Places toniamonkey Wants to Go

Stumbling upon this whimsical wooded garden is like stepping into an enchanted forest full of philosophical musings.

A spiritual sanctuary in a natural cave.

One man's quest to fix his toilet unearthed over 5,000 artifacts spanning more than 2,000 years of history.

Water and windows define this defensive Italian well.

A gorgeous medieval library where the books are kept in chains.

An eccentric artist's abode in this small Italian town has been transformed into a surreal temple of mosaic madness.

This ancient altar emerges from the thick forests to reveal the mysteries of Etruscan sacrificial rituals.

The odd depiction of the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus is rooted in the Catholic Church's eradication of Catharism.

The Neapolitan Cult of the Dead still cares for the skulls at this mini-Fontanelle.

The top of society once luxuriated in this world-class hotel, which continues to impress, even in ruin.

The abandoned ruins of a failed resort hide on this verdant, picture-perfect island.

A line of abandoned, alien-like fortresses dot the mountains of North Italy.

An Italian geologic wonder that served as the inspiration for the landscape of Dante's hell.

An extensive collection of reliquaries containing the bones of saints housed in the largest Catholic church in Venice.

One of the most well-preserved castles in Italy also contains a rare medieval example of a port fortification.

Crumbling ruins of the thermal baths that once attracted royals and aristocrats from throughout Europe.

A madman's personal garden filled with 1,000 sculpted heads.

An open-air museum in a mountain valley features works designed to blend in with—and disintegrate back into—their natural surroundings.

This seaside Italian village doesn't just look Escher-esque, it actually inspired the mind-bending artist.

The mummified relic of St. Catherine sits forever on a golden throne.

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

One of the world's oldest working clocks is curiously missing the Zodiac sign of Libra.

Deceased nuns were placed on stone chairs to decompose, while the surviving nuns prayed near the lifeless bodies.

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