Buried next to Pompeii, this lesser-known Roman villa was the opulent vacation home of Emperor Nero's wife.

Italy's "New Mountain" rose from the ground in a volcanic eruption in 1538.

Italy's third-largest Roman arena gives a peek into the underground operations beneath the ancient spectacles.

A sulfuric hellscape in southern Italy.

Suffocating dogs was a common spectacle in the fumes of this noxious cave.

In a city that boasts four separate inclined cable railways, this is one of the busiest funicular lines in the world.

Skulls from the plague of 1656 and World War II bombings are united by a cult dedicated to caring for the ancient dead.

These "anatomical machines" are only one of the many strange items in this Italian crypt.

The once forbidden "secret cabinet" of erotic art from excavations of Pompeii and Herculaneum.

The Neapolitan Cult of the Dead still cares for the skulls at this mini-Fontanelle.

A labyrinth of ancient tunnels hidden below the city holds the ruins of 2,500 years of history.

This Neapolitan exhibition hall grants weird and wonderful insight into the intricacies of human biology.

An eerie, little-known Neapolitan museum filled with preserved human remains.

The oldest volcanology research center in the world.

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

Dug as a secret royal escape route, the tunnel became a wartime bomb shelter and dumping ground for vintage cars.

This breathtaking monastery was established by Saint Benedict himself 1,500 years ago.

Two planes stand abandoned after the closure of an aircraft-themed restaurant.