nmcclemons's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
Loading map...
Rome, Italy

Saint Victoria's Incorruptible Body

The martyr's wax-enhanced skeletal remains lie preserved in a glass case in the Santa Maria della Vittoria in Rome.
Nervesa della Battaglia, Italy

Ai Pioppi Playground

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

Oak of the Witches

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

La Specola Anatomical Collection

The largest and most famous wax anatomical collection anywhere in the world.
Anacapri, Italy

Grotta Azzurra (Blue Grotto)

The glowing blue Nymphaeum of Emperor Tiberius.
Naples, Italy

Naples Underground

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

Rocchetta Mattei

Sitting on an Italian hilltop is this surreal fortress built by the mad inventor of electrohomeopathy.
Rome, Italy

Casina delle Civette

A fairy tale castle in modern Rome.
Palermo, Italy

Capuchin Monastery Catacombs

Thousands of well-dressed mummies below a monastery.
Rome, Italy

Parco degli Acquedotti

This beautiful park on the outskirts of Rome protects the ruins of two colossal ancient aqueducts.
Italy

Carezza Rainbow Lake

According to the local folklore, the myriad colors of this lake are the result of a lovelorn wizard's blunder.
Vaglia, Italy

The Colossus of Villa Demidoff

Renaissance villa and gardens complete with a tormented colossus.
Rome, Italy

The Protestant Cemetery

The final resting place of the poets Shelley and Keats.
Milan, Italy

San Bernardino alle Ossa

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

The Flooded Crypt of San Zaccaria

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

Zuccari Palace

Architectural monsters are devouring this palace's every door and window.
Florence, Italy

Buontalenti Grotta

A large grotto built in the 16th century amidst Florence's famous Boboli gardens.
Rome, Italy

St. Valentine's Skull

The skull of the patron saint of lovers lies in the Basilica di Santa Maria in Cosmedin—maybe.
Rome, Italy

Santa Maria dell'Orazione e Morte

At the crypt of St. Mary of Eulogies and the Dead you are left alone to ponder mortality among piles of skulls.
Florence, Italy

Santa Maria Novella Pharmacy

The oldest operating pharmacy in the world features 800-year-old recipes.
Rome, Italy

The Mithraeum at Circus Maximus

The underground sanctuary of a mysterious ancient cult.
Rome, Italy

Pyramid of Cestius

The only "Egyptian" pyramid in Europe and the legendary tomb of Remus.
Florence, Italy

Michelangelo's Hidden Drawings

The doodles of a genius line the walls of a secret room under the Medici Chapel, where they were hidden for nearly 500 years.
Florence, Italy

Galileo's Middle Finger

The middle finger of modernity.