To commemorate 50 years since the devastating floods that affected large parts of Italy in 1966, the History of Art department organised a viewing of the documentary ‘Florence: Days of Destruction’. This documentary was made to highlight the danger surrounding the thousands of artworks and books that were in danger of being destroyed due to the 24 feet of water, oil, and mud that covered the city of Florence, as well as calling for international help.
The moving documentary not only showed the city of the Renaissance covered in several litres of the Arno’s muddy water, but also showed the angelli del fango working day and night in order to preserve as many sculptures, paintings, frescoes and medieval manuscripts as possible. The documentary was one of awareness, but also of hope. It showed the resilience of the human spirit in the face of severe adversity, and the international community coming together to save a world patrimony.
Following the documentary, there was a panel discussion. The panellists consisted of two men who, students at the time, had gone to Florence to help; a Florentine history of art student whose grandparents were in the city during the floods; two experts, one on artwork conservation and one on flood impacts. The discussions ranged from changing conservation techniques, to the emotional response to the tragedy at the time and after seeing the documentary. During my year abroad, I visited Florence several times, and had not grasped the extent to which the flood waters rose in Florence, or how many masterpieces were lost. For the most part, the people of Florence have managed to move past the tragedy and embrace their city’s heritage.
A commemoration of the Florentine Floods, 1966
BY Capucine de Hennin
18
Il dipartimento