594 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.

Libreria Acqua Alta

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

The Sunken City of Baia

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

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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Stories About Italy

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

This historic item is on display in Gallery 238 of The Art Institute of Chicago.

During the Renaissance, Drinking Wine Was a Fight Against Physics

Successful sips were signs of nobility.

A 14th-century painting of Saint Corona by the Master of Palazzo Venezia Madonna.

Is Saint Corona a Guardian Against Epidemics?

Well, she might be now, at least.

by Matthew Taub

The Siena Pianoforte has seen its share of adventure.

Sold: An Ornate Piano Found on a World War II Battlefield

It traveled three continents, survived desert warfare, and accidentally ended up with a man who'd been looking for it all along.

by Matthew Taub

The situation in Castelvetro di Modena looked like this staged shot.

In an Italian Town, Red Wine Briefly Flowed From Faucets and Taps

A mishap turned water into Lambrusco.

by Eric J. Wallace

Revelers in Ottana walk through the ruins of the town's old center.

Sardinian Carnevale Has No Place for Beads or Glitter

Instead it has animal skins, cowbells, bullwhips, and frightened children.

A festoon from a fresco by Cristofano Gherardi in Palazzo Vitelli detailing ancient fruit and vegetable varieties.

The Archaeobotanist Searching Art for Lost Fruit

Renaissance paintings can hide botanical secrets.

by Vittoria Traverso

February 21, 2020

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