One of the best-preserved Roman amphitheaters is still used today, but for less brutal events.

An excavation site that signified Hercules in Pula, and a glimpse into the city's Roman history.

A Roman mosaic depicting a classical myth was only rediscovered after bombing during World War II.

The roof of this ancient mausoleum is made from a single Istrian stone weighing a massive 230 tons.

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

This 6th-century church has the largest and best-preserved collection of Byzantine mosaics outside Constantinople.

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

Italian poet Dante Alighieri is entombed in this small mausoleum in Ravenna, and his hometown of Florence has never been too happy about it.

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

Erotic art covers the walls of the largest ancient pleasure palace.

A sulfuric hellscape in southern Italy.

Italy's third-largest Roman arena gives a peek into the underground operations beneath the ancient spectacles.

Virgil's many-mouthed gateway to the underworld.

Italy's "New Mountain" rose from the ground in a volcanic eruption in 1538.

Smack-dab in Campania’s volcanic fields, this scenic lake was once thought to be the gate of hell.

A tree that defies gravity grows in an ancient ruin.

The Roman Emperor's lost summer home and grotto full of enormous sculptures sit along the Italian seashore.

The remains of this medieval Roman road and lookout towers dot the rugged coastline of southern Lazio.

A Roman temple perched over an Italian town, forgotten several times over.

With some 500,000 books across five buildings, this bookstore is a reader's paradise.

New London, Connecticut still holds a grudge against its hometown son who turned traitor and burned the city.

Location of the most powerful laser in the world, and the potential birthplace of tiny stars.

A Roman-inspired temple once controlled half of San Francisco's waters.

The black lab that was voted mayor of a California town is forever remembered by a life-size statue.