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.
Places I want to go
Places on this traveler's wishlist.
Venice, Italy
This palatial spiral staircase was so unusual the name "snail" was given to the noble family who built it.
Venice, Italy
100 year tradition of fist fights, marked by marble footsteps.
Tremosine, Italy
This winding road through an Italian canyon may be the most scenic drive in the world.
Florence, Italy
This bronze boar's snout has been rubbed to a golden sheen by visitors seeking good fortune.
San Fruttuoso, Italy
A sunken idol welcomes parishioners to Davy Jones' Locker.
Monte di Cuma, Italy
Virgil's many-mouthed gateway to the underworld.
Triora, Italy
The location of the last witch trials of Italy, known as "The Salem of Europe."
Modena, Italy
David Sedaris called it "The greatest shop in the world."
Verona, Italy
Pilgrimage site for star-crossed lovers.
Cortenova, Italy
The abandoned "Ghost Mansion" was left to decay in the mountains of Northern Italy.
Milan, Italy
This giant middle finger statue sends an unambiguous message to Italy's bankers.
Capannori, Italy
This enchanting 600-year-old tree is so magical it inspired the beloved tale of Pinocchio.
Civita, Italy
This quaint Italian town keeps losing ground as the sides of its plateau slowly erode.
Florence, Italy
Over 50 exquisite hand-painted Renaissance maps decorate a Medici storage room.
Vernazza, Italy
Five candy-colored villages on the Italian Riviera.
Rome, Italy
The skull of the patron saint of lovers lies in the Basilica di Santa Maria in Cosmedin—maybe.
Milan, Italy
An ossuary built in 1210 to collect bones from the Ospedale Maggiore of Milan.
Florence, Italy
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
Sitting on an Italian hilltop is this surreal fortress built by the mad inventor of electrohomeopathy.
Florence, Italy
A large grotto built in the 16th century amidst Florence's famous Boboli gardens.
Nervesa della Battaglia, Italy
Hidden in an Italian forest is a completely homemade amusement park that has taken a lifetime to create.
Anacapri, Italy
The glowing blue Nymphaeum of Emperor Tiberius.
Italy
According to the local folklore, the myriad colors of this lake are the result of a lovelorn wizard's blunder.
Saturnia, Italy
Geothermal waterfalls in Tuscany.