Places Vicki Arkoff Wants to Go

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

This curious building hides eclectic details like medieval gargoyles alongside naked angels and Art Nouveau mosaics.

Before there were doorbells this bronze ear was installed for visitors to announce their arrival.

Sip a Negroni Sbagliato in the bar that invented it.

Milan's duomo is covered in beautiful carving including a curious "dinosaur-like" beast.

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

An ossuary built in 1210 to collect bones from the Ospedale Maggiore of Milan.

A Milanese café entirely designed by the American director Wes Anderson.

Tiny museum with unusual specimens.

The marble facade hides a little-known medical museum with early surgical instruments and rare copies of canonical texts.

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

Hanging within this medieval church are the bones of a beast allegedly slain by a fourth-century saint.

Venice's "Island of the Mad."

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

This palatial spiral staircase was so unusual the name "snail" was given to the noble family who built it.

A sinister pyramid in the Frari contains the heart of the famous neoclassical sculptor.

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

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

A safe sanctuary for rescued shelter cats with an imaginative, glitter-infused experience

A musical instrument played by the sea.

Now harmless, this looming post struck fear into the heart of medieval troublemakers.

The medieval ferry service has been going strong since the 14th century.

A full figure 4th century incorruptible saint lies in a glass coffin in Croatia.

This armored vehicle was built in the local shipyard for use by the defenders of Dubrovnik.