14 – Vatican Secret Archives, Vatican City

The Vatican Secret Archives are officially said to contain historical artefacts dating back more than 12 centuries. The vast 53 mile archive houses an impressive collection of relics including letters penned by Michelangelo, and the pleas for help that Mary Queen of Scots sent to Pope Sixtus V before her execution. This could be the greatest collection of historical objects in the world, yet only a handful of people have ever been allowed inside.

As a result the Secret Archives are shrouded in mystery and subject to wild conspiracy theories. Speculation of what lies within these forbidden walls include evidence of magic, demons, extraterrestrials and details of the predicted apocalypse…or even the missing Chronovisor, a nifty device that allows its users to view past or future events and was purportedly built by an Italian priest and scientist, Father Pellegrino Maria Ernetti, so he could witness Christ’s crucifixion first hand.

Fascinating indeed…yet unless you are an incredibly select scholar who is approved by the Vatican and you have specifically asked to view a particular relic then your chances of gaining access are next to none!