The AGN in NGC 1365 shows extreme X-ray variability, due to clouds eclipsing the X-ray source in time scales of a few hours. This peculiar variability offers a unique possibility to investigate the size and structure of the X-ray source and of the obscuring circumnuclear medium. I will show the results of several long X-ray observations of this source, and I will discuss the implications for the AGN unified model. Finally, I will show the on-going efforts to extend this kind of analysis to other X-ray bright obscured AGNs.