Places Cakebrains Wants to Go

One of the best-preserved Roman amphitheaters is still used today, but for less brutal events.

This massive subterranean fissure is known as the "underground Grand Canyon."

One of the largest caves in the world open to the public.

Europe's only Temple of Mithras located in a natural cave.

A star-shaped fortress town fort built in the geometric model of the Renaissance utopian city.

These elaborate gothic monuments honor Verona's medieval lords.

One of the oldest libraries in the world is still operating and contains the oldest existing document in the Italian language.

An unremarkable wooden wheel built into the side of one of Rome's oldest hospitals was part of a policy to reduce infant exposure.

Breathtaking and huge 430 year old maps of Italy.

A collection of objects supposedly singed by the hands of souls in purgatory.

This large, circular tomb is the final resting place of the first emperor of Rome.

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

This Italian stadium makes liberal use of fascist statuary to evoke classical sporting arenas.

This shining multicolored metro station deep under Naples is said to be the most beautiful in Europe.

The relics of dozens of martyrs are stored in a single chapel.

The Neapolitan Cult of the Dead still cares for the skulls at this mini-Fontanelle.

A special area of the National Archaeological Museum of Naples is located inside a metro station.

A rococo room covered entirely in porcelain originally constructed for another royal residence.

An underground paleo-Christian burial site composed of the remains of several cemeteries and Basilicas.

Skulls from the plague of 1656 and World War II bombings are united by a cult dedicated to caring for the ancient dead.

Pompeii's less famous neighbor is still revealing her secrets.

This tiny islet has somehow housed an ancient temple, two monasteries, a church, a fortress, and a restaurant.

Buried next to Pompeii, this lesser-known Roman villa was the opulent vacation home of Emperor Nero's wife.

For centuries, this large Roman villa remained hidden thanks to the eruption that buried nearby Pompeii and Herculaneum.