Eco-village hidden in the foothills of the Alps that created a massive system of psychedelic underground temples.

A fairytale island floats in the middle of Italy's little-known Lake Orta.

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

This medieval Italian town is a sheer (and beautiful) cliffside defense.

The location of the last witch trials of Italy, known as "The Salem of Europe."

A Nesting Doll of Churches.

A hospital where antique dolls are given new life.

One of several skulls claiming to belong to the beheaded St. John the Baptist is on display at this Roman church.

This immaculate and historic water garden culminates in a massive stone dining table with an inset fountain for chilling the wine of the Cardinal's guests.

This sword isn't waiting for a king to pull it out. It was placed there by a saint.

These "anatomical machines" are only one of the many strange items in this Italian crypt.

Skulls from the plague of 1656 and World War II bombings are united by a cult dedicated to caring for the ancient dead.

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

The abandoned "Ghost Mansion" was left to decay in the mountains of Northern Italy.

Abandoned medieval hill town.

The once forbidden "secret cabinet" of erotic art from excavations of Pompeii and Herculaneum.

Ruins of a 10th century church tucked away deep in a botanical garden.

This 16th-century monastery has been turned into a surrealist architecture compound.

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

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

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

Venice's "Island of the Mad."

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

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