Florence and Murals for the 1966 Flood of the Arno

By Brian Ferro, Senior BA Student

While walking around in Florence, it is common to see plaques placed in various areas. These plaques are placed in areas with historical or cultural significance and give a little description of the events which took place. Plaques such as the one next to the Uffizi, commemorating Florence becoming a world heritage site, help to maintain Italy’s cultural identity.

A similar approach has been taken for larger catastrophes that have occurred in the area. In 1966, after a long period of steady rain, the Arno river flooded into the city. At the height of the flood, the Arno reached more than 22 feet higher than average. This disastrous flood took the lives of more than 100 people, devastated 5000 family homes, 6000 stores, and 600,000 tons of mud destroyed countless historical records. The flood was particularly devastating due to the lack of emergency services. During the emergency, approximately 90% of the Florence population were completely unaware of the imminent disaster.

To keep the disaster fresh in the minds of the population, and to prevent disasters of a similar scale from happening again, the city municipality erected plaques about the flood. In various locations around Florence, these plaques were placed to mark the height of the Arno river during the flood. These plaques read, “On November 4th, 1966, the water of the Arno reached this height”. While living in a beautiful city such as Florence, it can be hard to differentiate between the good times we live in now and the destruction of the past. By keeping these scenes fresh in our minds, we can remain informed of the past, and prepared for the future. The next time that you are walking around the city center, keep an eye out for one of these plaques! Even in places that seem small, the city’s history is full of lessons from the past.