San Gimignano, Siena Tuscany, Italy Jul 30, 2024

San Gimignano, Siena Tuscany, Italy

These medieval towers stand tall over San Gimignano, a small town near Siena in north central Italy. In the Middle Ages, a town grew up around a church dedicated to St. Geminianus (San Gimignano in Italian). As well as being a popular stop for pilgrims on their way to Rome, the town prospered thanks to its trade in local Vernaccia wine and in saffron, which is grown in the nearby hills. However, when the Black Death struck in 1348, half the population was lost, slowing the town"s development and preserving its medieval character to this day.

© MNStudio/Shutterstock

palette

Today in History

Jul 30, 2018Children at play for International Day of Friendship
Jul 30, 2019A long, erratic commute
Jul 30, 2020International Day of Friendship
Jul 30, 2021Working for that cliffside view
Jul 30, 2022Milford Sound/Piopiotahi rainforest in New Zealand
Jul 30, 2023Palouse farmland, Washington state
Jul 30, 2025International Day of Friendship
Jul 30, 2026Monument Valley, Navajo Nation, Arizona

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Dec 29, 2022Silver-studded blue butterflies
Oct 13, 2025Cedar Mesa, Utah, for Indigenous Peoples Day
Sep 11, 2024Patriot Day
Mar 9, 2021Spring comes to the Diablo foothills
Oct 14, 2025Village of Oia in Santorini, Greece
Apr 13, 2024Apple trees in spring, Germany
Nov 24, 2024Sonoma Coast State Park, California
Apr 17, 2021A river runs through it
Apr 21, 2018Celebrating National Park Week, April 21-29
May 13, 2020Of moose and Maine
Mar 26, 2026Logan Creek Suspension Bridge, West Coast Trail, Canada
Oct 14, 2019Canadian Thanksgiving
Jul 5, 2023Porto Timoni beach, Greece
May 8, 2022Mother s Day
Dec 25, 2018Happy holidays!
Apr 26, 2025Redwood National and State Parks, California
Sep 18, 2019Celebrating Chile’s Independence Day
Jan 1, 2020Napping away New Year s Day
Jun 15, 2022Nature Photography Day
Oct 15, 2025National Mushroom Day
May 30, 2021Who s hiding in the kelp?
Jul 26, 2025International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem
Oct 27, 2019A festival of lights in India
Aug 10, 2019Seville celebrates first world tour
Dec 21, 2019Seventeen arches at sunset
Jan 25, 2026Burns Night in Scotland
Dec 12, 2023Poinsettia Day
Jan 14, 2020Going head-to-head with winter
Aug 31, 2022Blue linckia sea stars in Papua New Guinea
Dec 25, 2023Merry Christmas!