Rome, Italy
Zuccari Palace
Architectural monsters are devouring this palace's every door and window.
Places robpileckis Wants to Go
126
Places I want to go
Places on this traveler's wishlist.
Rome, Italy
The Mouth of Truth
The yawning maw of this pagan visage is said to bite off the hands of liars.
Rome, Italy
Campo de Fiori
This ritzy Italian market is built around a statue of an unforgiven heretic who was burned for his belief in an endless universe.
Rome, Italy
Papal Hearts at Santi Vincenzo e Anastasio a Trevi
This former Roman Catholic Church still contains the embalmed hearts and organs of 22 popes.
Rome, Italy
Saint Victoria's Incorruptible Body
The martyr's wax-enhanced skeletal remains lie preserved in a glass case in the Santa Maria della Vittoria in Rome.
Rome, Italy
Galleria Sciarra
This hidden Art Nouveau courtyard is an opulent feast for the eyes.
Washington, D.C.
Jefferson Pier Marker
A tiny monument to the unsuccessful attempt by Thomas Jefferson to place the prime meridian in Washington.
Washington, D.C.
Washington Monument Marble Stripe
Look closely and you’ll notice that the color changes a third of the way up the tower.
Washington, D.C.
The Preamble in License Plates
The preamble to the U.S. Constitution written entirely from vanity license plates hangs in the Smithsonian museum.
Washington, D.C.
Knife Edge
Architecture lovers won’t stop touching the National Gallery's 19.5 degree marble prow.
Washington, D.C.
Willard Hotel
Legend has it that President Grant’s frequent drinking in the lobby gave rise to the term “lobbyist.”
Washington, D.C.
District of Columbia Center Point
A little marble compass above George Washington's (empty) tomb in the Capitol marks where D.C.'s four quadrants intersect.
Washington, D.C.
The Presidential Booths at Martin's Tavern
Sit where JFK proposed to Jackie or where Nixon dined on meatloaf at this storied pub.
Washington, D.C.
Bare-Chested George Washington
Perhaps the most scandalous statue of America's first president.
Washington, D.C.
Sergeant Stubby
The most decorated dog of World War I is preserved in the Smithsonian.
Washington, D.C.
Peacock Room
This stunning blue and gold room changed cities twice before becoming part of the Smithsonian.
Washington, D.C.
Lincoln Book Tower
A three-story tower of books about Abraham Lincoln is one of the more unusual monuments to the president.
Washington, D.C.
National Building Museum
Fittingly, America's museum of architecture is itself a magnificently designed old building.
Washington, D.C.
The Old Patent Model Museum
During the Industrial Revolution this “Temple of Invention” was full of intricate miniature machines and gadgets.
Washington, D.C.
Space Window at the Washington National Cathedral
A tiny piece of the Moon is embedded in this stained glass masterpiece.
Washington, D.C.
The Exorcist Stairs
The site of the climactic scene from the classic horror film is now a historic landmark.
New York, New York
Ear Inn
One of the city’s oldest watering holes was originally the home of a famous James Brown (not that one).
New York, New York
William Lescaze Townhouse
New York City's first Modernist house.
New York, New York
Chester A. Arthur Inauguration and Death House
The only remaining building in New York to see the inauguration of a president is being slowly overtaken by a grocery store.
