funerary art in a Roman church built on top of Nero's grave.

More sculpture than building, this architecturally significant temple was built on the spot of Saint Peter's crucifixion.

A huge enchanting public park just outside the ancient walls of Rome.

One of Catholicism's four major basilicas has a series of papal portraits that are said to predict the end of the world.

Jesus' footprints and the first catacombs in the world.

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

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

The oldest olive tree in Greece has been bearing fruit for at least 2,000 years.

Every spring, locals see the shadowy figures of a ghost army of slain Greek soldiers descend upon this ruined fort.

This famous archeological mystery may be an ancient example of movable type.

A minotaur, a labyrinth, and a dubious restoration pull in visitors from around the world.

Cretean quarry suggests real-life site for ancient Greek myth of the man-eating Minotaur in his labyrinth.

This little Greek plateau is home to thousands of rustic, white-sailed windmills.

According to myth, Zeus himself was hidden in this cave to escape being eaten by his dad.

This abandoned Greek island was the last active leper colony in Europe.

A marvel of Byzantine engineering under the streets of Istanbul.

Legend says if you stick your thumb in the hole and it gets wet your wish will be granted.

Five sultans and their families rest in eternal splendor, teeming with overlooked beauty and drama.

A sixth-century Byzantine cistern hidden below a modern carpet store.

This museum was invented in a novel before being made real by the author.

The home-turned-museum of Barış Manço, the mustachioed Turkish Elvis for children.

Over the centuries, this island paradise has done it all, from providing monks with ecclesiastical respite to sheltering an exiled Leon Trotsky.

Built by the Ancient Greeks, this chariot bridge is still in use today.