What looks like a link in Gondor's early warning system is actually a centuries-old Italian fortress.

The oldest volcanology research center in the world.

Pompeii's less famous neighbor is still revealing her secrets.

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

Ancient snack bar of the Roman Empire re-opened.

The last moments of the ill-fated Pompeiians, frozen forever in plaster.

This bustling Italian plaza is built on the ruins of an ancient Roman amphitheater.

Fortified medieval tower house with lovely roof garden.

The only visible reminders of an elaborate engineering project that kept the tower from reaching the tipping point.

A mysterious stele of unknown origin sits on the peak of this curious mountain.

Now an entertainment complex, the Lingotto building was once an avant-garde auto factory with a test track on the roof.

The "Great Sewer" of ancient Rome is one of the oldest sewer systems in the world, and is still in use.

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

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

This ritzy Italian market is built around a statue of an unforgiven heretic who was burned for his belief in an endless universe.

2300-year-old Roman road connecting the empire.

The yawning maw of this pagan visage is said to bite off the hands of liars.

In Florence's great Duomo, a 26 foot fresco honors a mercenary famous for attacking Florence.

This strange bovine gargoyle is said to have been put in as a passive aggressive form of revenge.

The mummified relic of St. Antoninus.

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

Renaissance hospital featuring a rotating door into which unwanted babies were dropped.

Secret refuge and museum of the Duke of Florence.

Over 50 exquisite hand-painted Renaissance maps decorate a Medici storage room.