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

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:

Dec 30, 2024Mount Field National Park, Tasmania, Australia
Jan 3, 2024Lake Minnewanka, Alberta, Canada
Aug 20, 2025The citadel in Bonifacio, Southern Corsica, France
Mar 27, 2025Odeon of Herodes Atticus, Acropolis of Athens, Greece
Sep 23, 2023Coyote Gulch, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Utah, USA
Nov 10, 2025Black-tailed prairie dogs
Dec 15, 2023SantaPark, Lapland, Finland
Oct 15, 2025Amethyst laccaria mushrooms, Seabeck, Washington, United States
May 24, 2025Jotunheimen National Park in Norway
Feb 23, 2025Mount Fuji, Lake Kawaguchi, Japan
Apr 22, 2025Grand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, United States
Dec 13, 2025Merced River, Yosemite National Park, California, United States
Jun 23, 2025Elbe river in Dresden, Saxony, Germany
Feb 7, 2026Salar de Uyuni salt flats in Bolivia
Dec 10, 2023Llyn Padarn lake, Snowdonia, Wales
Jun 19, 2025Beach in Santa Catarina, Brazil
Oct 25, 2023Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah, USA
Jan 2, 2025Ardez village, Graubunden, Switzerland
Apr 8, 2026Seattle, Washington, United States
Oct 13, 2024Royal Alcázar of Seville, Spain
May 31, 2024Gunnerside, Yorkshire Dales National Park, England
Jan 4, 2026Kings Mountain, Chugach Mountains, Alaska, United States
Mar 21, 2024Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Uganda
Apr 18, 2024Medieval city walls, Ávila, Spain
Jan 29, 2026Milwaukee City Hall, Wisconsin, United States
Dec 2, 2025Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, United States
May 6, 2024Heidelberg on the river Neckar, Germany
Sep 19, 2024Milky Way over the Elbow River, Alberta, Canada
Jul 27, 2024Vineyards above the Moselle River, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
Sep 6, 2023Rethymno, Crete, Greece