Nobles would stage mock naval battles on this large lake at the Royal Palace of Caserta.

The world's largest bamboo labyrinth is a living demonstration of the plant’s immense potential.

This small but lovely sinkhole lake is the last remnant of a great prehistoric water basin.

The marshy karst plain has reclaimed this beautiful 17th-century church.

A founding document of the European Union was written on an island where Roman emperors once banished women.

A stunning fountain depicting a mythological she-goat carved directly into the rocks on the grounds of a Renaissance palace.

A landmark in the history of technology and computing is hidden in a tiny Baroque chapel.

Built to be the ideal penitentiary, this abandoned panopticon saw several revolts and even a prisoners' coup.

This high-speed test track is popular with car manufacturers, speed freaks and orbiting astronauts.

This deceiving white sand beach gets its brilliant hue from the chemical discharge of a nearby factory.

The link between these two seemingly disparate themes is crucial to the history of this Tuscan hill town.

This subterranean shrine beneath a bike rental store celebrates the iconic Italian scooter.

Once an ancient Roman bath, now a hotbed of geothermal energy and a hub for energetic innovations.

This monastery built into a cliff hides a perfectly preserved hermit in a glass coffin.

Nestled in the hills of Tuscany are gorgeous, multicolored hot springs.

The oldest scientifically dated tree in Europe lives on a remote cliff.

The sunlight passing through the opening of this huge cave system creates a magical effect.

This tiny islet has somehow housed an ancient temple, two monasteries, a church, a fortress, and a restaurant.

The abandoned ruins of a failed resort hide on this verdant, picture-perfect island.

Contrary to what its name suggests, you won't find any bunnies here.

With its mine closed, this old village is starting to resemble a ghost town.

A mysterious ancient elephant said to possess magic powers is now the symbol of a Sicilian city.

Deceased nuns were placed on stone chairs to decompose, while the surviving nuns prayed near the lifeless bodies.

The towering Pinocchio stands 63 feet tall in the Italian village his creator frequented as a child.