michael 4be29228's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Genga, Italy

Temple of Valadier

This domed temple was built in a hidden cave mouth as a refuge for sinners seeking absolution.
Cervia, Italy

Woodpecker Disco

A domed disco abandoned since the '70s now attracts artists and explorers under its unique roof.
San Francisco, California

Long Now Orrery

A modern mechanical planetary system, part of a 10,000 year clock.
Stelvio, Italy

Stelvio Pass

One of the highest mountain passes in Europe has been ranked among the best driving roads in the world.
Matera, Italy

Chiesa del Purgatorio

Skulls and skeletons are omnipresent in this church dedicated to souls trapped in purgatory.
Matera, Italy

La Palomba

An abandoned quarry hides an open-air gallery of huge sculptures, some made from the rubble of 9/11.
Modena, Italy

San Cataldo Cemetery

This ultra-modern burial building would have stacked the dead like a giant filing cabinet.
Naples, Italy

Toledo Art Station

This shining multicolored metro station deep under Naples is said to be the most beautiful in Europe.
Palmanova, Italy

Palmanova Star Fort

A star-shaped fortress town fort built in the geometric model of the Renaissance utopian city.
Matera, Italy

Sassi di Matera

People have been living in the cave houses on this Italian hillside since the Neolithic era.
Sasso di Castalda, Italy

Ponte alla Luna

Crossing this suspension bridge feels like walking through the sky, a fitting tribute to the head of the Apollo program.
San Gimignano, Italy

Towers of San Gimignano

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

Casa Sperimentale

This abandoned Brutalist treehouse is a hidden architectural relic.
Foligno, Italy

Calamita Cosmica

The giant skeleton sculpture is surprisingly well-traveled.
Pramarzo, Italy

Temple of Damanhur

Eco-village hidden in the foothills of the Alps that created a massive system of psychedelic underground temples.
Civita, Italy

Civita di Bagnoregio

This quaint Italian town keeps losing ground as the sides of its plateau slowly erode.
Riola, Italy

Rocchetta Mattei

Sitting on an Italian hilltop is this surreal fortress built by the mad inventor of electrohomeopathy.
Province of Matera, Italy

The Village of Craco

An Italian hillside ghost town.
Montegabbione (TR), Italy

La Scarzuola

This 16th-century monastery has been turned into a surrealist architecture compound.
Rome, Italy

Galleria Sciarra

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

Pinocchio Park

Walk through a fairytale in Tuscany.
Orvieto, Italy

Orvieto Underground

This picturesque Umbrian city has a subterranean side that has long remained hidden.
Sant'Agata Dé Goti, Italy

Sant'Agata de' Goti

This medieval Italian town is a sheer (and beautiful) cliffside defense.
Rome, Italy

Ospedale delle Bambole (Doll Hospital)

A hospital where antique dolls are given new life.