The mountaintop inspiration for Umberto Eco's "The Name of the Rose."

A detailed pachyderm supports Rome's smallest Egyptian obelisk.

Fortified medieval tower house with lovely roof garden.

This breathtaking monastery was established by Saint Benedict himself 1,500 years ago.

Two stone columns flank the grand Venice square, but there were supposed to be three.

One of the most well-preserved castles in Italy also contains a rare medieval example of a port fortification.

Water and windows define this defensive Italian well.

Those who own or stay at this 500-year-old, allegedly cursed house often meet terrible fates.

A stunning bridge that appears as if it's lunging to the shore, and has a legend of a devilish architect.

The bomb-ravaged remains of of a colossal Neptune.

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

Bell tower juts out from a village buried under a lake.

Venice's island of the dead.

Romans built the world's tallest artificial waterfall in 271 BC.

This palatial spiral staircase was so unusual the name "snail" was given to the noble family who built it.

This medieval Italian town is a sheer (and beautiful) cliffside defense.

Pilgrimage site for star-crossed lovers.

This domed temple was built in a hidden cave mouth as a refuge for sinners seeking absolution.

This centuries-old Italian chapel hangs midway down a sheer cliffside.

Five candy-colored villages on the Italian Riviera.

This quaint Italian town keeps losing ground as the sides of its plateau slowly erode.

Venice's "Island of the Mad."

The only "Egyptian" pyramid in Europe and the legendary tomb of Remus.

According to the local folklore, the myriad colors of this lake are the result of a lovelorn wizard's blunder.