Sixty years since the Florence flood: exhibitions and events

Sixty years after the Arno River burst its banks on 4 November 1966, Florence commemorates those moments of shock and extraordinary solidarity with a programme of cultural events and themed exhibitions. In addition to claiming lives, the flood had a devastating impact on Florence’s historical and artistic heritage and the safety of its citizens, prompting an outpouring of support from the national and international community. Thousands of volunteers from more than seventy countries came to the city, earning a place in history as the angeli del fango (mud angels).

On the occasion of the sixtieth anniversary, the city seeks to recall the profound sense of disorientation experienced during those tragic days, when Florence’s historic centre—home to countless buildings, museums and cultural treasures —was submerged and severely damaged. The anniversary highlights the importance of restoring and safeguarding artistic heritage, while also paying tribute to the extraordinary resilience and sense of unity that emerged in the aftermath. It also offers an opportunity to look towards the future, encouraging greater awareness and strengthening our ability to face the environmental and climate challenges of the years to come.

Programme of events for the 60th anniversary of the Florence flood

Most of the events and exhibitions commemorating the 1966 flood, promoted by the Tuscany Region, the Municipality of Florence, the Metropolitan City of Florence and the University of Florence, can be found on the dedicated Firenze2026 website. The programme includes exhibitions, educational initiatives, technical and scientific activities, and public engagement projects.

1. "The Forms of Mud" exhibition at the Academy of Fine Arts

From November 4 to 20, the Florence Academy of Fine Arts will present its "Le forme del fango" (Forms of Mud) exhibition. These works are the result of a 2019 artistic project that transformed the mud from the 1966 flood—which had settled in the Academy's cellars—into art. Free admission.

2. Travelling exhibition “ARNO – Stories of Reconciliation Between Florence and Its River” by Roberto Ghezzi

Tuscan artist Roberto Ghezzi has been working on his “naturographies” - canvases that the artist leaves on the ground or in water so that nature may leave a trace of itself - since the early 2000s. For the 60th anniversary of the Florence flood, the artist, in collaboration with universities, local research organisations and cultural institutions, immersed his works in the Arno River to explore, through art, the relationship between humans, the river environment and historical memory.

The canvases, placed in the waters of the Arno in late June, were retrieved in September. Some of the collected samples will be used by a team of researchers and conservators—experts in complex interventions, such as those undertaken by Florentine restoration centers in the aftermath of the 1966 flood—for a scientific study.

The travelling exhibition, running from 4 November 2026 to 4 January 2027, will be centred at MAD Murate Art District, where the main collection of artworks, photographic documentation and audiovisual materials relating to the project will be presented. Another exhibition venue will be the Church of San Salvatore in Ognissanti, which will host a work specifically conceived to engage with the history and identity of the site.

3. Exhibition and screening “For Florence: The 1966 Flood Through the Eyes of Zeffirelli”

From 4 to 29 November, the Franco Zeffirelli Foundation Museum will exhibit photographs taken by the director during the filming of his television special on the flood. These images played a crucial role in documenting the days immediately following the disaster. During the exhibition, the special Per Firenze (For Florence) will also be screened.

4. Photography exhibition “Georgofili, 4 November 1966”

A photographic and documentary exhibition featuring documents and photographs from the days when volunteers and scholars mobilised to save books and works of art. The exhibition at the Georgofili Academy will be open free of charge until 17 December 2026, from Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 12:30 pm and 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm.

Remembering the angeli del fango

The University of Florence is joining forces with five American universities that were already present in Florence in 1966—Syracuse University, California State University, Gonzaga University, Florida State University and Smith College—to organise an event celebrating and bearing witness to the volunteers’ legacy. Their students became the “Mud Angels”, playing a vital role in supporting the Florentine community in the aftermath of the flood. The conference will take place on 5 November at 3:30 pm in the Aula Magna of the University of Florence Rectorate, in Piazza San Marco 4, and will be open to the public.

The “Mud Angels” will also be commemorated on screen and on stage. From 3 to 13 November, the Teatro della Pergola will host Angeli del Fango (Mud Angels), by Martina Vianovi, a new production by Teatro della Toscana created especially for the anniversary. The play tells the story of very young people who, despite their inexperience and being strangers to one another, came from all over the world to help Florence.

Meanwhile, Marco Spagnoli’s documentary Angeli del Fango – La Meglio Gioventù europea (Mud Angels – Europe’s Finest Young Generation) will be presented on Wednesday, 4 November, at Cinema La Compagnia as part of the 67th edition of the Festival dei Popoli, the international documentary film festival. Through archival footage from public and private collections, alongside personal testimonies, the film recounts the story of the volunteers who came to Florence’s aid.