David Sedaris called it "The greatest shop in the world."

This palatial spiral staircase was so unusual the name "snail" was given to the noble family who built it.

The location of the last witch trials of Italy, known as "The Salem of Europe."

Filled with goldfish swimming in a shallow pool of sea water, this ancient crypt is more wishing well than burial site.

Pilgrimage site for star-crossed lovers.

This former Roman Catholic Church still contains the embalmed hearts and organs of 22 popes.

This sword isn't waiting for a king to pull it out. It was placed there by a saint.

Skulls from the plague of 1656 and World War II bombings are united by a cult dedicated to caring for the ancient dead.

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

Crushed coral and crystals give the sand its signature coloration.

Ruins of a 10th century church tucked away deep in a botanical garden.

Over 50 exquisite hand-painted Renaissance maps decorate a Medici storage room.

This centuries-old Italian chapel hangs midway down a sheer cliffside.

The abandoned "Ghost Mansion" was left to decay in the mountains of Northern Italy.

A labyrinth of ancient tunnels hidden below the city holds the ruins of 2,500 years of history.

This enchanting 600-year-old tree is so magical it inspired the beloved tale of Pinocchio.

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

Hidden in an Italian forest is a completely homemade amusement park that has taken a lifetime to create.

An Italian hillside ghost town.

The last moments of the ill-fated Pompeiians, frozen forever in plaster.

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

An ossuary built in 1210 to collect bones from the Ospedale Maggiore of Milan.

The glowing blue Nymphaeum of Emperor Tiberius.

As can be expected from a centuries old church built in a canal city, the undercroft of this house of worship is beautifully flooded.