The Great Flood of 1966The Great Flood of 1966

Florence, Italy

The event, Nov 3rdThe event, Nov 3rd

• It was the day before Armed Forces Day, a public holiday for Italy

• It had been raining heavily for eighteen hours– area had received 1/3 of its annual rainfall in the last two

days

• Florence began to hear of flooding problems of villages up the Arno river

• It was the day before Armed Forces Day, a public holiday for Italy

• It had been raining heavily for eighteen hours– area had received 1/3 of its annual rainfall in the last two

days

• Florence began to hear of flooding problems of villages up the Arno river

The dams above the city began to overflowThe dams above the city began to overflow

• The two major dams were being overtopped by 2,000 cubic centimeters of water each second.

– All of this water was heading downstream towards Florence

• By 2:30 that afternoon the sewers and drains of Florence could no longer hold the water that was flooding up from the river.

• The two major dams were being overtopped by 2,000 cubic centimeters of water each second.

– All of this water was heading downstream towards Florence

• By 2:30 that afternoon the sewers and drains of Florence could no longer hold the water that was flooding up from the river.

First area hit was Santa CroceFirst area hit was Santa Croce

• Area was on a fairly low level with the river• Cellars began to flood• Electricity started to fail• Added to the water was oil from submerged heating

tanks• Saving grace—most citizens away for the holiday

and public building were closed. It also meant no one was observing the potential disaster.

• Area was on a fairly low level with the river• Cellars began to flood• Electricity started to fail• Added to the water was oil from submerged heating

tanks• Saving grace—most citizens away for the holiday

and public building were closed. It also meant no one was observing the potential disaster.

First area to recognize disasterFirst area to recognize disaster• Ponte Vecchio—the jewelers and gold shops

– Night watchmen noticed the river rising and called their bosses

• Water burst over the bridge washing the majority of the shop contents away.

• A lot of water was backed up into the city by the bridge.

• Unfortunately, night watchmen at museums and libraries were totally unaware what was about to happen.

• Ponte Vecchio—the jewelers and gold shops– Night watchmen noticed the river rising and called their

bosses

• Water burst over the bridge washing the majority of the shop contents away.

• A lot of water was backed up into the city by the bridge.

• Unfortunately, night watchmen at museums and libraries were totally unaware what was about to happen.

4am November 4th4am November 4th

• Engineers were afraid the Valdarno dam (upriver) was going to burst.

– To avoid this, they discharged a large amount of water

• The water was traveling at a speed of 37 miles per hour towards Florence

• When the waters hit the city it carried cars and trees into buildings, churches, and even steel-lined buildings

• Engineers were afraid the Valdarno dam (upriver) was going to burst.

– To avoid this, they discharged a large amount of water

• The water was traveling at a speed of 37 miles per hour towards Florence

• When the waters hit the city it carried cars and trees into buildings, churches, and even steel-lined buildings

7 am November 4th7 am November 4th

• Electricity and gas had to be cut off to avoid more damage

– Clocks in the town stopped at 7:26 am

• Shortly afterward, part of the river’s embankment collapsed, isolating Florence from the roadways leading to it.

• Electricity and gas had to be cut off to avoid more damage

– Clocks in the town stopped at 7:26 am

• Shortly afterward, part of the river’s embankment collapsed, isolating Florence from the roadways leading to it.

8 am November 4th8 am November 4th• Army barracks of the city flooded (and the flood had

not yet crested)• The National Central Library and Uffizi Gallery were

next hit– The Library’s entrance faced the river so it bore the brunt

of the surge of water.

• By 8:30 am the Army’s vehicles were covered in water and hospitals had moved patients to upper floors—all while the city residents were still sleeping.

• Army barracks of the city flooded (and the flood had not yet crested)

• The National Central Library and Uffizi Gallery were next hit

– The Library’s entrance faced the river so it bore the brunt of the surge of water.

• By 8:30 am the Army’s vehicles were covered in water and hospitals had moved patients to upper floors—all while the city residents were still sleeping.

9:45 am 9:45 am

• Flood had reached the Piazza del Duomo– Narrow streets caused water to increase in both speed

and height– Air compressed inside basements caused explosions

causing upper floor to collapse

• Flood had reached the Piazza del Duomo– Narrow streets caused water to increase in both speed

and height– Air compressed inside basements caused explosions

causing upper floor to collapse

Inside Santa Croce

Piazza del Duomo

Flood eventually crested, Flood eventually crested, reaching 22 feet in some placesreaching 22 feet in some places

By 8 PM the River began to recede

Oil slick marks showed crest height

The statistics after the flood:The statistics after the flood:

• 600,000 tons of debris in the city• Mud, sewerage, oil, etc.

– About 30 people died– 15,000 cars wrecked– 5,000 families homeless– 14,000 movable works of art damaged– 3 to 4 million books and manuscripts damaged

• 600,000 tons of debris in the city• Mud, sewerage, oil, etc.

– About 30 people died– 15,000 cars wrecked– 5,000 families homeless– 14,000 movable works of art damaged– 3 to 4 million books and manuscripts damaged

Document damagesDocument damages

• State archive– 40 percent of the archive damaged (300 rooms)

• National Library– 1,300,000 items damaged (1/3 of the collection) under mud

and water; including one million books under water.

• Archives of the Opera del Duomo– 6,000 volumes, 55 manuscripts

• Thirty church archives were severely damaged

• State archive– 40 percent of the archive damaged (300 rooms)

• National Library– 1,300,000 items damaged (1/3 of the collection) under mud

and water; including one million books under water.

• Archives of the Opera del Duomo– 6,000 volumes, 55 manuscripts

• Thirty church archives were severely damaged

Other areas were flooded

Venice—Doge’s Palace

Recovery begins

Santa Croce

Work on Cimabue crucifixion

Cimabue crucifixion before

Cimabue crucifixion after

• First priorities were to rescue the documents about the collections

– National library had 8 million cards in the catalog

• No computer catalogs existed• Pre-freeze drying for water damaged articles.• Sawdust poultices and blotting papers were used—

often with disastrous results• Interleaving often left stains on the book pages, and

the interleaving had to be constantly replaced. • Sometimes the interleaving would cause bindings to

break

• First priorities were to rescue the documents about the collections

– National library had 8 million cards in the catalog

• No computer catalogs existed• Pre-freeze drying for water damaged articles.• Sawdust poultices and blotting papers were used—

often with disastrous results• Interleaving often left stains on the book pages, and

the interleaving had to be constantly replaced. • Sometimes the interleaving would cause bindings to

break

New triage methods were New triage methods were created to deal with the created to deal with the damagedamage

Methods were used to stop further damage by mold and hydroscopic properties of paper.

• Book Restoration from Florence Flood

Forty years later…Forty years later…

• Some materials are still being worked on.• Many conservation methods used today were

developed because of conservation from the Florence flooding.

• Some materials are still being worked on.• Many conservation methods used today were

developed because of conservation from the Florence flooding.

                                                                  

Angels of the Florence adopt a book program:

14th Century Archive "Capitano del Popolo": Register 2066Angelus de Monte Sanctae Mariae, Liber accusationum

Date 1397 - 1398

Parchment cover with rare hand-painted Medieval Coat of Arms and 35 pagesSeverely damaged in the 1966 Florence Flood

COST OF RESTORATION: EURO 400Archivio di Stato di Firenze

Flood dates are often referred Flood dates are often referred to as the ‘time when modern to as the ‘time when modern conservation was born’conservation was born’

National Historic National Historic Preservation ActPreservation Act Of the U. S. Of the U. S.

Created in 1966Public Law 89-665; 16 U.S.C. 470