This Roman arch marks the location of an ancient gate at one of the Seven Hills of Rome.

Secret refuge and museum of the Duke of Florence.

Crushed coral and crystals give the sand its signature coloration.

One of seven Jewish catacombs in Rome and one of only two open to the public.

A fairytale island floats in the middle of Italy's little-known Lake Orta.

This medieval Italian town is a sheer (and beautiful) cliffside defense.

This former Roman Catholic Church still contains the embalmed hearts and organs of 22 popes.

Filled with goldfish swimming in a shallow pool of sea water, this ancient crypt is more wishing well than burial site.

A fairy tale castle in modern Rome.

Go inside to really appreciate this 500-year-old technological masterpiece.

Five candy-colored villages on the Italian Riviera.

The engineering wonder and pleasure dome of a much-maligned emperor still holds undiscovered secrets.

This hidden Art Nouveau courtyard is an opulent feast for the eyes.

An ossuary built in 1210 to collect bones from the Ospedale Maggiore of Milan.

The doodles of a genius line the walls of a secret room under the Medici Chapel, where they were hidden for nearly 500 years.

Sitting on an Italian hilltop is this surreal fortress built by the mad inventor of electrohomeopathy.

The only "Egyptian" pyramid in Europe and the legendary tomb of Remus.

As can be expected from a centuries old church built in a canal city, the undercroft of this house of worship is beautifully flooded.

The yawning maw of this pagan visage is said to bite off the hands of liars.

According to the local folklore, the myriad colors of this lake are the result of a lovelorn wizard's blunder.

Thousands of well-dressed mummies below a monastery.

Pompeii's less famous neighbor is still revealing her secrets.

This community on a small Venetian island has taken to painting their houses in bright neon hues.

Architectureal fantasy quarter of Rome.