Mistique's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Rome, Italy

Zuccari Palace

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

St. Valentine's Skull

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

The Mouth of Truth

The yawning maw of this pagan visage is said to bite off the hands of liars.
Rome, Italy

Porta Alchemica

An alchemist's "magic door" stands in the middle of a Roman park.
Baia, Italy

The Sunken City of Baia

A submerged archeological park still holds the wonders of a Roman Sodom.
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.
Rome, Italy

Pyramid of Cestius

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

Galileo's Middle Finger

The middle finger of modernity.
Venice, Italy

The Mad Colored Houses of Burano

This community on a small Venetian island has taken to painting their houses in bright neon hues.
Rome, Italy

The Aventine Keyhole

Rome's semi-secret peephole vista is also a former Crusader stronghold.
Venice, Italy

Libreria Acqua Alta

This Venice bookstore has resigned itself to constant flooding by keeping its books in bathtubs and boats.
Bomarzo, Italy

The Monsters of Bomarzo

A 16th-century horror show built in a lovely Italian garden.
Rome, Italy

Quartiere Coppedè

Architectureal fantasy quarter of Rome.
Rome, Italy

The Dome Illusion

A master of trompe-l'oeil creates a stunning, tourist-fooling dome out of a flat ceiling.
Rome, Italy

Galleria Sciarra

This hidden Art Nouveau courtyard is an opulent feast for the eyes.
Sorrento, Italy

Valle dei Mulini (Valley of the Mills)

An Italian crevasse filled with abandoned buildings gives visitors a look at the world without humans.
Rome, Italy

Torre Argentina (Roman Cat Sanctuary)

Hundreds of lucky felines haunt the ruins where Caesar was murdered.
Rome, Italy

Santa Maria della Concezione Crypts

The crypts of Capuchin friars decorated with the bones of over 4,000 friars, including an entire "crypt of pelvises."
Rockport, Washington

Ladder Creek Falls and Gardens

The illuminated falls are a gem in North Cascades National Park.
Marblemount, Washington

Temple of Power

This sci-fi gazebo located in a Washington power town is made from old bits of industrial electrical equipment.
Leavenworth, Washington

Leavenworth's Bavarian Village

One small town in the Pacific Northwest transformed itself into a Bavarian-themed tourist destination.