A whale rib was used to advertise the store by the arch that offered exotic goods from far away.

These elaborate gothic monuments honor Verona's medieval lords.

Not far from the more famous House of Juliet, visitors will find the supposed residence of her lover.

A gorgeous example of 13th-century Gothic architecture.

This medieval castle was reconstructed by Carlo Scarpa.

Over 100 towers were built in Bologna during the Middle Ages, but only 22 survive.

Legend has it this fountain built to symbolize the Pope’s power hides a strange secret concerning Neptune's manliness.

Time has been frozen at this station since the bombing in 1980—or so it was believed.

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

This hill made entirely of ancient Roman jars was simply a garbage dump to the people of the time.

Rome's semi-secret peephole vista is also a former Crusader stronghold.

The remains of this 2nd-century Roman temple are incorporated into a modern building.

A master of trompe-l'oeil creates a stunning, tourist-fooling dome out of a flat ceiling.

This ancient market is often referred to as the oldest shopping mall in the world.

This one-of-a-kind Roman arch is not actually dedicated to the god Janus.

The yawning maw of this pagan visage is said to bite off the hands of liars.

This is the oldest Roman-made bridge in the city still existing in its original state.

In Rome’s Jewish ghetto, a 200-year-old bakery still makes the neighborhood’s historic sweets.

Hundreds of lucky felines haunt the ruins where Caesar was murdered.

This ritzy Italian market is built around a statue of an unforgiven heretic who was burned for his belief in an endless universe.

This equestrian statue of Constantine the Great has been the subject of criticism for centuries.

Hidden beneath the famous St. Peter's Basilica is a veritable city of the dead that may hold the remains of St. Peter himself.

Historic fortifications form the boundary of Vatican City, but it’s not entirely surrounded by walls.

A huge enchanting public park just outside the ancient walls of Rome.