mellea's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Venice, Italy

St. Mark's Lost Third Column

Two stone columns flank the grand Venice square, but there were supposed to be three.
Sirmione, Italy

Scaligero Castle

One of the most well-preserved castles in Italy also contains a rare medieval example of a port fortification.
Verona, Italy

Scaliger Tombs

These elaborate gothic monuments honor Verona's medieval lords.
Verona, Italy

Castelvecchio Museum

This medieval castle was reconstructed by Carlo Scarpa.
Viterbo, Italy

Thermal Springs of Viterbo

For centuries, this town's hot springs have been embraced by rich and poor—and even by Popes.
Viterbo, Italy

Dining Table at Villa Lante

This immaculate and historic water garden culminates in a massive stone dining table with an inset fountain for chilling the wine of the Cardinal's guests.
Saturnia, Italy

Terme di Saturnia

Geothermal waterfalls in Tuscany.
Capalbio, Italy

Il Giardino dei Tarocchi

Gigantic mosaic sculptures of the figures on Tarot cards fill this colorful Tuscan garden.
Palermo, Italy

Porta Nuova

This triumphal 16th-century arched gateway leads to the oldest street in Palermo.
Palermo, Italy

La Zisa

This Arabesque Italian castle was built with a primitive, if ingenious, air-conditioning system.
Savoca, Italy

Bar Vitelli

A quiet Sicilian village is home to a cafe that had an important role in "The Godfather."
Bagheria, Italy

Villa Palagonia

A collection of grotesques lines the walls of this Italian villa.
Syracuse, Italy

Fountain of Arethusa

According to Greek mythology, this natural spring is the home of a freshwater nymph.
Realmonte, Italy

Scala dei Turchi

"Stairs of the Turks", a chalky white cliff eroded conveniently into stairs, allowing for easy pillaging.
Palermo, Italy

Cappella Palatina

Every inch of this chapel is covered in craftsmanship from across the world.
Palermo, Italy

Capuchin Monastery Catacombs

Thousands of well-dressed mummies below a monastery.
Palermo, Italy

Palazzina Cinese

This palace offers an 18th-century European take on Chinese design and architecture.
Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, France

Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

A place to see how French aristocrats lived in the early 1900s.
Bomarzo, Italy

The Monsters of Bomarzo

A 16th-century horror show built in a lovely Italian garden.
Caprarola, Italy

Villa Farnese

A lavish 16th-century mansion filled with spectacular staircases, fantastic frescoes, and gorgeous gardens.
Saint-Nazaire, France

Suite de Triangles

These red marks, seemingly placed at random, are in fact not.
Bugarach, France

Bugarach

Small French town or alien garage?
Creissels, France

Millau Viaduct

The world's tallest bridge is also possibly the most elegant.
Machecoul, France

Château de Machecoul

The ruins of a medieval castle linked to the murderous French lord that inspired the famous legend of Bluebeard.