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

Borromini's Perspective Gallery of Palazzo Spada

This gallery commissioned by Cardinal Spada is known for its magnificent optical illusion.
Rome, Italy

Ludus Magnus

The ruins of the largest gladiatorial school in Rome are largely hidden under modern streets.
Rome, Italy

Palazzo Naiadi Roman Baths

Ancient ruins hidden underneath a modern luxury hotel.
Rome, Italy

The "Little London"

A modern sliver of architecture in Roma.
Venice, Italy

Poveglia Plague Island

A small island less than half a mile from Venice is a forbidden island with a dark and twisted past.
Venice, Italy

Giant Hands of Venice’s Grand Canal

A new sculpture calls attention to climate change in the centuries-old city it threatens.
Venice, Italy

Piraeus Lion

Thousand-year-old Viking runes adorn an ancient Greek lion at the entrance to the Venetian Arsenal.
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.
Venice, Italy

Scala Contarini del Bovolo

This palatial spiral staircase was so unusual the name "snail" was given to the noble family who built it.
Rome, Italy

Pons Fabricius

This is the oldest Roman-made bridge in the city still existing in its original state.
Rome, Italy

The Water Clock

This hydrochronometer was invented by a Dominican monk and is a prime feature in this garden.
Rome, Italy

Temple of Hercules Victor

This curious, round temple is the oldest still-standing marble building in Rome.
Rome, Italy

Cloaca Maxima

The "Greatest Sewer" of ancient Rome is one of the oldest sewer systems in the world, and is still in use.
Rome, Italy

Basilica of Santa Sabina

The best preserved Paleochristian basilica in Rome hides a number of oddities and secrets.
Rome, Italy

Parish Church of Santa Maria del Popolo

A treasure trove of Renaissance-era funerary art in a Roman church built on top of Nero's grave.
Rome, Italy

Natural Monument of Galeria Antica

An Italian ghost town that fought obscurity, until a mysterious illness brought it to its knees.
Rome, Italy

Mercatus Traiani (Trajan's Market)

This ancient market is often referred to as the oldest shopping mall in the world.
Rome, Italy

Lacus Curtius

A mysterious chasm in the heart of the ancient Roman Forum, the Lacus Curtius was once believed to be a gateway to hell.
Rome, Italy

Tempietto at San Pietro in Montorio

More sculpture than building, this architecturally significant temple was built on the spot of Saint Peter's crucifixion.
Rome, Italy

Trevi Waterfall

A magnificent waterfall is also home to the remains of a Roman hydraulic engineering system.
Rome, Italy

Villa Doria Pamphili Park

A huge enchanting public park just outside the ancient walls of Rome.
Rome, Italy

Arch of Gallienus

This Roman arch marks the location of an ancient gate at one of the Seven Hills of Rome.
Rome, Italy

Metropoliz Museum of the Other and the Elsewhere

An abandoned Roman salami factory has found new life as an art space home to 200 squatters.
Rome, Italy

Parco degli Acquedotti

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