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

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Nov 28, 2019Wild turkeys in repose
Sep 8, 2020Victory Day in Valletta
Nov 14, 2022Castle ruins on the island of Halki, Greece
Oct 2, 2018North Cascades National Park at 50
Apr 5, 2021Once upon a time there was a bridge…
Feb 24, 2022Glacier cave in Iceland
Dec 14, 2022National Audubon Society s Christmas Bird Count
Feb 15, 2023Hippo family in Chobe National Park, Botswana
Apr 9, 2020Hooray, hooray, it s Unicorn Day!
Nov 6, 2022New York City Marathon
Jun 19, 2020Celebrating freedom
Apr 13, 2026International Dark Sky Week
Apr 4, 2018Mexican giant cardon cactus
Jun 6, 2023D-Day remembered
Jun 12, 2022Big Bend National Park turns 78
Jun 11, 2018A Great view from above
Apr 25, 2021One giant leap for penguins
Jun 3, 2019Oh, happy day!
Nov 3, 2023World Jellyfish Day
Feb 5, 2025Scottish Blackface sheep, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Jan 15, 2020Harvest season begins
Aug 4, 2025Great gray owls in their nest, Finland
May 30, 2019A day to celebrate the sun
Feb 16, 2022Cranborne Chase, England
Sep 6, 2021All in a day s work
Nov 3, 2024International Day for Biosphere Reserves
Dec 15, 2024Lake Misurina, Dolomites, Italy
May 4, 2024Star Wars Day
Jun 11, 2021An island in the Highlands
Aug 22, 2024Ocean City, Maryland, at sunrise