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:

Mar 7, 2025Plum blossoms, China
Feb 22, 2024Bathing boxes at Brighton Beach, Australia
Jul 28, 2025Yurts in Mongolia
Jan 9, 2026Muir Woods National Monument, California, United States
Aug 4, 2025Great grey owls
Jul 5, 2025Cize-Bolozon viaduct, France
Nov 27, 2023Río Negro, Amazon basin, Brazil
Aug 12, 2024African elephants, Amboseli National Park, Kenya
Aug 13, 2025Corona Arch near Moab, Utah, United States
Apr 9, 2024Tulip fields in spring, Skagit Valley, Washington, USA
Jan 28, 2024Channel Country, Australia
Aug 29, 2025Aerial view of Plaza Mayor, Madrid, Spain
Dec 2, 2023Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India
Jan 25, 2025Porto, Portugal
Oct 23, 2023Corn maze in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania, USA
Feb 1, 2026Colourful house in Olinda, Brazil
Jan 24, 2024Diamond Beach, Iceland
Dec 18, 2023Capitol Reef National Park, Utah, USA
Mar 19, 2025A black heron canopy hunting in Botswana
Oct 14, 2023Ring of fire solar eclipse
Sep 12, 2023North Sea at sunset, Norddorf, Germany
Nov 12, 2024Arches National Park, Utah, United States
Sep 14, 2023Przewalskis horses, Hustai National Park, Mongolia
Dec 13, 2023Svolvaer, Lofoten Islands, Norway
Nov 18, 2025Male hooded merganser
Dec 27, 2025Lake Superior, Grand Marais, Minnesota, United States
May 16, 2024Ria de Vigo, Vigo, Spain
Jun 21, 2025Masai giraffes in the Serengeti
Feb 6, 2026Ra Gusela peak at Giau Pass, near Cortina dAmpezzo, Italy
Apr 24, 2024White trilliums in Ontario, Canada