A rather vulgar example of the transition from Latin to the Italian vernacular.

The Pope’s secret escape route.

One of several skulls claiming to belong to the beheaded St. John the Baptist is on display at this Roman church.

This ritzy Italian market is built around a statue of an unforgiven heretic who was burned for his belief in an endless universe.

Jesus' footprints and the first catacombs in the world.

The skull of the patron saint of lovers lies in the Basilica di Santa Maria in Cosmedin—maybe.

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

2300-year-old Roman road connecting the empire.

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

The underground sanctuary of a mysterious ancient cult.

A master of trompe-l'oeil creates a stunning, tourist-fooling dome out of a flat ceiling.

Architectureal fantasy quarter of Rome.

The crypts of Capuchin friars decorated with the bones of over 4,000 friars, including an entire "crypt of pelvises."

The possible imprisonment of Vlad the Impaler here earned the medieval castle its nickname, "Dracula's Castle."

This fairy-tale castle would make Dracula (who is said to have been imprisoned there) jealous.

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

A symbol for the opposition to nuclear power around the world.

A perfectly circular stronghold constructed in the 10th century is now a nucleus of Viking culture housing a museum, village, and reenactment of an epic Viking battle.

This secret collection of the strange and occult was rediscovered in a forgotten room of an old house.

Iron Age "bog person" preserved for over 2,300 years.

A reconstructed farm shows what life was like in Norway 1,500 years ago.

What might look like a cliffside sacrificial altar at first glance is actually a stone compass pointing to cities and lighthouses all around the world.

Walk behind a 50-meter-high waterfall.

Stay overnight in the world's most sleekly designed rabbit hole, free of charge.