Arno River Flood

On the night of 3 November 1966, the River Arno burst through Florence’s flood protection installments, causing the deaths of more than 120 people. As the surrounding forests had been cleared, they could not contribute any protection against the constant rainfall. Before receding, the water reached almost five meters above sea level and flooded the city with an estimated forty-five to fifty million cubic meters of water.

When the waters receded the night of 4 November, they left the city in ruins, covered in waste-water mud. Numerous art treasures were destroyed. Official commemorations still honor the countless helpers active during the flood, remembered as angeli del fango (mud angels), in the collective memory of the city.