This historic island prison holds one of the dungeons from the Count of Monte Cristo even though it is a work of fiction.

The tradition of open-air secondhand and antiquarian bookselling in Paris dates back to the Renaissance.

This statue was given to France by the United States to commemorate the centennial of the French Revolution.

These rock drawings in the Côa Valley also create an ancient optical illusion.

The water-powered carriages are long gone, but for over a century this funicular railway has been the fastest route to the highest point in Paris.

This statue is the only female representation of Rome's "talking statues."

Plaques on its facade commemorate the Tiber's most destructive deluges.

A statue representing a lost Roman profession that was vandalized for centuries.

An 18th century fountain and two columns are all that remains of Rome's forgotten river harbor.

A rather vulgar example of the transition from Latin to the Italian vernacular.

Romans decided this 16th-century "talking statue" was so ugly, they named it after a primate.

A detailed pachyderm supports Rome's smallest Egyptian obelisk.

The best preserved Paleochristian basilica in Rome hides a number of oddities and secrets.

A treasure trove of Renaissance-era funerary art in a Roman church built on top of Nero's grave.

A huge enchanting public park just outside the ancient walls of Rome.

Brass cobblestones mark the places where individual Holocaust victims were taken from their homes.

The spot where the fascist dictator made some of his most famous speeches including declaring war on Britain and France.

The "Great Sewer" of ancient Rome is one of the oldest sewer systems in the world, and is still in use.

More sculpture than building, this architecturally significant temple was built on the spot of Saint Peter's crucifixion.

This Roman arch marks the location of an ancient gate at one of the Seven Hills of Rome.

This ancient Roman prison is decorated with an upside-down cross not as blasphemy but as saintly tribute.

A Nesting Doll of Churches.

This beautiful park on the outskirts of Rome protects the ruins of two colossal ancient aqueducts.

This ritzy Italian market is built around a statue of an unforgiven heretic who was burned for his belief in an endless universe.