427 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.

Luke Cata

Added by Luke Cata

The Monsters of Bomarzo

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

Added by CDysert75

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."

Dylan

The Sunken City of Baia

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

SkareMedia

Added by SkareMedia

Poveglia Plague Island

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

Torre Argentina (Roman Cat Sanctuary)

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

Annetta Black

Added by Annetta Black

Libreria Acqua Alta

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

Added by zackofalltrades

Porta Alchemica

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

Added by athomio

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Atlas Obscura Trips

Rome Behind Locked Doors: Music, Magic, & Secret Crypts

Sep 30—Oct 6, 2019

Explore beneath Rome's streets and behind its locked doors to see a Rome that tourists rarely experience—magical, strange, and filled with legend.

Unique
Food & Drink
in 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

rachelrummel

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

Jared Rydelek

Added by Jared Rydelek

Saint Agatha's Breasts

Gastro Obscura

Saint Agatha's Breasts

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

Gastro Obscura

rachelrummel

Added by rachelrummel

Traditional Balsamic Vinegar

Gastro Obscura

Ingredients & Condiments

Traditional Balsamic Vinegar

Most people have never tasted the real thing.

Gastro Obscura

Susan Van Allen

Added by Susan Van Allen

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Recent Italy Activity

Sablais wants to go to Torre Sant'Andrea

vinesdana wants to go to Temple of Damanhur

Jinx Darkness wants to go to Ospedale Psichiatrico di Volterra

jarrydr wants to go to St. Mark's Lost Third Column

Collinken wants to go to Valle dei Mulini (Valley of the Mills)

Stories
About Italy

A diver from Nemo’s team checking the plants.

Journey Into the World’s First Underwater Farm

A team of Italian divers is growing basil, tomatoes, and strawberries.

by Vittoria Traverso

This elaborate jar once held olive oil.

Found: Evidence of Italy's Oldest Olive Oil

It was discovered on shards of pottery uncovered 20 years ago.

Not a bad view to take in for more than a millennium.

Europe's Oldest Tree Lives in Italy

At least, it's the oldest that's been scientifically dated.

by Sarah Laskow

<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

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