Chapel on the rock Nov 8, 2019

Pace yourself—you"ll need to climb 268 stone steps to reach the entrance of Chapel St-Michel d"Aiguilhe (Chapel of St. Michael of the Needle). This historic church near Le Puy-en-Velay, France, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that attracts visitors from around the world. It was constructed in 969 by a local bishop and dedicated to the Archangel Michael, the patron saint of mountaintops. Even before the chapel was built, the site had spiritual significance, as it was home to prehistoric dolmens (stone tombs) built by the Romans to honor their god Mercury.

© Jaubert French Collection/Alamy Stock Photo

palette

Today in History

Nov 8, 2018Manatees rebound
Nov 8, 2020Languid life on the Lakes
Nov 8, 2021Polar bears
Nov 8, 2022Yi Peng Festival in Chiang Mai, Thailand
Nov 8, 2023Manatee Awareness Month
Nov 8, 2024Glacial rivers in Iceland
Nov 8, 2025Bandon Beach in Bandon, Oregon

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Jul 13, 2024International Rock Day
Jul 7, 2022Heceta Head Light, Florence, Oregon
Nov 11, 2018Poppies for Armistice Day
Oct 2, 2022Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta
Sep 4, 2021Humming along
Apr 8, 2019Ready, set, read
Jan 10, 2026The Matterhorn reflected in Lake Stellisee at sunrise, Zermatt, Switzerland
Mar 27, 2021Blink and you ll miss it
Jul 3, 2022Dog days of summer
Jun 1, 2025World Reef Awareness Day
Apr 29, 2023Astronomy Day
Jun 9, 2025Old City of Dubrovnik in Dalmatia, Croatia
Nov 7, 2019Paris is photo-ready this week
Jul 9, 2023Moselle River loop near Kröv, Germany
Dec 30, 2019Sky island views
Aug 26, 2023Museum Night in Berlin
Nov 14, 2021First Cliff Walk
Jun 26, 2020Beautiful baobabs
Aug 4, 2022Satla marshland in Bangladesh
Jan 15, 2019A personal collection becomes an institution
Nov 8, 2023Manatee Awareness Month
May 27, 2020Clouds over the River of Grass
Jan 23, 2025Sundance Film Festival
Jan 10, 2018Weaverbird nests at Kenya’s Samburu National Reserve
Sep 28, 2021The snows of Fuji
Jan 8, 2022American bison
Nov 16, 2023World Philosophy Day
Apr 7, 2021A willowy welcome to spring
Apr 20, 2025Happy Easter!
Feb 17, 2022Flamenco dancers