Jean Valjean's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Venice, Italy

St. Mark's Lost Third Column

Two stone columns flank the grand Venice square, but there were supposed to be three.
Michael Inscoe Added by Michael Inscoe
Venice, Italy

St. Mark's Clock Tower (Torre dell'Orologio)

Go inside to really appreciate this 500-year-old technological masterpiece.
Annetta Black Added by Annetta Black
Venice, Italy

Ponte delle Tette

In the past, Renaissance sex workers were encouraged to entice customers on this bridge.
StepYoshi Added by StepYoshi
Pompeii, Italy

Thermopolia of Pompeii

Ancient snack bar of the Roman Empire re-opened.
atimian Added by atimian
Pompeii, Italy

Pompeii Thermopolium

Before it was buried by volcanic ash, this fast-food restaurant fed the hungry hordes of ancient Rome.
Diana Hubbell Added by Diana Hubbell
Pompeii, Italy

The Brothels of Pompeii

Erotic art covers the walls of the largest ancient pleasure palace.
Annetta Black Added by Annetta Black
Pompeii, Italy

Plaster Citizens of Pompeii

The last moments of the ill-fated Pompeiians, frozen forever in plaster.
Annetta Black Added by Annetta Black
Rome, Italy

Arch of Dolabella

This small Roman arch was transformed into a dwelling by the founder of the Trinitarian Order.
LatiumMirabile Added by LatiumMirabile
Washington, D.C.

Capitol Building Tunnel System

Members of Congress have traveled between the buildings on Capitol Hill for a century hidden from tourists, press, and storm clouds.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
Washington, D.C.

Capitol Bollards

The 5.5-mile ring of steel posts around the Capitol Building is one of the largest (and most uniform) of its kind in the world.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
Washington, D.C.

First FDR Memorial

One of the most influential presidents in U.S. history wanted only this plain, elegant monument as his lasting memorial.
R Stemple Added by R Stemple
Washington, D.C.

Albert Einstein Bronze Statue

The beloved statue at the National Academy of Sciences is oh so inviting to sit on.
SuzieF Added by SuzieF
Washington, D.C.

Legislative Bell System

An ear-piercing buzzer calls lawmakers to a vote with a series of long and short rings to form coded messages.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
Washington, D.C.

Knife Edge

Architecture lovers won’t stop touching the National Gallery's 19.5 degree marble prow.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
Washington, D.C.

The Lockkeeper's House

A derelict bit of infrastructure from the canal that once ran through D.C. is landlocked in the heart of the city.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
Washington, D.C.

First Teddy Bear

The story behind this beloved toy—named for Theodore Roosevelt and owned by his grandson—is more complicated than you might guess.
Added by heshsf
Washington, D.C.

Bare-Chested George Washington

Perhaps the most scandalous statue of America's first president.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
Arlington, Virginia

Mary Randolph Gravesite

Recorded as the first person buried in Arlington Cemetery.
Added by blimpcaptain
Arlington, Virginia

The Graves of Robert E. Lee's Garden

Soldiers were buried next to Lee's house in the center of Arlington Cemetery to dissuade the general from reclaiming his property after the war.
Added by evyatarguttman
Washington, D.C.

Rayburn House Office Building

One critic described it as "middle Mussolini, early Ramses, and late Neiman-Marcus." Another called it an architectural "natural disaster."
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
Washington, D.C.

Washington Monument Marble Stripe

Look closely and you’ll notice that the color changes a third of the way up the tower.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
Washington, D.C.

Jefferson Pier Marker

A tiny monument to the unsuccessful attempt by Thomas Jefferson to place the prime meridian in Washington.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter
Washington, D.C.

Carousel on the National Mall

Washington's iconic carousel has a nice piece of Civil Rights history.
R Stemple Added by R Stemple
Washington, D.C.

Kilroy Was Here

There’s a hidden military meme engraved on the World War II Memorial.
Elliot Carter Added by Elliot Carter