On a recent trip to Italy, I was able to visit some of the world’s most historic monuments, the Italian countryside and everything in between. Here are five of the most unforgettable things I experienced while there.

1. The view from the top of Giotto’s Bell Tower- Florence, Italy

The Bell Tower is one of the few monuments located in the Piazza del Duomo in Florence. The climb to the top of the tower is 414 steps, but the view is worth it. One can see the entirety of Florence from this view, and as there are no other structures as tall as the Bell Tower in the city, it’s the only place to get this perspective. Instead of seeing Florence from the ground level, one can see the geography of Florence, its surroundings, and most importantly, the Duomo from up close.

2. Temple of Antoninus and Faustina- Roman Forum, Rome, Italy

One of the most prominent structures in the Roman Forum is the Temple of Antoninus and Faustina. It is still held together today, while some of the other buildings have fallen apart. However, the most magnificent part of the Temple is its layers. In the middle of the frontmost part of the building is a green door: a door that looks out of place today, because it appears it should be a window. But, the door reveals what ground level once was in a period of ancient Rome; after being excavated, there was found to be more to the building, underneath the green door. The Temple of Antoninus and Faustina inspires us to go deeper than the surface level.

3. The Pantheon – Rome, Italy

While there are still plenty of pieces left of ancient Rome, the Pantheon is one of the most spoken about. Walking into the Pantheon, a certain echoey aura fills the room. Soft music plays, and looking up to the hole in the ceiling, I was taken back to A.D. and the rituals that were performed there. The Pantheon is one of the few places in which one is able to be completely immersed into ancient times, because you are in the structure, living it.

4. The Dungeon of Doge’s Palace – Venice, Italy

Doge’s Palace is a symbol of the infamous St. Mark’s Square in Venice, Italy. A self-guided walkthrough of the palace can bring a sense of living centuries ago during times of knights and emperors. What really gives a tourist this sense of being there, though, is the palace’s dungeon. The dungeon seems to be an endless loop, going on for miles, with tiny corridors and repetitive flat, wooden beds in tiny rooms. Walking into the dungeon brings a feeling of anxiousness, a feeling that there’s no getting out- the same feeling that prisoners probably had nine centuries ago.

5. The ruins of Pompeii and Mt. Vesuvius – Pompeii, Italy

Long ago, Mt. Vesuvius (Pompeii’s neighboring volcano) covered the entirety of the small city of Pompeii with ash, leaving no traces of the city’s existence. Long after, the ruins were uncovered, revealing the tragic scenario that we associate Pompeii with today. Although dormant, Mt. Vesuvius still stands in the background of Pompeii, which is why it’s one of the most memorable monuments to see when visiting Italy. While looking at the ruins of Pompeii with Mt. Vesuvius shadowing over, one is able to connect the past with the present in a singular frame. It brings its visitors back into what the residents of Pompeii saw, how they felt and how they lived.