San Gimignano, Siena, Italy Jul 30, 2024

San Gimignano, Siena, Italy

These medieval towers stand tall over San Gimignano, a small town near Siena in north central Italy. In the Middle Ages, a town grew up around a church dedicated to Saint Geminianus—San Gimignano in Italian. As well as being a popular stop for pilgrims on their way to Rome, the town prospered thanks to its trade in local Vernaccia wine and in saffron, which is grown in the nearby hills. However, when the Black Death struck in 1348, half the population was lost, slowing the town"s development and preserving its medieval character to this day.

© MNStudio/Shutterstock

palette

Today in History

Perfect, pastoral Palouse
The ‘eighth wonder’?
Jul 30, 2025Agra Fort, Agra, Uttar Pradesh

More Desktop Wallpapers:

A puzzle for giants
Jan 28, 2024Channel Country, Australia
Where history comes alive
Stairway to where?
Jun 19, 2024Reticulated giraffe mother greeting calf in Kenya
Dec 31, 2023New Years Eve!
Dec 1, 2025Antarctica Day
How can we help at-risk animals?
A little bird told me...
A vibrant, sun-drenched island
Mar 10, 2024Jim Corbett National Park, Uttarakhand, India
Like sands through the hourglass
Nov 11, 2025Externsteine in the Teutoburg Forest, Germany
Jun 2, 2025Telangana Day
An ugly duckling no more
Sep 1, 2023Backwaters of Kerala, India
Sport where you least expect it
Mar 9, 2025Kedarkantha, Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand
Family on parade
The sprout with amazing potential
Dec 5, 2023Castles in the Bavarian Alps
Aug 14, 2025Cable car station on Piz Nair mountain, Graubünden, Switzerland
The mystery of Stonehenge
Jun 24, 2024Kelimutu, Flores, Indonesia
Apr 18, 2024International Day for Monuments and Sites
May 17, 2024Endangered Species Day
Jul 9, 2025Independence Day of the Argentine Republic
Nov 14, 2024Manarola, Cinque Terre National Park, Liguria, Italy
Dec 9, 2024Two Guanacos, Torres del Paine National Park, Chile
Nov 17, 2023Copper Falls State Park, Wisconsin, USA