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

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Oct 26, 2025Pumpkin farm, North Carolina
Dec 3, 2024Amber Fort, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
May 22, 2024Tasmanian snow gum, Mount Field National Park, Tasmania, Australia
Aug 25, 2023Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA
Nov 21, 2024Lion cubs, South Africa
Sep 26, 2024Blue-throated toucanet, Costa Rica
Apr 21, 2025Joshua trees under the Milky Way, California, United States
Feb 29, 2024Eurasian red squirrel
Dec 17, 2023Bohemian waxwings
Sep 9, 2025Eurasian red squirrel
Nov 16, 2025A traboule in Lyon, France
Feb 12, 2025Marine iguanas, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
Jul 17, 2024Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Bavaria, Germany
Oct 20, 2023Pygmy three-toed sloth
Dec 28, 2023Humpback whale
Dec 22, 2024Crystal Pier, San Diego, California, United States
Mar 8, 2024Iguazú Falls, Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil
Feb 8, 2025Medieval towers in Mestia, Upper Svaneti, Georgia
Jan 21, 2025Eurasian red squirrel
Jun 28, 2025Mannheim Water Tower, Germany
Nov 30, 2023The Old Man of Storr, Isle of Skye, Scotland, UK
Feb 2, 2025Alpine marmot
Dec 13, 2024St. Stephens Basilica, Budapest, Hungary
Nov 15, 2024Chiang Mai, Thailand
Apr 10, 2025Red fox cubs near their den
Jan 9, 2024Rio Grande, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
Jun 29, 2025Blue lagoon of Pulau Ay, Banda Islands, Indonesia
Oct 27, 2023Sligachan Old Bridge, Isle of Skye, Scotland
Nov 14, 2024Manarola, Cinque Terre National Park, Liguria, Italy
Nov 9, 2023Birch trees, Drammen, Norway