Places miodek Wants to Go

This domed temple was built in a hidden cave mouth as a refuge for sinners seeking absolution.

Giant, pink stuffed rabbit on an Italian mountain.

Filled with goldfish swimming in a shallow pool of sea water, this ancient crypt is more wishing well than burial site.

The abandoned "Ghost Mansion" was left to decay in the mountains of Northern Italy.

This giant middle finger statue sends an unambiguous message to Italy's bankers.

This enchanting 600-year-old tree is so magical it inspired the beloved tale of Pinocchio.

This immaculate and historic water garden culminates in a massive stone dining table with an inset fountain for chilling the wine of the Cardinal's guests.

This quaint Italian town keeps losing ground as the sides of its plateau slowly erode.

Go inside to really appreciate this 500-year-old technological masterpiece.

Five candy-colored villages on the Italian Riviera.

This sword isn't waiting for a king to pull it out. It was placed there by a saint.

Abandoned medieval hill town.

Natural cathedral designed by Italian artist Giuliano Mauri.

Ruins of a 10th century church tucked away deep in a botanical garden.

An Italian hillside ghost town.

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

This 16th-century monastery has been turned into a surrealist architecture compound.

Sitting on an Italian hilltop is this surreal fortress built by the mad inventor of electrohomeopathy.

This hidden Art Nouveau courtyard is an opulent feast for the eyes.

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

As can be expected from a centuries-old church built in a canal city, the undercroft of this house of worship is beautifully flooded.

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

Hidden in an Italian forest is a completely homemade amusement park that has taken a lifetime to create.

Venice's "Island of the Mad."