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

Unusual
Attractions
in Italy

Valle dei Mulini

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.

40.6247, 14.3756

Added by Luke Cata

The Monsters of Bomarzo

The Monsters of Bomarzo

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

42.4910, 12.2462

Added by CDysert75

Crypt of the Three Skeletons.

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."

41.9047, 12.4882

One of the many preserved statues beneath the water.

The Sunken City of Baia

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

40.8184, 14.0769

Added by SkareMedia

The Poveglia hospital.

Poveglia Plague Island

A small island less than half a mile from Venice is a forbidden island with a dark and twisted past.

45.3817, 12.3315

Cats lounging on ancient architecture

Torre Argentina (Roman Cat Sanctuary)

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

41.8959, 12.4765

Added by Annetta Black

Porta Alchemica

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

41.8951, 12.5037

Added by athomio

Libreria Acqua Alta

Libreria Acqua Alta

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

45.4380, 12.3423

Added by zackofalltrades

See All 409 Things to Do in Italy See All 409 Places

Unique
Food & Drink
from Italy

Threads of God

Gastro Obscura

Threads of God

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

Gastro Obscura

Added by rachelrummel

Strawberry Tree Fruit

Gastro Obscura

Fruits & Vegetables

Strawberry Tree Fruit

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

Gastro Obscura

Added by Jared Rydelek

Traditional Balsamic Vinegar

Gastro Obscura

Ingredients & Condiments

Traditional Balsamic Vinegar

Most people have never tasted the real thing.

Gastro Obscura

Added by Susan Van Allen

Caciocavallo of the Migrant

Gastro Obscura

Meats & Animal Products

Caciocavallo of the Migrant

To circumvent a meat ban, Italian immigrants hid their soppressata in balls of cheese.

Gastro Obscura

Added by vittoriatraverso

See All 20 Must-Eats in Italy See All 20 Must-Eats

Explore Italy

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Places Added

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Places Visited

Recent Italy Activity

annapreecervn wants to go to The Sunken City of Baia

DecaturMamma has been to Civita di Bagnoregio

DecaturMamma has been to Parish Church of Santa Maria del Popolo

DecaturMamma has been to Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls

DecaturMamma has been to 'Mi Sono Perso' ('I Am Lost')

Stories
About Italy

<em>21-12</em>, 2018, a view of the work surface of a watchmaker.

The Creatively Messy Work Tables of Italy's Skilled Artisans

Capturing the years of work it takes to master a craft.

by Anika Burgess

Peasant food in action in Annibale Carracci’s <em>The Beaneater</em>, c. 1585.

How 'Ennobling' Helped Italian Aristocrats Solve the Problem of Garlic

The ingredient would have otherwise been too cheap to grace noble tables.

by Ryleigh Nucilli

Fresh gelato awaits.

When Family-Owned Gelato Shops in Italy Almost Went Extinct

Did Big Gelato try to wipe out artisanal stores in the 1950s?

by Vicky Hallett

The bread arches at night.

Every Easter, a Sicilian Town Builds a Cathedral out of Bread

It's a competitive team sport.

by Vittoria Traverso

Morandi's home on the island of Budelli, where he has been the sole inhabitant for 30 years.

What Is It Like to Live Alone on an Island for 30 Years?

Mauro Morandi has been the sole resident of Budelli, Italy, for decades, but that time may be coming to an end.

by Vittoria Traverso

Fire is useful for shaping hardwood.

Found: Fire-Shaped Wooden Tools Used by Neanderthals

It's rare that wood survives for 170,000 years.

by Vittoria Traverso

February 07, 2018

Recreating ancient recipes, like this <em>panis quadratus</em> made by Farrell Monaco, requires translating, tinkering, and a little imagination.

Putting Ancient Recipes on the Plate

To better understand the distant past, it can help to taste and smell it.

by Jessica Leigh Hester

January 19, 2018

Unsalted bread from Umbria.

The Mystery of Italy's Saltless Bread

Trade wars, papal rebellion, or salty hams. Why does central Italian bread have no salt?

by Vittoria Traverso

January 09, 2018

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