Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Santa Maria presso San Satiro

Discover Santa Maria presso San Satiro in Milan, Italy: Small on the outside, big on the inside, this church is an astonishing act of visual deception.

Via dell’Amore

Discover Via dell’Amore in Riomaggiore, Italy: A lover's walk between hilltop towns, decorated with graffiti love notes.

Ear of Dionysius

Discover Ear of Dionysius in Syracuse, Italy: Italian cave with exceptional acoustics and an unsavory history.

Consonno

Discover Consonno in Consonno, Italy: This half-finished "city of toys" was almost Italy's own Las Vegas.

Bosco Verticale

Discover Bosco Verticale in Milan, Italy: Two very green residential towers cleaning the air in one of Europe's most polluted cities.

The Brothels of Pompeii

Discover The Brothels of Pompeii in Pompeii, Italy: Erotic art covers the walls of the largest ancient pleasure palace.

Bridge of Fists

Discover Ponte dei Pugni (Bridge of Fists) in Venice, Italy: 100 year tradition of fist fights, marked by marble footsteps.

The Museum of Medieval Torture

Discover The Museum of Medieval Torture in San Gimignano, Italy: Medieval torture techniques with a modern conscience.

The 15th Century Unwanted Baby Drop-off

Discover Ospedale degli Innocenti (Hospital of the Innocents) in Florence, Italy: Renaissance hospital featuring a rotating door into which unwanted babies were dropped.

Mount Etna

Discover Mount Etna in Belpasso, Italy: The world's most active stratovolcano is almost always erupting.

Milan’s Duomo “Dinosaur”

Discover Milan's Duomo "Dinosaur" in Milan, Italy: Milan's duomo is covered in beautiful carving including a curious "dinosaur-like" beast.

Strada della Forra

Discover Strada della Forra in Tremosine, Italy: This winding road through an Italian canyon may be the most scenic drive in the world.

Pinocchio Park

Discover Pinocchio Park in Collodi, Italy: Walk through a fairytale in Tuscany.

Thermopolia of Pompeii

Discover Thermopolia of Pompeii in Pompeii, Italy: Ancient snack bar of the Roman Empire re-opened.

The Garden of Tarot

Discover Il Giardino dei Tarocchi in Capalbio, Italy: Gigantic mosaic sculptures of the figures on Tarot cards fill this colorful Tuscan garden.

Ninfeo di Villa Litta

Discover Ninfeo di Villa Litta in Lainate, Italy: An ancient artistic garden parlor full of hidden water wonders.

Grotta Gigante

Discover Grotta Gigante in Borgo Grotta Gigante, Italy: One of the largest caves in the world open to the public.

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i
To represent a masterpiece of human creative genius. 261 ii
To exhibit an important interchange of human values, over a span of time or within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town-planning or landscape design. 480 iii
To bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or which has disappeared. 514 iv
To be an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human history. 642 ix
To be outstanding examples representing significant on-going ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, fresh water, coastal and marine ecosystems and communities of plants and animals. 137 v
To be an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement, land-use, or sea-use which is representative of a culture (or cultures), or human interaction with the environment especially when it has become vulnerable under the impact of irreversible change. 172 vi
To be directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance. (The Committee considers that this criterion should preferably be used in conjunction with other criteria). 256 vii
To contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance. 151 viii
To be outstanding examples representing major stages of earth's history, including the record of life, significant on-going geological processes in the development of landforms, or significant geomorphic or physiographic features. 98 x
To contain the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biological diversity, including those containing threatened species of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation. 168

PP ToS