Porto Flavia, Sulcis-Iglesiente, Sardinia, Italy May 14, 2025

Porto Flavia, Sulcis-Iglesiente, Sardinia, Italy

Most ports rely on docks and cranes that extend into the shoreline. Porto Flavia in the Sulcis-Iglesiente region, however, took a completely different approach. This engineering marvel transformed a cliff into a gateway for Sardinia"s ore industry. Mining in Sulcis-Iglesiente has a history dating back thousands of years, from the Phoenicians and Romans to the industrial boom in the 20th century. Lead, zinc, coal, sulphur, barium and silver were extracted from these rugged hills, but transporting them was a logistical nightmare. Ore had to be hauled by cart, loaded onto small boats and then transferred to larger ships—a slow, costly and inefficient process.

© Marco Bottigelli/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

May 14, 2024Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico, USA

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Nov 15, 2025Irohazaka Road, Nikko, Tochigi, Japan
Mar 13, 2024Lesser flamingos, Lake Magadi, Kenya
Sep 17, 2025A young bull moose
Dec 29, 2023Oud-West neighbourhood, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Feb 19, 2024Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife, Spain
Nov 26, 2023Fallow deer in Bradgate Park, England
Oct 20, 2023Pygmy three-toed sloth
Jul 14, 2025Young blue shark
Feb 6, 2024Lake Tahoe
Jan 27, 2024Spot-billed toucanet, Brazil
Dec 6, 2024Helsinki, Finland
Jul 31, 2025Kalalau Beach on the Nā Pali Coast, Kauai, Hawaii, United States
Apr 19, 2025Zion National Park, Utah, United States
Jul 19, 2025Luna moth
Nov 10, 2023Badlands National Park, South Dakota, USA
Nov 23, 2024Spiral aloe, Kangaroo Island, Australia
May 11, 2024Indigo bunting
Nov 30, 2024Kilchurn Castle, Scotland
Dec 12, 2024Poinsettia flower
Dec 8, 2023La Rocque Harbour, Island of Jersey
Sep 21, 2023Inside the Nobel Peace Centre, Oslo, Norway
Jul 20, 2024The Moon
Oct 23, 2025Snow leopards, India
Apr 19, 2024Ring of Brodgar, Orkney, Scotland
Jul 21, 2024Kendwa village, Zanzibar, Tanzania
Oct 8, 2023Veined octopus
Apr 24, 2025Kenai Fjords National Park, Seward, Alaska, United States
Aug 8, 2024Spotted owlet, Bangkok, Thailand
Jul 5, 2024Daintree Rainforest and Noah Beach, Queensland, Australia
Oct 11, 2025Wood duck hen