Castelmezzano, Italy Jul 15, 2023

Embraced by the rugged peaks of the Lucanian Dolomites, the ancient village of Castelmezzano in southern Italy glows with charm. Its narrow alleys and cobblestone streets pass buildings that cling to the mountainside. This picturesque destination is brimming with history; from its rule by feudal lords to battles long forgotten. It"s believed that the Normans settled here around the 11th century AD and constructed a castle, from which the village gets its name. Castelmezzano isn"t just a sleepy portrait of the past, it also offers adventure activities for the brave, including a high-altitude zip line between mountains on the Volo dell"Angelo (Flight of the Angel). Yet the finest pleasure the small village offers might just be grabbing a cup of coffee and watching the sun rise behind the majestic mountain peaks, illuminating those huddled houses as the streetlamps go out.

© Rudy Balasko/Shutterstock

palette

Today in History

Jul 15, 2018GOAL!
Jul 15, 2019Marine Day in Japan
Jul 15, 2020Who left the tub running?
Jul 15, 2021A river runs through rice fields
Jul 15, 2022Arrone in Umbria, Italy
Jul 15, 2024Marine Day, Japan
Jul 15, 2025Perseid meteor shower over Nevada

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Jan 9, 2018Great Fountain Geyser, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Apr 19, 2023Taiwan yuhinas in Alishan National Scenic Area
Mar 5, 2022Mont-Saint-Michel
Apr 27, 2018National Park Week: Yosemite National Park, California
Aug 15, 2019It’s surströmming time
Jul 16, 2019Hemingway’s Keys
May 25, 2019Traveling warblers
Apr 15, 2020Art and soul
Jan 12, 2025Crescent-tail bigeye fish, Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Apr 7, 2019Busy building wetlands
Oct 28, 2023Castilla-La Mancha, Spain
Apr 14, 2019A view fit for a queen
Jul 27, 2021Maybe we should be looking up
Nov 24, 2025Gwalior Fort, Madhya Pradesh, India
Sep 14, 2023Przewalskis horses, Hustai National Park, Mongolia
Nov 29, 2025Red deer stag in De Hoge Veluwe National Park, Netherlands
Oct 22, 2024Palazzo Zuccari, Rome
Jul 5, 2019Peel Castle on St. Patrick’s Isle with the Isle of Man in the background
Jul 10, 2021Celestial Spain
Apr 14, 2025National Dolphin Day
Mar 31, 2025Ostuni, Apulia, Italy
Nov 12, 2023Diwali
Dec 26, 2021Happy Boxing Day!
Jun 7, 2025National Trails Day
Oct 10, 2024Kochia, Hitachi, Ibaraki prefecture, Japan
Dec 28, 2025Anniversary of the Endangered Species Act of 1973
May 3, 2023Wildebeests in Maasai Mara, Kenya
May 29, 2018The first ascent
Feb 9, 2021What s going on in this sky?
Jan 6, 2025Flooded crypt, Basilica of San Francesco, Ravenna, Italy