0712889gvdv's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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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.
Venice, Italy

Ponte dei Pugni (Bridge of Fists)

100 year tradition of fist fights, marked by marble footsteps.
Tremosine, Italy

Strada della Forra

This winding road through an Italian canyon may be the most scenic drive in the world.
Florence, Italy

Il Porcellino

This bronze boar's snout has been rubbed to a golden sheen by visitors seeking good fortune.
San Fruttuoso, Italy

Cristo degli Abissi (Christ of the Abyss)

A sunken idol welcomes parishioners to Davy Jones' Locker.
Monte di Cuma, Italy

Antro della Sibilla (Cave of the Sibyl)

Virgil's many-mouthed gateway to the underworld.
Triora, Italy

The Town Of Witches

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

Nautilus Antiques and Old Oddities

David Sedaris called it "The greatest shop in the world."
Verona, Italy

Juliet's Balcony

Pilgrimage site for star-crossed lovers.
Cortenova, Italy

Villa de Vecchi

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

L.O.V.E.

This giant middle finger statue sends an unambiguous message to Italy's bankers.
Capannori, Italy

Oak of the Witches

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

Civita di Bagnoregio

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

Medici Hall of Maps (Sala delle Carte Geografiche)

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

Cinque Terre

Five candy-colored villages on the Italian Riviera.
Rome, Italy

St. Valentine's Skull

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

San Bernardino alle Ossa

An ossuary built in 1210 to collect bones from the Ospedale Maggiore of Milan.
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.
Riola, Italy

Rocchetta Mattei

Sitting on an Italian hilltop is this surreal fortress built by the mad inventor of electrohomeopathy.
Florence, Italy

Buontalenti Grotta

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

Grotta Azzurra (Blue Grotto)

The glowing blue Nymphaeum of Emperor Tiberius.
Italy

Carezza Rainbow Lake

According to the local folklore, the myriad colors of this lake are the result of a lovelorn wizard's blunder.
Saturnia, Italy

Terme di Saturnia

Geothermal waterfalls in Tuscany.