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I remember where I was in November 1966, do you? Perhaps some of you weren’t even born yet or were infants or toddlers? But I was a teen and I remember exactly where I was and that it was a during a particularly dramatic time in my life… but at the time I had no knowledge of the dramatic events happening across the Atlantic… and I certainly never dreamed that one day I would be standing on a bridge in Florence, Italy, reflecting on both 60 years later…
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November 4, 1966, marks the date of the infamous Alluvione di Firenze, when the Arno overflowed, bursting its banks gushing into the streets bringing tons of mud, debris, and destruction… leaving residents and onlookers in shock at the devastation!
Even looking at images, it’s hard to imagine! Today, all over the city, look up and you will see plaques designating how high the Arno reached – surging over the Ponte Vecchio, reaching up to 22 feet in Santa Croce, and up to 10 feet at the Duomo!
Churches, libraries, museums and homes were overwhelmed and the monumental task of rescuing and saving not only their belongings but the precious treasures, priceless masterpieces … the cultural heritage of Florence, consumed residents and volunteers from all over the world.
November 4, 2026, 60 years later, on the anniversary of this momentous day, as it does every year, the city of Florence remembers and commemorates the event and and those whose arduous hands-on efforts, including locals, and volunteers from all over the world – including the wonderful angeli del fango (mud angels) – thousands who volunteered braving the mud and muck for weeks to help preserve whatever they could.
A ceremony of offering a wreath to the Arno by the Mayor of Florence, accompanied by other officials, is held annually on Ponte alle Grazie to remember and commemorate that day. It is also a tribute to the resilience and strength of this beautiful city…
♥ The emotion of it all washed over me as I stood looking up toward San Miniato and then toward Ponte Vecchio…and here I am 60 years later.
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♦ And all of this on the heels of another “wave”… described as a “tidal wave”!!
♥ Waking up in Italy to the news that another wave of monumental proportions had happened in the USA… November 3rd mid-term election results – described not just as a wave but as a tidal wave of epic proportions!!
♥ The confluence of events 60 years apart brought an unexpected flood of emotions and more than a moment of reflection…
♥ Not just wonder and appreciation but the inspiring strength and resilience of the human spirit.
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Thank you for sharing these moments with me – times and events that tested the resilience of the people at that moment… a flood that brought devastation and destruction testing the resilience of a city, and an election that tested the values and priorities of a country…♥
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♦ Click and learn more↓
Compelling images from Getty Images:
https://www.gettyimages.it/immagine/alluvione-firenze-1966
https://www.magentaflorence.com/in-the-aftermath-of-the-1966-florence-flood/
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♦ The first or next time you are in Florence (and I hope you will visit soon!), be sure and look around and look up…there are markers and reminders of that day…and so much more to see in this marvelous city!
♦ Reach out and let’s plan your Florence (and beyond) days together!
CLICK & Contact Victoria!
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