Places Ian Engweiler Wants to Go

The world's most active stratovolcano is almost always erupting.

The mystic whose incorrupt corpse still attracts the faithful.

A medieval weapon rumored to have been used by the brilliant poet himself.

An Italian ghost town that fought obscurity, until a mysterious illness brought it to its knees.

Every day is like Christmas on this street where the traditional Neapolitan nativity scene comes to life.

This hydrochronometer was invented by a Dominican monk and is a prime feature in this garden.

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

This Tuscan lake hides a 13th century town that is still visible when the water recedes.

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

Legend says this mysterious stone head belongs to a woman who was petrified by an alchemist.

This hill made entirely of ancient Roman jars was simply a garbage dump to the people of the time.

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

The graveyard is filled with beautiful funerary art and boasts breathtaking views of Florence.

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

Secret refuge and museum of the Duke of Florence.

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

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

One of seven Jewish catacombs in Rome and one of only two open to the public.

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

Installed in an act of one-upsmanship, the annual sundial in this church is also a symbolic victory for the Gregorian calendar.

This bronze boar's snout has been rubbed to a golden sheen by visitors seeking good fortune.

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

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

These "anatomical machines" are only one of the many strange items in this Italian crypt.