paisleypenguin's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Florence, Italy

Medici Hall of Maps (Sala delle Carte Geografiche)

Over 50 exquisite hand-painted Renaissance maps decorate a Medici storage room.
Civita, Italy

Civita di Bagnoregio

This quaint Italian town keeps losing ground as the sides of its plateau slowly erode.
Vernazza, Italy

Cinque Terre

Five candy-colored villages on the Italian Riviera.
Province of Matera, Italy

The Village of Craco

An Italian hillside ghost town.
Capannori, Italy

Oak of the Witches

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

Naples Underground

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

Casina delle Civette

A fairy tale castle in modern Rome.
Rome, Italy

The Catacombs of San Sebastian

Jesus' footprints and the first catacombs in the world.
Anacapri, Italy

Grotta Azzurra (Blue Grotto)

The glowing blue Nymphaeum of Emperor Tiberius.
Venice, Italy

San Servolo Insane Asylum Museum

Venice's "Island of the Mad."
Rome, Italy

Zuccari Palace

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

Terme di Saturnia

Geothermal waterfalls in Tuscany.
Ercolano, Italy

Herculaneum

Pompeii's less famous neighbor is still revealing her secrets.
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.
Alghero, Italy

Neptune's Grotto

Stalactites and stalagmites in a beautifully lit cave.
Florence, Italy

Buontalenti Grotta

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

Via Appia

2300-year-old Roman road connecting the empire.
Vaglia, Italy

The Colossus of Villa Demidoff

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

Santa Maria Novella Pharmacy

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

The Mouth of Truth

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