Sacred Spaces

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

This monastery built into a cliff hides a perfectly preserved hermit in a glass coffin.

A rather vulgar example of the transition from Latin to the Italian vernacular.

This Norman castle has been the scene of assassination plots, religious persecution, and Nazi conspiracies throughout its long history.

A charmingly unusual prefabricated metal church designed by Alexandre Gustave Eiffel.

The city of Palestrina was built around this magnificent terraced sanctuary dedicated to the pagan goddess Fortuna.

The remains of three different ancient civilizations have been found at this rich archaeological site.

This cathedral hides a sculpted dog that determines your fate and an unexploded shell from World War II.

A fascinating assortment of cave dwellings, medieval ruins, and sarcophagi are being devoured by the forest.

The ruins of a medieval monastery built on a perilous slope.

A brick building in Kathmandu's Durbar Square is home to Nepal's most prominent living goddess.

The coffin-shaped church was once home to monks who slept in coffins.

The tallest minaret in Yemen is 150 feet high and entirely made of mud.