Peapix

  • Bing Gallery
  • Extension
Peapix
Bing Gallery
Extension
  • Canada
    All
    Australia Canada China Germany France India Japan Spain United Kingdom United States Italy Brazil

Bing Gallery

Australia Canada China Germany France India Japan Spain United Kingdom United States Italy Brazil
  1. Bing Gallery
  2. Canada
  3. 2025
  4. May 14
  5. Porto Flavia, Sulcis-Iglesiente, Sardinia, Italy
arrow_back_ios Porto Flavia, Sulcis-Iglesiente, Sardinia, Italy

May 14, 2025

Porto Flavia, Sulcis-Iglesiente, Sardinia, Italy

© Marco Bottigelli/Getty Image

Ore and more. 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.

In 1924, Italian engineer Cesare Vecelli revolutionised ore transport in the region. He designed Porto Flavia as a system of tunnels and silos carved into a limestone cliff, allowing ore to be loaded directly onto cargo ships. The facility featured two stacked tunnel levels. The upper level could store up to 11,000 short tons of ore in nine reservoirs. Gravity-fed chutes transported the ore to the lower level, where a conveyor belt loaded it directly onto waiting ships. The port, named after Vecelli's daughter, Flavia, remained in use until mining declined in the mid-20th century. Today, visitors can explore its tunnels, massive silos and the platform where ships once docked—soaking in the same sea breeze that once carried Sardinia's minerals to markets worldwide.

water cave nature mountain outdoor blue pool lake swimming

Related Images

Yoho National Park, British ColumbiaYoho National Park, British Columbia
Dunluce Castle, County Antrim, Northern IrelandDunluce Castle, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
Torres del Paine National Park, Patagonia, ChileTorres del Paine National Park, Patagonia, Chile
Plaza de España, Seville, SpainPlaza de España, Seville, Spain
Bruce Peninsula National Park, OntarioBruce Peninsula National Park, Ontario
Magellanic penguins, Volunteer Point, Falkland IslandsMagellanic penguins, Volunteer Point, Falkland Islands
Spire Cove in Kenai Fjords National Park, Seward, Alaska, United StatesSpire Cove in Kenai Fjords National Park, Seward, Alaska, United States
Grand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, United StatesGrand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, United States

Today on Bing

Walkway leading into the Big Room, Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico

Walkway leading into the Big Room, Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico

May 14, 2024
White-tailed deer doe and newborn fawn, Montana

White-tailed deer doe and newborn fawn, Montana

May 14, 2023
Windmills, Kinderdijk, Netherlands

Windmills, Kinderdijk, Netherlands

May 14, 2022
Amazon rainforest with fog in the morning near Alta Floresta, Mato Grosso, Brazil

Amazon rainforest with fog in the morning near Alta Floresta, Mato Grosso, Brazil

May 14, 2021
Rice fields in the Sidemen Valley, with Mount Agung in the background, Bali, Indonesia

Rice fields in the Sidemen Valley, with Mount Agung in the background, Bali, Indonesia

May 14, 2020
Cannes, France, where the annual film festival begins today

Cannes, France, where the annual film festival begins today

May 14, 2019

Related Tags

water outdoor nature sky mountain lake landscape cloud beach tree rock hillside grass building wooden shore surrounded island cave blue
Share photo
Share
Pin
Tweet
Line
  • © 2025 Peapix.com
  • API
  • App
  • Privacy
The images are provided for wallpaper use only.