All Italy

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Italy

1,027 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Italy

Updated July 17, 2024

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Cities

Top Cities
All Cities
  1. Albano Laziale
  2. Anacapri
  3. Anagni
  4. Ascoli Piceno
  5. Asiago
  6. Bacoli
  7. Bagolino
  8. Bassano Del Grappa
  9. Bergamo
  10. Bologna
  11. Bolzano
  12. Bordighera
  13. Borgo A Mozzano
  14. Brescia
  15. Caprarola
  16. Capri
  17. Castel Sant'elia
  18. Cefalù
  19. Chioggia
  20. Chiusdino
  21. Civitavecchia
  22. Collodi
  23. Como
  24. Coreglia Antelminelli
  25. Cori
  26. Ercolano
  27. Florence
  28. Genoa
  29. Gubbio
  30. Iglesias
  31. Imola
  32. Lampedusa E Linosa
  33. L'aquila
  34. Lecce
  35. Lido
  36. Livorno
  37. Lucca
  38. Mantua
  39. Matera
  40. Messina
  41. Milan
  42. Modena
  43. Naples
  44. Noasca
  45. Orvieto
  46. Osimo
  47. Padua
  48. Palermo
  49. Palestrina
  50. Pantelleria
  51. Parma
  52. Pavia
  53. Pisa
  54. Pompeii
  55. Ponza
  56. Portici
  57. Possagno
  58. Pozzuoli
  59. Raiano
  60. Ravenna
  61. Rieti
  62. Rimini
  63. Riola
  64. Rivodutri
  65. Rome
  66. Rovereto
  67. Rovigo
  68. San Gimignano
  69. Sanremo
  70. Santa Maria Capua Vetere
  71. Segni
  72. Siena
  73. Sirmione
  74. Soriano Nel Cimino
  75. Sperlonga
  76. Stromboli
  77. Syracuse
  78. Torre Annunziata
  79. Trapani
  80. Treviso
  81. Trieste
  82. Turin
  83. Venice
  84. Ventotene
  85. Vernazza
  86. Verona
  87. Vicenza
  88. Viterbo
  89. Volterra

Unusual Attractions in Italy

See All 1,027 Things To Do in Italy

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Italy

See all 10 Places to Eat in Italy
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Flavors of Italy: Roman Carbonara, Florentine Steak & Venetian Cocktails

Savor local cuisine across Rome, Florence & Venice.

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Explore Italy

Architecture 206
Sacred Spaces 142
History & Culture 139
Churches 127
Ruins 105
Roman 103
Ancient 80
Medieval 79

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Recent Italy Activity

Stories About Italy

The major eruption of Mount Vesuvius over Pompeii is often known for the lives it took, but new research details the stories of the event's survivors.

Found: Records of Pompeii's Survivors

New evidence shows how citizens rebuilt their lives in the aftermath of the historic eruption.
by Steven Tuck
Coriander or cilantro has a long history in Italy.

Why Italy Fell Out of Love With Cilantro

Coriander went from ancient staple to persona non grata.
by Andrew Coletti
You can use any type of onion to make a calendar, but the Eszlingers prefer yellow.

How to Consult an Onion Oracle

From the Midwest to a tiny town in Italy, the tradition of weather-predicting onions lives on.
by Roxanne Hoorn
Floral games and nudity were a big part of a spring festival in Ancient Rome.

Welcome to the Ancient Roman Festival for Sex Work

Floralia was a celebration of spring, flowers, and so-called prostitution.
by Sara Mellas
Burial 19, or B19, contained the remains of a large dog and newborn infant girl.

When Did Dogs Become Our Best Friends?

A poignant, 2,000-year-old burial in northern Italy could be the latest evidence of an ancient friendship.
by Gemma Tarlach
Author Dan Pashman knows a thing or two about pasta.

Cream. Clams. Why Carbonara Once Looked Very Different

In his debut cookbook, Dan Pashman busts pasta myths alongside delicious, unorthodox recipes.
by Diana Hubbell
The beautiful Italian town has been left deserted since the '70s due to an aborted eruption.

A False Volcano Emergency Created This Stunning Abandoned Village

Welcome to the ghost town of a modern Vesuvius that never happened.
by Alessio Perrone
Ludovico Quaroni designed Chiesa Madre (Mother Church) for Gibellina Nuova.

What Can You Do With a 'Failed' Postmodern Utopia?

Gibellina, known as “Sicily’s Marfa,” is looking to its visionary past for a future revival.
by Vittoria Traverso

Lists Featuring Italy

Inside the Golden House.
The Colosseum seen from the Ludus Magnus.
St. Francesca Romana

The 11 Most Interesting Places to Visit Near the Colosseum for Curious Travelers

11

Including Domus Aurea, Ludus Magnus, and Santa Francesca Romana

The crostata, with the storefront in the background.

12 Extraordinary Jewish Restaurants Around the World

A global map of diverse delights.

12

Including Pasticceria Boccione, Gottlieb's Restaurant, and Nahoum and Sons

Ponte di Cecco

10 Italian Sites Shrouded in Mystery and Legend

The places that inspire one of our top contributors to want to learn more.

10

Including Gaiola Island, Ponte di Cecco, and Church of San Giacomo di Rialto

Madaba Mosaic Map
The gallery of maps, showing the ceiling
Great Polish Map of Scotland

13 Marvelous Maps That Go Way Beyond Paper

Charting the world's most intriguing out-of-the-box cartography.

13

Including Madaba Mosaic Map, Gallery of Maps - Galleria delle Carte Geografiche, and Mapparium Globe

They were built in 1979.
The Howe Street stair corridor is the longest in Seattle.
Seward Street Slides

When Stairs and Slides Are Hiding in Plain Sight

Play real-life Chutes and Ladders at these obscure thruways.

9

Including Secret Tiled Staircase, Esmeralda Slide Park, and Howe Street Stairs

(Flickr/andreakw)
The bathroom
Some of the decorations include broken crockery that have been priced back together

11 Homes Transformed Into Amazing Mosaics

If you own your property, why not bedazzle it?

11

Including Wyckoff Street Mosaic, La Maison Picassiette, and House of Mirrors

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