Legend says this sacred tree was a gift from goddess Athena.

This small 16th-century church in Athens is almost entirely surrounded by a modern building.

Heralded as the world's first theater, these ruins are often overlooked as they reside in the shadows of the Acropolis.

The home of Greece’s national poet sits crumbling in the middle of a popular tourist district.

These artifacts were discovered during the construction of the airport, with some dating back to the Neolithic period.

A quirky bookstore hidden beneath a sea of whitewashed Greek villas.

This black sand beach was crafted from volcanic explosions including the historic Minoan eruption.

The bomb-ravaged remains of of a colossal Neptune.

This amazing medieval fortress stands atop a promontory along the famous Cinque Terre.

This tiny chapel withstood a massive mudslide and flash flood.

Five candy-colored villages on the Italian Riviera.

The only visible reminders of an elaborate engineering project that kept the tower from reaching the tipping point.

First founded in 1472, this is the oldest bank in the world. Its history may explain why we call financial institutions "banks."

A dismembered holy head stares out from her beautiful reliquary at the St. Dominic Basilica.

These medieval skyscrapers dominate the skyline of this small Tuscan town.

The mummified relic of St. Antoninus.

Renaissance hospital featuring a rotating door into which unwanted babies were dropped.

A slightly creepy gallery of plaster cast models in the same museum as Michelangelo's David.

The oldest operating pharmacy in the world features 800-year-old recipes.

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

Legend says this mysterious stone head belongs to a woman who was petrified by an alchemist.

In Florence's great Duomo, a 26 foot fresco honors a mercenary famous for attacking Florence.

The middle finger of modernity.

This bronze boar's snout has been rubbed to a golden sheen by visitors seeking good fortune.