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 by two rows of 12 columns each. Featured in today"s image is the basilica"s real showstopper: the basement crypt or a 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, 2024A male chaffinch in a crab apple tree
Jan 6, 2026Nuuk, Greenland

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Mar 11, 2024Koala sleeping in a eucalyptus tree
Jan 8, 2026Yellow-chevroned parakeets
May 4, 2026Ksar Ouled Soltane, Tataouine district in southern Tunisia
Jan 29, 2026Milwaukee City Hall, Wisconsin, United States
Jan 1, 2024Red fox
Apr 28, 2025Impala in Moremi Game Reserve, Botswana
May 2, 2024Craters of the Moon National Monument, Idaho, USA
Jul 5, 2024Daintree Rainforest and Noah Beach, Queensland, Australia
Mar 19, 2026Short-beaked echidna, Adelaide Hills, Australia
Apr 27, 2026The glass dome of Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Milan, Italy
Jan 14, 2026Fortress of Palamidi, Nafplio, Greece
Sep 11, 2024Eltz Castle, Germany
Dec 31, 2024Fireworks over Parliament Hill, Ottawa, Canada
Mar 25, 2024Tulip fields in Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada
Oct 2, 2023Verdon Gorge, France
Dec 4, 2023Cheetah and her cubs
May 5, 2024Colonnade in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico
Mar 3, 2025Yellow-billed hornbills in Kruger National Park, South Africa
Mar 10, 2024Prosecco Hills, Veneto, Italy
Aug 27, 2023Jeju Island, South Korea
Jun 21, 2025Masai giraffes in the Serengeti
Oct 27, 2023Sligachan Old Bridge, Isle of Skye, Scotland
Aug 7, 2024St. Joseph North Pier Inner and Outer Lights, Michigan, USA
Dec 2, 2024Moose, Denali National Park, Alaska, United States
May 31, 2025Knuthöjdsmossen nature reserve, Sweden
Feb 23, 2026Great white egret, Upper Bavaria, Germany
Feb 12, 2026Blue-footed booby, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
Jul 29, 2024Tigers in Uttarakhand, India
Jan 23, 2026Þorrablót, Icelandic midwinter festival
Mar 8, 2025Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park, Germany