Archives: Atlas Obscuras

Marcello Cammi’s Sculpture Garden

Discover Marcello Cammi's Sculpture Garden in Bordighera, Italy: A wood-and-steel sculpture garden featuring an artful interplay of nature and machinery.

Farm Cultural Park

Discover Farm Cultural Park in Favara, Italy: This constantly evolving art space saved an Italian town from its own crippling reputation.

Anatomical Theatre at the University of Pavia

Discover Anatomical Theatre at the University of Pavia in Pavia, Italy: This 18th-century dissection theater's frescoes display a gorgeous tension between the terrestrial and esoteric.

Bosco Italia

Discover Bosco Italia in Norcia, Italy: A map of Italy made entirely of trees.

The Ossuary of Bicocca

Discover The Ossuary of Bicocca in Novara, Italy: This Italian pyramid is said to hold the mingled remains of the dead from both sides of the Battle of Novara.

Faceless Nuns of the Torba Monastery

Discover Faceless Nuns of the Torba Monastery in Torba, Italy: An unsettling painting of three faceless sisters that is surrounded by history and legend.

Church of Santa Margherita

Discover Church of Santa Margherita in Venice, Italy: This deconsecrated church has seen many uses, from a tobacco storehouse to a cinema.

Euganean Hills

Discover Euganean Hills in Cinto Euganeo, Italy: A sudden, striking cluster of hills south of Padua has been attracting visitors for centuries.

Cimitero di San Finocchi

Discover Cimitero di San Finocchi in Volterra, Italy: Abandoned cemetery of the former Psychiatric Hospital of Volterra.

Cretto di Gibellina

Discover Cretto di Gibellina in Sicily, Italy: Leveled by an earthquake, this Italian village is now preserved as a concrete art project.

Cathedral of St. Ambrose

Discover Cathedral of St. Ambrose in Vigevano, Italy: The Cathedral of St. Ambrose has been hiding a special parishioner within its walls.

Bialbero di Casorzo

Discover Bialbero di Casorzo in Casorzo, Italy: A cherry tree growing atop a mulberry tree.

Slice of Polenta

Discover Fetta di Polenta in Turin, Italy: When this funny little building went up in the 19th century, most people thought it would simply fall over.

Cabinovia Monte Capanne

Discover Cabinovia Monte Capanne in Marciana, Italy: Take a giant yellow bird cage to the top of Elba's highest mountain.

Well of Santa Cristina

Discover Well of Santa Cristina in Paulilatino, Italy: This elaborate hole in the ground was built as a sacred site for an ancient civilization.

Su Nuraxi di Barumini

Discover Su Nuraxi di Barumini in Barumini, Italy: This one-of-a-kind archeological site is home to strange prehistoric ruins, the original use of which is still a mystery.

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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