Legacy of the earthquake that nearly wiped Lisbon off the face of the Earth.

The skull of the patron saint of lovers lies in the Basilica di Santa Maria in Cosmedin—maybe.

A water tower shaped like a giant coffee pot looms over a small Swedish village in Central California.

Over 300 taxidermied animals in a Californian restaurant make for a taxidermist's dream and an animal lover's nightmare.

A store full of vintage and indie toys designed to bring out the kid in even the crustiest of adults.

Locals dubbed it the "Owl Building" because of its bird-like appearance.

A 1914 beaux arts auditorium that sat shuttered for 20 years, restored and reopened in 2026

A crumbling Beaux Arts monument to the Bay Area's age of rail.

An incredible mosaic-lined monument said to have held the remains of an ancient Roman empress.

Psychoanalyst Carl Jung reported a paranormal experience after visiting this mosaic-lined Roman baptistry.

A medieval, mosaic-lined baptistry built by a heretical Christian sect.

This one-of-a-kind convent boasts a kaleidoscopic exterior of stars and double-headed eagles.

The abandoned zoo enclosures offer a perfect place to experience the other side of the bars.

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

Thousand-year-old Viking runes adorn an ancient Greek lion at the entrance to the Venetian Arsenal.

The walls and streets of the ancient city are peppered with penises.

In medieval times this small stone seat was used as a bizarre way to punish insolvent debtors.

The home of one of California's most important horticulturalists wilts amidst a lovely park.

Hanging within this medieval church are the bones of a beast allegedly slain by a fourth-century saint.

This Roman statue is missing a limb from when the Venetians stole it from Constantinople during the Crusades.

Where Venice's gondolas go for a tune-up.

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

The marble facade hides a little-known medical museum with early surgical instruments and rare copies of canonical texts.

A sinister pyramid in the Frari contains the heart of the famous neoclassical sculptor.