A gorgeous medieval library where the books are kept in chains.

This zoological museum began as the first great curiosity cabinet.

It’s said this crypt was the setting for the tragic finale of the Shakespeare play.

One man's quest to fix his toilet unearthed over 5,000 artifacts spanning more than 2,000 years of history.

This breathtaking monastery was established by Saint Benedict himself 1,500 years ago.

A fascinating assortment of cave dwellings, medieval ruins, and sarcophagi are being devoured by the forest.

Amalfi's pre-industrial history is slowly being engulfed by the lush vegetation of the Ferriere Valley.

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

The top of society once luxuriated in this world-class hotel, which continues to impress, even in ruin.

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

These hut foundations are believed to be the residence of Romulus, founder of Rome.

Romans decided this 16th-century "talking statue" was so ugly, they named it after a primate.

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

The first botanical garden, a feather in the cap of the Grand Duke of Tuscany.

The oldest of Venice's plague quarantine stations, designed to keep the medieval city safe from disease.

Remnants of a 4th-century church with vivid medieval frescoes and ancient sarcophagi hide beneath this old basilica.

Artistic tombs, monuments, and a beautiful "Hall of Fame" lurk inside this cemetery.

This Roman statue is missing a limb from when the Venetians stole it from Constantinople during the Crusades.

An open-air museum in a mountain valley features works designed to blend in with—and disintegrate back into—their natural surroundings.

Behind medieval walls in a corner of bustling Palermo is a breathtaking former mosque once inhabited by a wolf-taming hermit.

Crumbling ruins of the thermal baths that once attracted royals and aristocrats from throughout Europe.

The mark of the Devil's horns on a marble column in Milan.

The ruins of an abbey believed to have been founded by Charlemagne in the 9th century.

In the world's oldest university is a stunning 17th century anatomical theater carved from spruce.