JAWRA Blog

Recent storms here in the east made me think more about the August 2010 cover. I took this photo in the afternoon from our 4th floor window in the Hotel Berchelli. (We splurged; Florence was too pretty to scrimp on!). Of course, I am well aware of what even such a peaceful-looking river can do.

Photo of Ponte Vecchio over the Arno River

In the early morning of November 4, 1966 the Arno River rampaged through the center of Florence leaving 5,000 homeless and damaging much of the priceless books and artwork of this Renaissance city. Photos show trees and debris piled up to the first level of windows on the upstream side of the bridge (opposite shown here). It’s a wonder the bridge survived at all. The Uffizi Gallery, one of the world’s great collections, can be seen just upstream to the left of the bridge, also in harms way.

Truly heroic work was done to restore much of the damaged treasures. The disaster ultimately contributed to significant research in the science of restoration. Some flood control measures have been taken upstream, though I don’t know the details. Practical museum administrators, however, have their own ways of reducing the risks. We noticed in visiting the galleries, while offices and shops were downstairs, one had to climb up to the second or third floors — well above the river — to see any artwork of value.