The Atlas Obscura Guide To Italy

930 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Italy

Updated March 27, 2023

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Unusual Attractions in Italy

Rome, Italy

Santa Maria della Concezione Crypts

The crypts of Capuchin friars decorated with the bones of over 4,000 friars, including an entire "crypt of pelvises."

Sorrento, Italy

Valle dei Mulini (Valley of the Mills)

An Italian crevasse filled with abandoned buildings gives visitors a look at the world without humans.

Rome, Italy

Torre Argentina (Roman Cat Sanctuary)

Hundreds of lucky felines haunt the ruins where Caesar was murdered.

Bomarzo, Italy

The Monsters of Bomarzo

A 16th-century horror show built in a lovely Italian garden.

Venice, Italy

Libreria Acqua Alta

This Venice bookstore has resigned itself to constant flooding by keeping its books in bathtubs and boats.

Rome, Italy

Quartiere Coppedè

Architectureal fantasy quarter of Rome.

Rome, Italy

Galleria Sciarra

This hidden Art Nouveau courtyard is an opulent feast for the eyes.

Baia, Italy

The Sunken City of Baia

A submerged archeological park still holds the wonders of a Roman Sodom.

See All 930 Things To Do in Italy

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Italy

Milan, Italy

BackDoor 43

One of the world’s smallest bars, just 13 square feet, is brimming with speakeasy flair.

Florence, Italy

Babae Wine Window

Drink wine handed out through a window as part of an age-old tradition.

Rome, Italy

Servian Wall at McDonald's

Inside this McDonald's you can dine on your Big Mac and fries next to a 2,500-year-old Roman wall.

Rome, Italy

Passticeria il Boccione

In Rome’s Jewish ghetto, a 200-year-old bakery still makes the neighborhood’s historic sweets.

See all 10 Places to Eat in Italy

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Atlas Obscura Trips

Northern Italy’s Culinary Treasures

Taste your way through Italy’s northwest region of Piedmont, sampling sweets, sipping local wine, and foraging for truffles.

Learn More

Explore Italy

Sacred Spaces 141

History & Culture 117

Churches 116

Ruins 102

Roman 99

Medieval 77

Ancient 76

Art 72

Architectural Oddities 64

History 55

Statues 53

Religion 51

Places To Stay 7

Unique Restaurants & Bars 5

Italy Leaderboard

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Recent Italy Activity

Jenniehoo

has been to Towers of San Gimignano
Jenniehoo

has been to Fosso Bianco
Jenniehoo

has been to Norchia Necropolis
L

Luluvinci

wants to go to Vasari Corridor
L

Luluvinci

wants to go to L’importuno di Michelangelo

Stories About Italy

A Hidden Caravaggio Masterpiece, An Inheritance Feud, and a Roman Villa up for Sale

The future of a mysterious painting by the famed 17th-century "rebel artist" hangs in the balance.

by Monika Schmitter

The 'Archaeology' of Plastics Is an Exercise in Nostalgia and Dread

An Italian naturalist and guide has turned beach trash and memory into a commentary on our age.

by Alessio Perrone

February 8, 2023

Podcast: Galileo’s Middle Finger

Investigating a renowned scientist's iconic digit.

by The Podcast Team

January 31, 2023

The Sauce That Survived Italy's War on Pasta

The Futurists tried to abolish pasta and all they got was this delicious dish.

by Sam Lin-Sommer

January 27, 2023

Meet Caterina Sforza and Other Warrior Queens History Forgot

From Italy’s fortress-seizing countess to Angola’s battle-hardened Queen Njinga, these women didn’t back down from a fight.

January 26, 2023

Were These Giant Carved Stones Used to Make Ancient Italian Wine?

Rocky artifacts may offer insight into an Etruscan industry.

by Vittoria Traverso

January 18, 2023

In This Seaside Town, the New Year Brings a Battle With the ‘Witches of the Sea’

The local Epiphany celebration of Grado, Italy, is inspired by a mysterious band of 16th-century pirates.

by Vittoria Traverso

January 3, 2023

Rediscovering Calabria's Mystical White Olives

An archeologist is mapping out the last remaining trees.

by Elena Valeriote

December 7, 2022

Lists Featuring Italy

The crostata, with the storefront in the background.

7 Extraordinary Jewish Restaurants Around the World

A global map of diverse delights.

Including Passticeria il Boccione, Gottlieb's Restaurant, and Nahoum and Sons

Ponte di Cecco

10 Italian Sites Shrouded in Mystery and Legend

The places that inspire one of our top contributors to want to learn more.

Including Gaiola Island, Ponte di Cecco, and Church of San Giacomo di Rialto

Madaba Mosaic Map

The gallery of maps, showing the ceiling

Great Polish Map of Scotland

13 Marvelous Maps That Go Way Beyond Paper

Charting the world's most intriguing out-of-the-box cartography.

Including Madaba Mosaic Map, Gallery of Maps - Galleria delle Carte Geografiche, and Mapparium

They were built in 1979.

The Howe Street stair corridor is the longest in Seattle.

Seward Street Slides

When Stairs and Slides Are Hiding in Plain Sight

Play real-life Chutes and Ladders at these obscure thruways.

Including Secret Tiled Staircase, Esmeralda Slide Park, and Howe Street Stairs

(Flickr/andreakw)

The bathroom

Some of the decorations include broken crockery that have been priced back together

11 Homes Transformed Into Amazing Mosaics

If you own your property, why not bedazzle it?

Including Wyckoff Street Mosaic, La Maison Picassiette, and House of Mirrors

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