This shrine commemorates the site of the first known Catholic mass in the United States.

Staves, storm-calling, and of course, necropants.

The ruins of a rural church and a statue of Archangel Gabriel are tucked away in Majella National Park.

A 14th-century abbey founded by a forest-loving order of monks now sits in the center of a pristine nature preserve.

Beautifully decorated tarot cards from the Middle Ages.

This site marks the oldest known settlement in Campania, inhabited around 9,000 years ago.

For centuries, this town's hot springs have been embraced by rich and poor—and even by Popes.

This small hermitage is located along an ancient route that connected the Tiber and Rieti valleys.

This beautiful Romanesque church preserves stunning medieval frescoes and the excavations of a Roman market town.

The ruins of a thousand-year-old hermitage are tucked away deep in the sloping forests of Albano Lake.

A completely underground tour following the path of the most precious element: water.

Packed with geological formations, an ancient river, and taxidermied seals, this overlooked coastal cave system is worth a spelunk.

This Romanesque church is built over the tomb of a martyr who legend says defeated a dragon.

This mysterious ancient arch is hidden in the forest of Simbruini Mountains Regional Park.

An enormous sinkhole that local lore attributes to the anger of the Virgin Mary.

Knights Templar are visible inside this stunning Cistercian abbey.

This caldera was once associated with the Etruscan god of the underworld.

Europe's only Temple of Mithras located in a natural cave.

One of the four sanctuaries of Rieti's Holy Valley was the site of the first living nativity scene.

Statues portraying anatomical deformities were placed in this garden to foster ethical behavior.

This crystal clear water basin feeds the Lao river and powers a hydroelectric power plant.

A fairy-tale-like forest that was sacred to Jupiter and Saint Anthony.

This lake was sacred to the Sabine people who constructed a temple here on a floating island.

A monk spent 14 years carving steps through tuff to make this religious site more accessible to pilgrims.