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

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 16, 2024A hammock in Central Florida, USA
Oct 18, 2023Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska
Mar 22, 2024World Water Day
Jul 4, 2025Orosei, Sardinia, Italy
Jul 26, 2025International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem
Mar 27, 2024Amber Fort, Jaipur
Oct 5, 2025Jahangir Mahal, Orchha, Madhya Pradesh
Jul 21, 2025Staghorn coral in shallow ocean
Feb 1, 2026Colourful house in Olinda, Brazil
Jan 30, 2024Martyrs’ Day
Jan 31, 2025Happy International Zebra Day!
Sep 28, 2024Gulf Islands National Seashore, Florida, USA
Jan 21, 2024Eurasian red squirrel
Nov 27, 2025Eastbourne Pier, East Sussex, England
Combine wind and water, and you’ll get...
Feb 17, 2026Chinese New Year
Nov 17, 2023Copper Falls State Park, Wisconsin, USA
Dec 22, 2025The Nutcracker performed by the Turkish State Opera and Ballet in Türkiye
Dec 28, 2023Humpback whale
Dec 11, 2023Huangshan Mountains, China
Farewell, Ma’am
Get ready for the blood moon
May 10, 2024Misool, Raja Ampat Islands, Indonesia
Sep 2, 2024Rhino mother and calf, Kaziranga National Park, Assam
A city so nice they made it twice
Aug 16, 2025Colourful beehives, Italy
Nov 25, 2024Maasai giraffes in Amboseli National Park, Kenya
Dragon tails trail to the sea
An old bridge in a new light
Dec 8, 2024Notre-Dame Cathedral, Paris, France