This skyscraper once housed weapons during the revolution and was the scene of two brutal crimes that shocked São Paulo society.

The ruins of a 19th-century aqueduct run through this Brazilian island's deep forest.

This public elevator links the lower city to the upper city of Salvador.

Ella Fitzgerald, opera singer Enrico Caruso, and dancer Isadora Duncan all performed in this lavish, supposedly haunted theater.

The pedestrian traffic signals in Brazil's teeming metropolis light up with clues to nearby landmarks.

A snake farm famous for its venemous varieties.

A neo-Gothic church just steps away from the beach.

A series of waterfalls so massive they straddle the border of Argentina and Brazil.

The remains of a convent turned military barrack in the heart of Madrid.

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

A rather vulgar example of the transition from Latin to the Italian vernacular.

These hut foundations are believed to be the residence of Romulus, founder of Rome.

An ancient Egyptian temple in the middle of Madrid, Spain.

The facade of this 16th-century building is decorated with carvings of 300 seashells.

The Cathedral of Salamanca has a number of unusual carvings but none so surprising as a modern astronaut.

An unremarkable wooden wheel built into the side of one of Rome's oldest hospitals was part of a policy to reduce infant exposure.

Legend has it that this bronze orb, which sat atop an ancient Egyptian obelisk, once held the ashes of Julius Caesar.

Also known as the Square Colosseum, this building is a prime example of fascist-era rationalist architecture.

Its interior is adorned with some of the best examples of early Christian mosaics.

Gods clash with machines in a power plant regenerated as a museum.

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

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

A mysterious chasm in the heart of the ancient Roman Forum, the Lacus Curtius was once believed to be a gateway to hell.

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