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:

Jul 31, 2024Hoodoos, Sunset Point, Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, USA
Take a hike!
Apr 12, 2025International Day of Human Space Flight
Jul 24, 2024Flock of Swaledale sheep in North Yorkshire, England
Apr 23, 2024World Book Day
Mar 4, 2026Purple crocus flowers, Seven Rila Lakes, Bulgaria
Nov 18, 2023Polar bear mother and cubs, Churchill, Manitoba, Canada
Oct 22, 2024Palazzo Zuccari, Rome
Sep 3, 2025Trullo buildings in Alberobello, Apulia, Italy
Jan 30, 2026St. Michaels Mount in Marazion, Cornwall, England
Jul 29, 2025International Tiger Day
Apr 7, 2025North American beaver, Moran, Wyoming, United States
Apr 17, 2025Andean cocks-of-the-rock, Ecuador
Oct 29, 2024Great horned owl
May 28, 2024The Monastery of Roussanou, Greece
Oct 19, 2024Temple of Hathor, Dendera Temple Complex, Qena, Egypt
Happy birthday Badlands National Park
Jul 29, 2024International Tiger Day
Dec 17, 2023Bohemian waxwings
May 29, 2025Miravet, Catalonia, Spain
Apr 15, 2024Centraal Station, Antwerp, Belgium
Oct 23, 2025International Day of the Snow Leopard
Jun 16, 2024Happy Fathers Day!
Jun 8, 2026World Oceans Day
Apr 2, 2024Beech trees and anemone wildflowers, Jutland, Denmark
May 9, 2025International Chameleon Day
Dec 28, 2024Dudhsagar Falls, Goa
Mar 11, 2024Sleeping koala
Aug 24, 2024Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, United States
Mar 3, 2024World Wildlife Day