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, recognised for its beauty and historical significance. This Romanesque church, originally built in 450 CE, features a sturdy square bell tower added in the 9th century, enhancing the basilica"s exterior. Its design features three naves, divided into 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

‘The hills have a power to soothe and heal...’
Jan 6, 2024A male chaffinch in a crab apple tree
Jan 6, 2026Nuuk, Greenland

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Sep 19, 2023Ganesh Chaturthi
May 13, 2025Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonia, Chile
On the trail of the Indian eagle-owl
Apr 12, 2025International Day of Human Space Flight
Jul 23, 2025Vatican City, Rome, Italy
What are these predators doing?
Blue as far as the eye can see
Mar 2, 2024Modica, Sicily, Italy
Mar 10, 2026Bláhver, Hveravellir, Iceland
Aug 19, 2024Raksha Bandhan
Aug 31, 2025Scotts Bluff National Monument, Nebraska, United States
A beach of many colours
Apr 1, 2026The Great Stupa at Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh
Black sands in a tropical paradise
Jan 24, 2026Andermatt village in the Alps, Switzerland
Jan 13, 2026Hen Galan
Jan 19, 2024Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia
Back to the future
Jun 16, 2025World Sea Turtle Day
Nov 30, 2023Isle of Skye, Scotland, UK
Sep 28, 2023Container ship near a port in Thailand
Blurring the lines with wearable art
Where is this ethereal mountain?
Oct 11, 2024Wood duck, Quebec, Canada
Oct 17, 2023Persepolis, Iran
Nov 7, 2024Vancouver Coastal Sea wolves in the Great Bear Rainforest, Canada
Ever seen garlic bloom?
Sep 1, 2025Great Basin National Park, Nevada, United States
Blue hues and ceramic scenes of Porto
Jul 30, 2024San Gimignano, Siena, Italy