An unusual "skull with ears" sits in the crypt of this small church tucked away at the end of a narrow alley.

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

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

The remains of the left arm of the levitating philosopher-saint are kept in a 13th-century Neapolitan basilica.

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

A dreamlike medieval church dug into the tuff rock, with unusual carvings and possible traces of the Templar knights.

The burial place of an obscure North African saint was turned into a macabre body preservation factory for the 17th-century Neapolitan elite.

This amazingly well-preserved villa just outside Pompeii boasts rare examples of ancient Roman paintings.

The graveyard is filled with beautiful funerary art and boasts breathtaking views of Florence.

This ancient altar emerges from the thick forests to reveal the mysteries of Etruscan sacrificial rituals.

The Emperor Tiberius' palace of debauchery.

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

Hanging within this medieval church are the bones of a beast allegedly slain by a fourth-century saint.

Water and windows define this defensive Italian well.

This magical-looking island is notorious for the misfortunes suffered by its owners.

A treasure trove of Renaissance-era funerary art in a Roman church built on top of Nero's grave.

Overlooked amid the tourist bustle of Florence, this museum is dedicated to the craft of stone inlay.

The mystic whose incorrupt corpse still attracts the faithful.

A sinister pyramid in the Frari contains the heart of the famous neoclassical sculptor.

These medieval skyscrapers dominate the skyline of this small Tuscan town.

An underground paleo-Christian burial site composed of the remains of several cemeteries and Basilicas.

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

This picturesque Umbrian city has a subterranean side that has long remained hidden.

The Pope’s secret escape route.