paulasleao's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Images of the Unconscious Museum

An overlooked collection of over 350,000 artistic works created by psychiatric patients using art therapy.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The Royal Portuguese Cabinet of Reading

This stunning Brazilian library contains the largest collection of Portuguese texts outside of Portugal itself.
Santo Amaro do Maranhão, Brazil

Lençóis Maranhenses Dunes

A faux desert landscape in the middle of the jungle that sprouts oases during the rainy season.
São Paulo, Brazil

Museu Afro Brasil

A labyrinthine museum chronicling the history of African culture in Brazil.
Bento Gonçalves, Brazil

Capela Nossa Senhora das Neves

After a terrible drought, townspeople used wine to build this church.
Jesús de Tavarangue, Paraguay

Jesuit Mission of Jesús de Tavarangüe

These spectacular ruins were built by Spanish padres in the 17th century.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Escadaria Selarón Mosaic Steps

A 125-meter long "tribute to the Brazilian people."
Quixeramobim, Brazil

Pyramids of the Order of the Guardians of the Pharaohs

Modern pyramids built to channel positive energy have also fomented local tales of animal sacrifice.
Pernambuco, Brazil

Old Petrolandia Church

The haunting peak of an old church is all that remains of a drowned Brazilian city.
Brazil

Viaduct Petrobras

An abandoned stretch of elevated road in the middle of the Brazilian jungle.
São Roque de Minas, Brazil

Giant Anteaters of Serra da Canastra

This breathtaking national park is one of the best places to see the weird and wonderful giant anteater in the wild.
Fontanellato, Italy

The Labirinto della Masone

The world's largest bamboo labyrinth is a living demonstration of the plant’s immense potential.
Pietrapertosa, Italy

Volo dell'Angelo

The steel cable lets adventurers zoom between two mountain towns at speeds of up to 75 miles per hour.
Palestrina, Italy

Sanctuary of Fortuna Primigenia

The city of Palestrina was built around this magnificent terraced sanctuary dedicated to the pagan goddess Fortuna.
Carrara, Italy

Cava Museo

Explore the quarry where the marble was sourced for Michaelangelo's David.
Caprarola, Italy

Villa Farnese

A lavish 16th-century mansion filled with spectacular staircases, fantastic frescoes, and gorgeous gardens.
Cerveteri, Italy

Necropolis of the Banditaccia

Largest necropolis in the Mediterranean.
Matera, Italy

The Crypt of the Original Sin

A cave in southern Italy adorned with thousand-year-old Biblical frescoes existed in obscurity until fairly recently.
Soriano nel Cimino, Italy

Etruscan Pyramid of Bomarzo

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

Stone Phalluses of Pompeii

The walls and streets of the ancient city are peppered with penises.
Crespano del Grappa, Italy

Sacrario Militare del Monte Grappa

This military mausoleum captures the solemn grandeur that most memorials only aspire to.
Lecce, Italy

Vincent City

An eccentric artist's abode in this small Italian town has been transformed into a surreal temple of mosaic madness.
Padua, Italy

Padua Astronomical Clock

One of the world's oldest working clocks is curiously missing the Zodiac sign of Libra.
Castelnovo ne' Monti, Italy

Pietra Di Bismantova

An Italian geologic wonder that served as the inspiration for the landscape of Dante's hell.