Places Ian Engweiler Wants to Go

A large grotto built in the 16th century amidst Florence's famous Boboli gardens.

At the crypt of St. Mary of Eulogies and the Dead you are left alone to ponder mortality among piles of skulls.

2300-year-old Roman road connecting the empire.

The oldest operating pharmacy in the world features 800-year-old recipes.

The underground sanctuary of a mysterious ancient cult.

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

The doodles of a genius line the walls of a secret room under the Medici Chapel, where they were hidden for nearly 500 years.

The middle finger of modernity.

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

Rome’s legendary peephole vista is also a former Crusader stronghold.

This Venice bookstore has resigned itself to constant flooding by keeping its books in bathtubs and boats.

Architectureal fantasy quarter of Rome.

An Italian crevasse filled with abandoned buildings gives visitors a look at the world without humans.

A 16th-century horror show built in a lovely Italian garden.

An expansive collection donated by an heirless nobleman formed this admission-free civic museum.

A small but very fascinating fountain in the center of Rome with four books and a deer carved.

Only the original archway remains from the building where a false cry of "fire" started a panic that claimed more than 70 lives on Christmas Eve in 1913.

The writing studio of an American adventure author, built in the style of a medieval castle.

This mechanical wonder towers above a river in Michigan's capital city.

The last remaining tollhouse in Michigan built during the 19th-century plank road craze.

Dilapidated Mayan-themed ballroom was one of Detroit's most popular venues through the 40s.

This sprawling bookstore spans four floors and has more than a million books in stock.

A Beaux-Arts triumph rises from decades of decay to become the heart of a new innovation district.

The grandiose interior of this bar speaks to its past as home to famous jewelers and railway offices.