The 1,000-year-old abbey is the birthplace of modern musical notation.

A room filled with frescos that make it seem like the walls are crumbling down while giants die in despair.

A 2,000-year-old engineering wonder hides beneath an Italian town.

A small island in Lake Garda that was used as a burial site, pirate hideout, and a monastery.

This amazing medieval fortress stands atop a promontory along the famous Cinque Terre.

An abandoned bell tower in the middle of nowhere is the last testimony of a forgotten medieval village.

The "Mona Lisa" of funerary art.

Just saying the name of this town out loud is said to bring bad luck.

The old church, buried by the 1784 Mount Vesuvius eruption, is a remarkably well-preserved place where people now pray for the souls of the dead.

The oldest volcanology research center in the world.

This elaborate hole in the ground was built as a sacred site for an ancient civilization.

The pile of books behind the dignified writer gave the statue a most undignified nickname.

Also known as the Temple of Poseidon, this is one of the best-preserved Greek temples in the world.

The titular "little arch" near this Italian resort is one of the most popular diving spots in the country.

A mysterious ancient elephant said to possess magic powers is now the symbol of a Sicilian city.

A preserved dragon's rib that remembers the legend of the founding of the city of Atessa.

This network of roads is one of the most unique Etruscan creations ever discovered.

This building features dozens of faces along its facade, although one is a bit chilling.

A medieval fresco which reminds visitors that death will come for us all.

Suffocating dogs was a common spectacle in the fumes of this noxious cave.

This monumental fountain has moved around the city multiple times.

The “Sistine Chapel” of the Middle Ages merges 11th-century science and religion in wondrous hues.

This skeletal, unfinished Gothic church once housed a miraculous masterpiece by Raphael.

This Arabesque Italian castle was built with a primitive, if ingenious, air-conditioning system.