Ancient cave tombs known as the "houses of fairies."

Greenery covers the face of a gently-dripping waterfall deep in the mountains of central Sardinia.

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

A striped 12th-century basilica sits in the countryside of Sardinia.

This weird, elephant-shaped rock also hosts two ancient tombs.

At an estimated 3,800 years old, this olive tree is one of the oldest on earth.

Windblown rock formations in an ancient Roman quarry.

Crushed coral and crystals give the sand its signature coloration.

Resting on a hill overlooking the coast, these medieval ruins look completely deserted save for their restored chapel.

A medieval wash house where people washed clothes in a river allegedly formed by the tears of a mourning nymph.

The world's most active stratovolcano is almost always erupting.

Italian cave with exceptional acoustics and an unsavory history.

Built on a medieval synagogue, this church has a burial crypt, tunnel system, and Jewish ritual bath hiding deep underneath.

142 ceramic steps become a mosaic once a year.

Gorgeous views of Italian mountains and valleys form the backdrop of this unique open-air theater.

This constantly evolving art space saved an Italian town from its own crippling reputation.

"Stairs of the Turks", a chalky white cliff eroded conveniently into stairs, allowing for easy pillaging.

These ruins of a Phoenician sanctuary in Sicily have a dark history.

Tourists to the mountaintop Sicilian town often overlook its ancient fortifications.

This amazingly preserved Doric temple was abandoned before it was ever completed.

Cave shrine on Monte Pellegrino.

A network of underground water channels that dates back to the Middle Ages.

Thousands of well-dressed mummies below a monastery.

This Arabesque Italian castle was built with a primitive, if ingenious, air-conditioning system.