Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Maltese Catacomb Complexes

Discover Maltese Catacomb Complexes in Rabat, Malta: The remains of more than 1,000 people lie deep under the modern town of Rabat.

Mnajdra

Discover Mnajdra in Qrendi, Malta: Stone Age solar temple is aligned with the sun on each equinox and solstice.

Church of San Giorgio

Discover Church of San Giorgio in Monselice, Italy: This Italian church is as beautiful as it is common, except for the real skulls decorating the many mannequins inside.

The House of Cavaliere

Discover The House of Cavaliere in Messina, Italy: An eccentric home in Sicily turns heads on a regular basis.

Burcardo Theater Museum

Discover Burcardo Theater Museum in Rome, Italy: Harlequin costumes, signed scripts, and armor-wearing puppets.

Ruins of Poggioreale

Discover Ruins of Poggioreale in Poggioreale, Italy: This entire town moved to a safe location after it was devastated by an earthquake, but the remains of the original town are still around.

The Abandoned Village of Leri Cavour

Discover The Abandoned Village of Leri Cavour in Italy: A formerly opulent Italian village is now a crumbling ghost town that no one really knows what to do with.

Italy’s Sammezzano Castle

Discover Sammezzano Castle in Reggello, Italy: On rare days, this abandoned castle's gatekeepers open its doors, revealing the eye-popping splendor hidden inside.

Giant Pink Bunny

Discover Giant Pink Bunny in Artesina, Italy: Giant, pink stuffed rabbit on an Italian mountain.

Poveglia Plague Island

Discover Poveglia Plague Island in Venice, Italy: A small island less than half a mile from Venice is a forbidden island with a dark and twisted past.

Ruins of the Circo Romano

Discover Ruins of the Circo Romano in Milan, Italy: See what remains of a once grand ancient Roman circus.

Tomb of Enrico Rastelli

Discover Tomb of Enrico Rastelli in Bergamo, Italy: A genius of the art of juggling is buried here.

Pier Paolo Pasolini Park

Discover Pier Paolo Pasolini Park in Rome, Italy: A literary park dedicated to the memory of a filmmaker, writer, and intellectual who was killed in 1975.

Statua di Re Gino

Discover Statua di Re Gino in San Giovanni in Persiceto, Italy: A bronze monument to his majesty, King Gino.

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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

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