Built in the 2nd Century A.D., the Roman Amphitheater of Lecce, Italy is a lesser known historical cousin of sorts to the Coliseum in Rome. 

While the stonework and construction is as epic in scale & decadence as you’d expect, the Lecce amphitheater sets itself apart from similar sites because its literally still being discovered–in fact, only about a 1/3rd of it has been excavated!

Seating as many as 15,000 people, the amphitheater is actually built below ground, originally built during Hadrian’s reign as Roman emperor. It wouldn’t be discovered until 1901, and excavation wouldn’t begin in earnest until 1930. But it wouldn’t be easy.

That’s because as time went by even more historical landmarks would be constructed, even right smack on top of this gigantic space, without  people even realizing it. The “Lecce stone“, a pale yellow shade of the limestone the region is famous for, gives the Lecce Amphitheater an iridescent glow as the sun sets–a perfect way to finish up a couple hours marveling at the nearby Baroque churches and the ancient artwork and carvings etched into countless buildings and walls. It’s living history in more ways than one. 

In roughly 79 AD the enormous Mount Vesuvius erupted, and because of a freak, rare change in wind directions that day would go on to completely bury the entire city of Pompeii, first with a wave of posionous gas and then with feet of ash. Pompeii vanished–and it wouldn’t be discovered until several hundred years later.

Yeah, chances are you know the story of Pompeii, or have seen one of the many historical epics made about it. Equal parts fascinating and tragic, it serves as a legitimately eye opening reminder of where human beings stand on the evolutionary depth chart. Excavations still continue at the Archaeological Park of Pompeii even today. We’ve learned some pretty crazy things too!

A sample, just to whet that appetite for knowledge:

–Entire buildings like homes, bath houses, shops, etc. have been uncovered. They offer clues to what was life was like in the lively & prosperous city. But its what “isn’t” there that gives you the chills. Due to the pumice and ash compacting several feet atop the unsuspecting people, natural decomposition of their remains then left voids & imprints that researchers were able to cast in place–leaving haunting, lasting images of inhabitants final moments, from those running away to those locked in an eternal embrace with children.

–There is a LOT of graffiti. And I don’t mean, like, The Warriors going out to play around Brooklyn with spray paint cans type of graffiti. Buildings have been found with public announcements and even election notices on the walls!

–They had perfect teeth. No, seriously. Like 12 year-old me in braces would have probably been shunned lol. CT Scans of bodies show teeth in generally pristine shape, due in part to an extraordinary diet and their natural water sources being high in fluoride & other minerals thanks to the volcano & ash (that would eventually do them in.  

Yeah, I knooooow, the Leaning Tower of Pisa…watching people of all sizes and shapes trying to “push” the building straight on camera is tiresome. I get it. 

What gets missed in translation when seemingly millions of tourists post these “one of a kind” photos, though, is that Piazza del Duomo in Pisa is more than just a crooked building–its actually four masterpieces of medieval architecture – the cathedral, the baptistery, the bell tower (the ‘Leaning Tower’) and the cemetery – all erected between the 11th and 14th centuries. 

One striking place to visit is the Baptistery of San Giovanni (or Battistero di San Giovanni), the largest baptistery in the world. Its located in the Piazza dei Miracoli, next to the Leaning Tower.

There isn’t a whole lot of places that offer such contrasting backdrops like Italy does. The vineyards of Tuscany to the waterways of Venice, to the archaeological finds of Rome, to the seaside of Capri to the water-side villages of Lake Como, it’s impressive. But for a truly unique visual nothing can top seeing the wrath of Mother Nature & Planet Earth in action. While Pompeii & Mount Vesuvius offer a striking note of tragic history, Mount Etna on Sicily’s eastern coast is a living embodiment of history in the making….because it is the largest active volcano in Europe and the most active stratovolcano in the entire world.

At least 2.5 million years old, the earliest Greek civilizations created legends around Etna, with recordings as far back as 1500 BCE of eruptions. This constant activity has created three ecological zones unlike anywhere else in the world, with a landscape still changing. A great stop for history buffs and nature lovers alike. 

I have to admit that before moving here my entire image of the Vatican and Vatican City was built around movies I’ve seen. Unfortunately I think an Italian nonna might smack me with a broom stick and curse me to hell if I posted examples, although Tom Hanks running from the Illuminati doesn’t seem so bad (or looking for the Illuminati? I can’t rememeber the plot.)

I think Edward the hot vampire stripping down by a fountain might not go over as well though. And definitely not the scene from Euro Trip–you know, dressing up like the pope and lighting the Apostolic Palace on fire and all of that.

In all seriousness, Vatican City, an entire sovereign nation tucked inside of Rome, is an obvious bucket list item for Christians of all denominations, not just for Catholics wishing to visit the home of the Hole See. 

And if I’m being honest…I think Vatican City can be appreciated by even the most ardent atheists. The history and architecture alone are worth the trip–not to mention 20,000 pieces of art from some of history’s most famous sculptors & painters. Guys like the “Prince of Painters” Raphael, with his own museum wing, or Michelangelo, who’s work is predominantly displayed (including a little place called the Sistine Chapel).

Ahh, Venice. Quite possibly the most romantic locale in Italy, a country synonymous with such sentiments ever since the Romans introduced us future generations to Cupid & his arrow (thanks Greece & Eros!). 

And I was only being slightly hyperbolic in the title, as well. The city, which is actually 118 interconnected islands, is sinking about 2 millimeters a year–which is actually the same rate that New York City is sinking, by the way–due to naturally occurring subsidence & human factors like global warming. As sea levels rise the threat on Venice grows, obviously. But as the ocean temps rise, storms are growing stronger, effecting tides at seemingly the worst of times for the city. In 2019 75% of the city was covered with water.

And yet in 2023 the canals ran almost dry. Seriously…

Fun Fact about the Bridge of Sighs…it got the name from being the last opportunity for prisoners leaving interrogation rooms in Doge’s Palace, heading to the prison, to see freedom. They would let out sighs of depression. 

More movies than can be counted have dazzled us with spectacular imagery from this marvel, singing gondoliers serenading couples newly in love recreated everywhere from candy commercials to Las Vegas casino entrances, all homage to the Venetian ways. 

Yes, I recommend Venice for newlyweds looking for a honeymoon stop, maybe in combination with a sea side rental in Rimini, an hour or two down south on the Eastern coast on the Adriatic Sea. But I also recommend Venice because it is an experience that cannot be duplicated anywhere else in the world.

Yeah, it’ll be around for a while despite my sensationalized headline. But with every extreme flood or canal draining tide the city gets just that little bit more eroded, little bit more effected. Plans are in motion to save the city…but why wait? If the first 5 locations on this list didn’t entice you, Venice absolutely should. You won’t regret it!