Siena, Italy
Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena
First founded in 1472, this is the oldest bank in the world. Its history may explain why we call financial institutions "banks."
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Places I've been
Places this traveler has marked as been there.
San Gimignano, Italy
Towers of San Gimignano
These medieval skyscrapers dominate the skyline of this small Tuscan town.
Florence, Italy
Vasari Corridor
This private skyway is filled with art and was expanded explicitly so that Hitler could appreciate a river.
Florence, Italy
Fresco of John Hawkwood
In Florence's great Duomo, a 26 foot fresco honors a mercenary famous for attacking Florence.
Rome, Italy
Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana
Also known as the Square Colosseum, this building is a prime example of fascist-era rationalist architecture.
New York, New York
Gay Liberation
The first piece of public art dedicated to LGBT rights.
New York, New York
President Ulysses S. Grant's Tomb
Visit the monolithic tomb of America's most famous general.
New York, New York
Strawberry Fields Memorial
This mosaic dedicated to John Lennon was tended for years by a Beatles super-fan.
Washington, D.C.
Almas Temple
One of the last mosaic tile facades found in the city.
Washington, D.C.
Russian Ambassador's Residence
Was there a small "backpack nuke" hidden in the attic? JFK apparently thought so.
Washington, D.C.
Civil War Nurses Memorial
A bas relief commemorates the "Nuns of the Battlefield" who cared for soldiers on both sides of the conflict.
Washington, D.C.
Man Controlling Trade
A muscular Art Deco monument represents the struggle between regulators and unbridled markets.
Hanover, New Hampshire
The Epic of American Civilization
3,200-square-foot mural inside Dartmouth Library depicts the history of America with images of human sacrifice, ancient gods, and other unspeakable terrors.
Hanover, New Hampshire
Panarchy Tomb Room
The strange, ritualistic-seeming 100+ year old basement of a New Hampshire undergrad society.
Charlottesville, Virginia
The Raven Room
Edgar Allan Poe's old dorm is now a shrine to the author's legacy.
Charlottesville, Virginia
University of Virginia's Seven Society
The story behind the mysterious symbol painted in front of the historic university's famous Rotunda.
Washington, D.C.
Fireworks Safety Zone on the National Mall
On the Fourth of July this area will transform into a Pompeii-like storm of falling embers and ash.
Washington, D.C.
Rotunda of the Provinces
An echo chamber with a waterfall wrapped around its base at the Embassy of Canada in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Jean Jules Jusserand Memorial
An obscure federal monument honors the French diplomat who served as Ambassador to the U.S. during WWI.
Port Royal, Virginia
Assassin's End
The Virginia farm where John Wilkes Booth met his grisly end is now largely forgotten.
Washington, D.C.
Andrew W. Mellon Memorial Fountain
A spectacular tribute to statesman and philanthropist Andrew Mellon.
Washington, D.C.
'Spirit of the Haida Gwaii'
A glimpse of the Pacific Northwest‘s indigenous culture in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Holodomor Memorial
An easily overlooked memorial to a Ukrainian famine-genocide that killed over 4 million people.
Washington, D.C.
Owney the Postal Dog
A traveling postal dog covered 48 states and more than 140,000 miles, and he lives on as taxidermy, patched up with a rabbit's foot and a pig's ear.
