The oldest church in Mantua was buried for centuries under the facades of other structures.

The pile of books behind the dignified writer gave the statue a most undignified nickname.

This deconsecrated church has seen many uses, from a tobacco storehouse to a cinema.

100 year tradition of fist fights, marked by marble footsteps.

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

Everyday, fans from across the globe visit the statue of one of the greatest Formula One drivers in history.

This Renaissance square was at the center of Leonardo da Vinci's map, the first ichnographic ever.

Also known as "Hell Alley," this tiny street in Imola gained its name in a bloody episode in the 16th-century.

This castle was once the home of one of the most powerful women of the Renaissance.

The location where a famous medieval knight was murdered.

The 1,000-year-old abbey is the birthplace of modern musical notation.

In the world's oldest university is a stunning 17th century anatomical theater carved from spruce.

A large statue of Pope Gregory XIII in Bologna was disguised as Saint Petronius to avoid destruction.

This building features dozens of faces along its facade, although one is a bit chilling.

Legend has it this fountain built to symbolize the Pope’s power hides a strange secret concerning Neptune's manliness.

A striking memorial recalls thousands of Bolognese men and women killed fighting fascists in World War II.

A small window on Via Piella offers a lovely and rare peek at Bologna's lost canals.

An extraordinary collection of 18th century anatomical waxworks.

Time has been frozen at this station since the bombing in 1980—or so it was believed.

The final resting place of the famous violinist, after his corpse was denied a proper Catholic burial for decades.

The city of Parma's cathedral is home to one of the greatest illusionistic frescoes of the Renaissance.

A dismembered holy head stares out from her beautiful reliquary at the St. Dominic Basilica.

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

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