Places gavinsparby Wants to Go

What looks like a link in Gondor's early warning system is actually a centuries-old Italian fortress.

This skeletal, unfinished Gothic church once housed a miraculous masterpiece by Raphael.

A dead saint, a deadly poison, and a mysterious holy ooze.

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

Next to the Leaning Tower of Pisa is a cemetery home to ancient sarcophagi and disturbing murals.

This Arabesque Italian castle was built with a primitive, if ingenious, air-conditioning system.

A petite white lighthouse perched on the ancient core of Stromboli Volcano.

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

Known for centuries as the famous Roman emperor's burial place, this monument is actually something else.

This ancient Roman arch misled treasure hunters for centuries.

Sleep amongst an abundance of art from the modern era.

A semi-abandoned village destroyed by U.S. bombings during World War II dominates the valley of Turano.

This scenic fortress dates back at least 2,400 years to the time of Magna Graecia.

This triumphal 16th-century arched gateway leads to the oldest street in Palermo.

Ancient cave tombs known as the "houses of fairies."

An abandoned 17th-century baroque hunting lodge with a wonderfully strange architectural plan.

Macabre symbols of death and mummies on display set the tone of this Italian purgatory church.

This ancient walled garden turns fog into food.

The pristine waters crossing this forest form a hidden waterfall among the dense vegetation.

Fountain where visitors can earn a license to be mad.

Windblown rock formations in an ancient Roman quarry.

An unusual house built using an iso-elastic membrane.

This clifftop arch is a natural stunner.

Before it was buried by volcanic ash, this fast-food restaurant fed the hungry hordes of ancient Rome.