This mysterious ancient arch is hidden in the forest of Simbruini Mountains Regional Park.

The “Sistine Chapel” of the Middle Ages merges 11th-century science and religion in wondrous hues.

A magnificent waterfall is also home to the remains of a Roman hydraulic engineering system.

Magnificent frescoes decorate the interior of this Romanesque church, which also showcases an unusual phenomenon during winter solstice.

A monk spent 14 years carving steps through tuff to make this religious site more accessible to pilgrims.

A collection of objects supposedly singed by the hands of souls in purgatory.

One of Catholicism's four major basilicas has a series of papal portraits that are said to predict the end of the world.

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

The final resting place of the poets Shelley and Keats.

Gods clash with machines in a power plant regenerated as a museum.

A fairy tale castle in modern Rome.

Inside this McDonald's you can dine on your Big Mac and fries next to a 2,500-year-old Roman wall.

An alchemist's "magic door" stands in the middle of a Roman park.

Jesus' footprints and the first catacombs in the world.

This park on the outskirts of Rome boasts two ancient Roman aqueducts and a medieval tower.

This mosaic-lined medieval church was built by the world's first admiral and still holds mass in ancient Greek.

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

An abandoned nightclub has become a vibrant work of art.