Legend says if you stick your thumb in the hole and it gets wet, your wish will be granted.

A fountain standing as a testament to a doomed alliance.

This remarkably well-preserved Egyptian plinth is pretty well traveled for a giant piece of stone.

Ancient serpentine sacrifice holder that has stood the test of time.

Breathtaking and huge 430 year old maps of Italy.

One of several skulls claiming to belong to the beheaded St. John the Baptist is on display at this Roman church.

An alchemist's “magic door” stands in the middle of a Roman park.

A massive marble foot is tucked away in a small alley near the Pantheon.

Stone memorial that's said to predict the death of the pope and the site of the Cadaver Synod.

Historic fortifications form the boundary of Vatican City, but it’s not entirely surrounded by walls.

These spartan apartments are provided to clergymen visiting Vatican City.

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

The remains of this 2nd-century Roman temple are incorporated into a modern building.

The Pope’s secret escape route.

A master of trompe-l'oeil creates a stunning, tourist-fooling dome out of a flat ceiling.

This hidden Art Nouveau courtyard is an opulent feast for the eyes.

This former Roman Catholic Church still contains the embalmed hearts and organs of 22 popes.

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

This ancient market is often referred to as the oldest shopping mall in the world.

Legend has it that this bronze orb, which sat atop an ancient Egyptian obelisk, once held the ashes of Julius Caesar.

In the early Roman Empire, people deemed traitors and criminals were tossed to their deaths from this rock.

A mysterious chasm in the heart of the ancient Roman Forum, the Lacus Curtius was once believed to be a gateway to hell.

St. Francesca Romana, patron saint of drivers, resides in the church she founded.

An ancient Roman temple first dedicated to an emperor's wife is now a church.