730 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Italy - Atlas Obscura

Unusual Attractions in Italy

Sorrento, Italy

Valle dei Mulini (Valley of the Mills)

An Italian crevasse filled with abandoned buildings gives visitors a look at the world without humans.

Santa Maria della Concezione Crypts

The crypts of Capuchin friars decorated with the bones of over 4,000 friars, including an entire "crypt of pelvises."

The Monsters of Bomarzo

A 16th-century horror show built in a lovely Italian garden.

Torre Argentina (Roman Cat Sanctuary)

Hundreds of lucky felines haunt the ruins where Caesar was murdered.

The Sunken City of Baia

A submerged archeological park still holds the wonders of a Roman Sodom.

Libreria Acqua Alta

This Venice bookstore has resigned itself to constant flooding by keeping its books in bathtubs and boats.

Quartiere Coppedè

Architectureal fantasy quarter of Rome.

Porta Alchemica

An alchemist's "magic door" stands in the middle of a Roman park.

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Unique Food & Drink in Italy

Strawberry Tree Fruit

The lychee-looking fruit appears in everything from jam and liqueur to the Aeneid and Madrid's flag.

Sfogliatella

This layered pastry from Italy's Amalfi Coast may have origins in a 17th-century convent.

Threads of God

To eat the world's rarest pasta, you must first complete a 20-mile pilgrimage.

Saint Agatha's Breasts

This ricotta and marzipan pastry honors the Sicilian saint's most noteworthy body part.

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Atlas Obscura Trips

Hidden Florence: Private Palazzos & Secret Societies

Unearth the secrets buried in the seedbed of the Renaissance—exploring secret rooms in palaces, discovering mystic messages hidden in paintings, and wandering magnificently frescoed cathedrals.

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Where is your favorite place to eat and see something unusual in Rome?	1 July 23, 2019	1632	July 23, 2019
Uffizi Gallery Trip	3 July 30, 2019	1023	July 30, 2019
Stumbling Stones of Rome	3 July 24, 2019	1530	July 24, 2019
Drive Through Lazio Countryside	7 May 1, 2020	850	May 1, 2020
Montebore	3 December 3, 2019	1405	December 3, 2019

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Stories About Italy

There are a lot of theories about why it's called La California.

The Italian Village of La California Hosted Its Own American Elections

It was a gag, but the community has long been tied to its namesake on the other side of the world.

by Guia Cortassa

October 27, 2020

Giulio Geraldi surveys the skies at sunset. He worries about rain, which can end the manna season.

The Mountains Where Manna Flows From Trees

Giulio Geraldi brought cultivation of the sweet stuff back from the verge of extinction.

by Emiliano Ruprah

August 25, 2020

The Temple of Juno, seen here through the branches of a blossoming almond tree, is surrounded by centuries-old olive trees that are harvested to make olive oil.

The Ancient Greek Temples Home to Orchards, Vineyards, and Rare Bees

A UNESCO site that doubles as a working farm represents a shift in conservation.

An aerial photo taken on June 19, 2020, shows workers covering the Presena glacier with huge geotextile sheets in northern Italy.

An Italian Ski Resort Fights Glacial Melting With Giant Tarps

Climate change is shrinking Alpine glaciers. The tourism industry has a stake in keeping them around.

by Joseph Winters

Steep slopes made the pulley system at the Aceto farm a necessity.

Around Italy in Vintage Citrus-Growing Technology

A photography project is capturing the age-old ingenuity of fruit farmers.

by Karen Chernick

A girl receives groceries—including upscale cheese and Tuscan pasta—from a Caritas volunteer in Chianciano, Italy.

With Restaurants Closed, Tuscany’s Finest Fare Is Going to Food Banks

Families in need are receiving prosciutto and Pecorino di Pienza.

by Federico Formica

A root system simulating a sea serpent, sprouting leaves and buds, on 15th-century parchment.

Explore the Whimsical Flora of a 15th-Century Italian Folio

An herbal a day will take the green from your gills away—and perhaps apply it to your thumb.

by Isaac Schultz

Lorenzo Reina with his singular creation in the Sicilian hills.

From Tending Sheep in the Sicilian Mountains to the Venice Biennale

How Lorenzo Reina’s open air theater made southwest Sicily a cultural hotspot.

by Vittoria Traverso

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