Italy is the country in the world with the most UNESCO Heritage Sites: 55, just as many as China which is, however, hundreds of times larger. While Italy has made of artistic and cultural patrimony one of its winning assets also when it comes to economic gain, there are hidden — or less so — corners in the country that time and people appear to have forgotten, abandoned.

Ghost towns all over the country have been attracting tourists’ interest for quite some time, also thanks to the increased attention of authorities and locals to keep alive heritage and culture in their area. Yet, these neglected, sometimes eerie pieces of Bel Paese are more often than not hidden in plain sight, just in the middle of our cities, perhaps shoulder to shoulder with one of our famous monuments.