Flooded crypt, Basilica of San Francesco, Ravenna, Italy Jan 6, 2025

Flooded crypt, Basilica of San Francesco, Ravenna, Italy

In the Italian province of Ravenna lies the Basilica of San Francesco, recognized for its beauty and historical significance. This Romanesque church, originally built in 450, features a sturdy square bell tower added in the 9th century, enhancing the basilica"s exterior. Its design features three naves, divided by two rows of 12 columns each. Featured in today"s image is the basilica"s real showstopper: The basement crypt, or burial chamber, is a stunning model of early religious design. Complete with vaulted ceilings that slope down into rows of stone columns, its floor is a work of art itself. It"s inlaid with beautifully intricate mosaic tiles that have withstood the test of time.

© Andrea Pucci/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Jan 6, 2019A winter wonderland in Northeast China
Jan 6, 2020Have fun storming the castle
Jan 6, 2021Travels to the Oregon deep
Jan 6, 2022Kochelsee in Bavaria
Jan 6, 2023Black Fell in England s Lake District
Jan 6, 2024Apple Tree Day
Jan 6, 2026Nuuk, Greenland

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Jun 4, 2021Islands that turned the tide
Feb 18, 2025The Great Blue Hole, Belize
Jul 2, 2021A meerkat stands alone
Sep 28, 2021The snows of Fuji
Mar 8, 2024International Womens Day
Oct 12, 2025Village of Saranac Lake, New York
Jul 15, 2022Arrone in Umbria, Italy
Sep 17, 2019Constitution Day and Citizenship Day
Jan 15, 2023Aura River in Turku, Finland
Apr 6, 2022Crested caracaras
Mar 25, 2018Jan van Eyckplein in Bruges, Belgium
Jan 12, 2022Take the Stairs Day
Aug 24, 2022Ukrainian Independence Day
Dec 12, 2020What are we looking at?
May 31, 2019Mysterious prairie mounds abound
Sep 1, 2021It s National Mushroom Month!
Dec 17, 2022Mountain goats at Glacier National Park in Montana
May 10, 2025Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul, Minnesota
Dec 4, 2021Cheetah mother and cub
Dec 26, 2022Boxing Day in East Yorkshire, England
May 1, 2021It s Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Jun 6, 2025Arromanches-les-Bains for the 81st anniversary of D-Day
Jun 28, 2024Pride 2024
May 1, 2018The Sky Over Nine Columns in Venice, Italy
Jun 8, 2025World Oceans Day
Nov 26, 2021Native American Heritage Day
Aug 4, 2020Into the woods
Aug 17, 2021Wanderin Wawayanda
Jan 25, 2022Saint Dwynwen s Day
Jan 27, 2019A memorial in Germany