Crushed coral and crystals give the sand its signature coloration.

People have been living in the cave houses on this Italian hillside since the Neolithic era.

Two very green residential towers cleaning the air in one of Europe's most polluted cities.

This palatial spiral staircase was so unusual the name "snail" was given to the noble family who built it.

Geometry and mystery come together in an epic show of octagonal masonry.

A fairytale island floats in the middle of Italy's little-known Lake Orta.

Small on the outside, big on the inside, this church is an astonishing act of visual deception.

These delicate sand pyramids look like naturally occurring gothic spires.

Southern Italy's spinning top village.

This hidden Art Nouveau courtyard is an opulent feast for the eyes.

A fake medieval village in the middle of Turin.

Machismo turned on its head: the lady's hand goes to the dude with the bigger brain.

Romans built the world's tallest artificial waterfall in 271 BC.

A fairytale-like medieval church perched atop a rocky cliff on Italy's "Coast of the Gods."

A fairy tale castle in modern Rome.

On rare days, this abandoned castle's gatekeepers open its doors, revealing the eye-popping splendor hidden inside.

Natural cathedral designed by Italian artist Giuliano Mauri.

Sitting on an Italian hilltop is this surreal fortress built by the mad inventor of electrohomeopathy.

The only "Egyptian" pyramid in Europe and the legendary tomb of Remus.

This 16th-century monastery has been turned into a surrealist architecture compound.

According to the local folklore, the myriad colors of this lake are the result of a lovelorn wizard's blunder.

Geothermal waterfalls in Tuscany.

Architectureal fantasy quarter of Rome.

An Italian crevasse filled with abandoned buildings gives visitors a look at the world without humans.