Manarola, Cinque Terre National Park, Liguria, Italy 14 Nov 2024

Known for its pastel houses cascading down to the Mediterranean Sea, Manarola, seen in today"s image, looks like a place straight out of a fairytale. Perched on the rugged cliffs of Italy"s Ligurian coast, it"s one of the five villages that make up Cinque Terre National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The name "Manarola" might have evolved from the Latin "Magna rota," which became "Magna roea" in the local dialect. It means "large wheel," a nod to the village"s historical mill wheel. Believed to be the oldest village in the Cinque Terre, dating to 1338, Manarola"s history is rooted in fishing and winemaking. Sciacchetrà, a dessert wine unique to this area, has long been immortalised in the verses of Italian poets.

© John_Silver/Shutterstock

palette

Today in History

High above the Aegean Sea
14 Nov 2023Russell lupines, Lake Tekapo, New Zealand
14 Nov 2025Mother manatee and calf, Crystal River, Florida, United States

More Desktop Wallpapers:

29 Feb 2024Leap Day
10 Sep 2025Hay bales in North Yorkshire, England
Close to the wind
17 Jun 2025Maritime forest in Cumberland Island National Seashore, Georgia, United States
25 Mar 2024Happy Holi!
2 Apr 2026Wildflower bloom, Central Valley, California, United States
Gateway to Iberia
31 Jul 2024Hoodoos, Sunset Point, Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, USA
Fly me to the moon
28 Jan 2025Short-eared owl
11 Nov 2025Externsteine in the Teutoburg Forest, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
18 Jan 2025National Winnie-the-Pooh Day
A day for cousins of every stripe
The sun sets on British Summer Time
15 May 2026Endangered Species Day
An oasis in a sea of sand
Living rock
27 Sep 2024Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute, Venice, Italy
11 Dec 2024International Mountain Day
13 May 2024Fish River Canyon, Namibia
14 Jun 2025Trooping the Colour
May the 4th be with you
27 Nov 2024Tombeau du Géant in Bouillon, Belgium
The lonely castle
Revealing natures turquoise gem
Want to hang about?
5 Sep 20242024 Toronto International Film Festival
5 Jul 2024Noah Beach, Queensland, Australia
26 Nov 2025World Olive Tree Day
24 Aug 2025Notting Hill Carnival