Historic fortifications form the boundary of Vatican City, but it’s not entirely surrounded by walls.

Breathtaking and huge 430 year old maps of Italy.

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

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

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

A dismembered holy head stares out from her beautiful reliquary at the St. Dominic Basilica.

Medieval torture techniques with a modern conscience.

Erotic art covers the walls of the largest ancient pleasure palace.

The last moments of the ill-fated Pompeiians, frozen forever in plaster.

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

This historic address is home to the beloved ball and is an almost totally empty building among the most expensive real estate in the world.

A beautiful and abandoned New York subway station from 1904, complete with chandelier.

After the parade, students throw their beads on the tree hoping for good luck on exams.

New Orleans' famous cemetery, located on the site of a former race track.

In 2010, Nicolas Cage purchased two plots in this cemetery using one to construct this strange pyramid mausoleum.

By day this New Orleans square is for pedestrians, but by night it is a kingdom of kittens.

This historic "City of the Dead" lies prominently in the center of New Orleans' famous Garden District.

Construction of Barcelona's iconic (but controversial) church is expected to be completed in 2026—a century after the death of its architect.

This demon atop the Notre-Dame de Paris looks utterly bored.

The celebrated eyesore created by starry-eyed sweethearts.

An "inside out" building in the historical center of Paris, featuring Europe’s largest modern art museum.

The vast, legendary catacombs hold secrets much stranger than stacked bones.

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

The 5.5-mile ring of steel posts around the Capitol Building is one of the largest (and most uniform) of its kind in the world.