Letters Square Roundabout, Manaus, Brazil Aug 9, 2025

Amid the fast-paced traffic of Manaus, in Amazonas, Brazil, there"s a point where meaning dissolves. Seen from above, the image appears to show a roundabout like any other. But in its centre rests an unusual sculpture: gigantic steel letters intertwined in a knot. Created by artist Sérgio Cardoso in 2003, the work arrived before the roundabout itself—traffic circled around it before any road planning. Made of stainless steel and about 4 metres tall, its original name, "Diálogo," never stuck. For residents, it was always "Bola das Letras." And so, it remained: a spontaneous nickname, a reference that slipped out of control and became part of the urban landscape. Today, few remember the official title—or even the name of the roundabout.

© Cristian Lourenço/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Aug 9, 2024Inca ruin of Sacsayhuamán near Cusco, Peru

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Dec 8, 2025Domaso, Lake Como, Italy
Sep 30, 2023Shenandoah National Park, Virginia, USA
Apr 1, 2025Tree frog, Costa Rica
Aug 24, 2024Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, USA
Nov 13, 2025Quiver trees, Namibia
Aug 7, 2025Gasparilla Island Rear Range Light, Boca Grande, Florida, United States
Jun 17, 2024Green-crowned brilliant
Feb 12, 2024Galápagos tortoise
May 25, 2024Aït Benhaddou, Morocco
Oct 25, 2023Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah, USA
Jul 27, 2025Barracudas at Shark Reef, Ras Mohammed National Park, Sinai Peninsula, Egypt
Jul 30, 2024San Gimignano, Siena, Italy
Apr 26, 2025Bruce Peninsula National Park, Ontario, Canada
Jul 7, 2025Northern gannets, Shetland Islands, Scotland
Oct 9, 2023Fremont petroglyphs, Dinosaur National Monument, Utah, USA
Sep 6, 2023Rethymno, Crete, Greece
Nov 17, 2024Red deer stag
Dec 12, 2025Spotted poinsettia
Feb 4, 2025Golden Bridge, Bà Nà Hills, Da Nang, Vietnam
Feb 25, 2024Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island, Canada
Jun 14, 2025Cinque Torri, Dolomites, Italy
Jun 5, 2024Masoala National Park in Madagascar
Mar 19, 2025A black heron canopy hunting in Botswana
Jan 16, 2024Lake Louise, Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada
Nov 7, 2024Vancouver Coastal Sea wolves
Dec 2, 2025Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, United States
Nov 11, 2024Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada
Dec 2, 2024Moose, Denali National Park, Alaska, United States
Aug 28, 2023Dubrovnik, Croatia
Oct 30, 2024Gran Paradiso National Park, Italy