Trips Experiences Courses Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Experiences Courses Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
All Italy

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Italy

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

Updated March 27, 2023

Email

Cities

Top Cities
Rome
Venice
Milan
Florence
Naples
Bologna
All Cities
  1. Albano Laziale
  2. Anagni
  3. Ascoli Piceno
  4. Asiago
  5. Bacoli
  6. Bassano Del Grappa
  7. Bergamo
  8. Bologna
  9. Bolzano
  10. Bordighera
  11. Borgo A Mozzano
  12. Caprarola
  13. Capri
  14. Castel Sant'elia
  15. Cefalù
  16. Chiusdino
  17. Collodi
  18. Como
  19. Coreglia Antelminelli
  20. Cori
  21. Ercolano
  22. Florence
  23. Genoa
  24. Gubbio
  25. Iglesias
  26. Imola
  27. Lampedusa E Linosa
  28. L'aquila
  29. Lecce
  30. Lido
  31. Livorno
  32. Lucca
  33. Mantua
  34. Matera
  35. Messina
  36. Milan
  37. Modena
  38. Naples
  39. Noasca
  40. Orvieto
  41. Osimo
  42. Padua
  43. Palermo
  44. Palestrina
  45. Pantelleria
  46. Parma
  47. Pavia
  48. Pisa
  49. Pompeii
  50. Ponza
  51. Portici
  52. Possagno
  53. Pozzuoli
  54. Raiano
  55. Ravenna
  56. Rieti
  57. Rimini
  58. Rivodutri
  59. Rome
  60. Rovereto
  61. Rovigo
  62. San Gimignano
  63. Sanremo
  64. Santa Maria Capua Vetere
  65. Segni
  66. Siena
  67. Sirmione
  68. Soriano Nel Cimino
  69. Sperlonga
  70. Stromboli
  71. Syracuse
  72. Torre Annunziata
  73. Trapani
  74. Treviso
  75. Trieste
  76. Turin
  77. Venice
  78. Ventotene
  79. Vernazza
  80. Verona
  81. Vicenza
  82. Viterbo
  83. Volterra
Attractions
Food & Drink
Trips
Map
Leaderboards
Stories
Lists

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
In partnership with KAYAK

Plan Your Trip

In partnership with GetYourGuide

Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

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

Places Added

  1. Avatar image for StepYoshi
    StepYoshi
    160
  2. Avatar image for LatiumMirabile
    LatiumMirabile
    126
  3. Avatar image for Annetta Black
    Annetta Black
    37
  4. Avatar image for Max Cortesi
    Max Cortesi
    21
  5. L
    Lakehurst
    16

Places Edited

  1. Avatar image for Collector of Experiences
    Collector of Experiences
    93
  2. Avatar image for StepYoshi
    StepYoshi
    76
  3. Avatar image for Rachel
    Rachel
    72
  4. Avatar image for Annetta Black
    Annetta Black
    72
  5. M
    Martin
    65

Places Visited

  1. Avatar image for LatiumMirabile
    LatiumMirabile
    386
  2. A
    alessissimo
    315
  3. Avatar image for StepYoshi
    StepYoshi
    242
  4. Avatar image for Kolar
    Kolar
    218
  5. C
    catherinedarley
    209

Recent Italy Activity

  • Avatar image for Jenniehoo

    Jenniehoo

    has been to Towers of San Gimignano

  • Avatar image for Jenniehoo

    Jenniehoo

    has been to Fosso Bianco

  • Avatar image for Jenniehoo

    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
March 27, 2023

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.
by Sarah Durn
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.

7

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.

10

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.

13

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.

9

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?

11

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

See Fewer Ads

Become an Atlas Obscura member and experience far fewer ads and no pop-ups.

Learn More

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube Twitter Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Puzzles
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Trips Blog
  • Art & Culture Trips
  • Food Trips
  • Hidden City Trips
  • History Trips
  • Photography Trips
  • Wildlife & Nature Trips
  • FAQ
  • Experiences
  • Online Courses
  • Online Experience FAQ
  • Online Course FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Press
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2023 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.