On rare days, this abandoned castle's gatekeepers open its doors, revealing the eye-popping splendor hidden inside.

This medieval Italian village was transformed into an architectural marvel by the famous "Papessa" Donna Olimpia.

Just one of the Italian corridors vying for the title of the country's narrowest.

Inscriptions found in the Majella mountains reveal stories of resistance and rebellion after the unification of Italy.

This Italian museum is a one-of-a-kind celebration of printing and type.

A deep mark on the remains of a Roman temple, believed to be left by a legendary warrior.

More than 450 years ago, an Italian nun became the first woman to paint the iconic subject.

Production site for handmade clay bricks.

A 17th-century doorway in a small Sabine village is a portal into the mysteries of alchemy.

One of the earliest relics of Italian art is this ornately equipped stone soldier.

Legend said this huge, gnarled tree sheltered the saint during a storm.

A fortified medieval basilica on the Caelian Hill preserves extraordinary frescoes and one of Rome's most beautiful hidden cloisters.

An incredible mosaic-lined monument said to have held the remains of an ancient Roman empress.

Built to be the ideal penitentiary, this abandoned panopticon saw several revolts and even a prisoners' coup.

A town saturated in Italian rationalist architecture was once marshland drained by Mussolini.

A beautiful chapel on the hills of the Oltrepò Pavese claims to house the tomb of King Edward II of England.

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

Also known as the Square Colosseum, this building is a prime example of fascist-era rationalist architecture.

The remains of an ancient Roman city are hidden underneath Bologna's beautiful public library.

Why a column on the entrance is inscribed with a verse from the Quran is one of Sicily's many mysteries.

The entire known universe of the ancient Etruscans is held inside this bronze model of a sheep’s liver.

This cliff-face port is considered a masterpiece of mining engineering.

Ride a boat through this magnificent underground world, which now doubles as a theater.

This skeletal, unfinished Gothic church once housed a miraculous masterpiece by Raphael.