The Arno River flood of November 4, 1966 killed many people and damaged or destroyed millions of masterpieces of art and rare books in Florence. It is considered the worst flood in the city's history since 1557. With the combined effort of Italian citizens and foreign donors and committees, or angeli del fango ("Mud Angels"), many of these fine works have been restored. New methods in conservation were devised and restoration laboratories established. However, even decades later, much work remains to be done. Arno River in Florence, Italy The Arno is a river in the Tuscany region of Italy. ... Florence (Italian: ) is the capital city of the region of Tuscany, Italy. ... Picture of flooding in Amphoe Sena, Ayutthaya Province, Thailand For other uses, see Flood (disambiguation). ... == == == == [[Media:Conservation may refer to the following: Politics and policy Conservation movement, movement seeking to protect plant and animal species as well as the habitats they live in Conservation ethic in relation to preserving ecosystems Energy conservation, reduheck yea cing non-renewable energy consumption Water conservation Wildlife conservation Conservation authority... in art, returning something to a better state, see art conservation and restoration In criminal justice, restoration is another term for restorative justice. ...

Overview

Located in the Tuscany region of Central Italy, the Arno River is approximately 150 miles long. It flows from the Mount Falterona hills of the Apennine Mountains to the Ligurian Sea, just 7 miles west of Pisa. Lush vineyards and olive groves line the river's scenic course to the west, out to sea. Principally utilized for irrigation purposes, only 20 miles of the river is used for navigation. ^[1][2] Tuscany (Italian: ) is one of the 20 Regions of Italy. ... The Ligurian Sea. ... This article discusses the Italian city. ... High-altitude aerial view of irrigation in the Heart of the Sahara ( ) Irrigation is the replacement or supplementation of rainfall with water from another source in order to grow crops or plants. ...

The highest flows of the river generally occur in the spring and autumn of every year, when rainfall in the Apennines is at its greatest. The intensity of the 1966 flood was further intensified by both the orography of the Apennines, which contributed to the high run-off rates and river discharges, and urban development. Roads, such as the Via de Calzaiuoli, served as narrow channels for floodwaters, allowing for their greater speed and destruction within the city; bridges, on the other hand, hindered river flow where it was needed, allowing water to pour over the floodplain with great force.^[3] Orography is the average height of land, measured in geopotential meters, over a certain domain. ... Gravel floodplain of a glacial river near the Snow Mountains in Alaska, 1902. ...

Timeline of events

November 3, 1966

• After a long period of steady rain, the Levane and La Penna dams in Valdarno began to emit more than 70,629 cubic feet of water per second toward Florence.
• At 2:30pm, the Civil Engineering Department reported "'an exceptional quantity of water.'"
• Cellars in the Santa Croce and San Frediano areas began to flood.
• Police received calls for assistance from villagers up the Arno valley.
• The flood's first victim, a 52 year old workman, died while trying to reach a crumbling aqueduct.

November 4, 1966 For the basilica in Florence, see Basilica di Santa Croce di Firenze Santa Croce is one of the six sestieri of Venice. ... Pont du Gard, France, a Roman aqueduct built circa 19 BC. It is one of Frances top tourist attractions and a World Heritage Site. ...

• At 4:00am, engineers, fearing that the Valdarno dam would burst, discharged a mass of water that eventually reached the outskirts of Florence at a rate of 37 miles per hour.
• At 7:26am, the Lungarno delle Grazie cut off gas, electricity, and water supplies to affected areas.
• By 8:00am, army barracks were flooded.
• By 9:00am, hospital emergency generators (the only source of electrical power remaining) failed.
• Landslides obstructed roads leading to Florence, while narrow streets within city limits funneled floodwaters, increasing their height and velocity.
• By 9:45am, the Piazza del Duomo was flooded.
• The powerful waters ruptured central heating oil tanks, and the oil mixed with the water and mud, causing greater damage.
• Florence was divided in two, and officials were unable to immediately reach citizens of the city past the Piazza Michelangelo.
• At its highest, the water reached over 22 feet in the Santa Croce area.
• By 8:00pm, the water began to lower.^[4]

Piazza del Duomo is a name often given in Italy to the piazza in front of a cathedral. ...

Impact

The flood has had a lasting impact on Florence, economically and culturally. City officials and citizens were extremely unprepared for the storm and the widespread devastation that it caused. There were virtually no emergency measures in place, at least partially due to the fact that Florence is located in an area where the frequency of flooding is relatively low. In fact, approximately 90% of the city's population were completely unaware of the imminent disaster that would befall them as they were sleeping during the early hours of November 4th, 1966.

Residents were set to celebrate their country's World War I victory over the Austrians on November 4th, Armed Forces Day. In commemoration, businesses were closed and many of their employees were out of town for the public holiday. While many lives were likely spared as a result, the locked buildings greatly inhibited the salvaging of valuable materials from countless institutions and shops, with the exception of a number of jewelry stores whose owners were warned by their night watchmen. This article is becoming very long. ... Several nations of the world hold an annual Armed Forces Day to recognize, venerate, and honor their military forces. ...

Tragically, 5,000 families were left homeless by the storm, and 6,000 stores were forced out of business. Approximately 600,000 tons of mud, rubble, and sewage severely damaged or destroyed numerous collections of the written work and fine art for which Florence is famous. In fact, it is estimated that between 3 and 4 million books/manuscripts were damaged, as well as 14,000 movable works of art.^[5]

Specific collections affected

• Archives of the Opera del Duomo (Archivio di Opera del Duomo): 6,000 volumes/documents and 55 illuminated manuscripts were damaged.
• Gabinetto Vieusseux Library (Biblioteca del Gabinetto Vieusseux): All 250,000 volumes were damaged, namely titles of romantic literature and Risorgimento history; submerged in water, they became swollen and distorted. Pages, separated from their text blocks, were found pressed upon the walls and ceiling of the building.
• National Library Centers of Florence (Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale Firenze): Located alongside the Arno River, the National Library was cut off from the rest of the city by the flood. 1,300,000 items (or one-third of their holdings) were damaged, including prints, maps, posters, newspapers, and a majority of works in the Palatine and Magliabechi collections.
• The State Archives (Archivio di Stato): Roughly 40% of the collection was damaged, including property and financial records; birth, marriage, and death records; judicial and administrative documents; and police records, among others.

Others: Galileos dome The Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale of Florence, Italy, is one of two national libraries of the country, along with Romes one. ...

• Academy of Agriculturists (Accademia dei Georgofili)
• Historic Institute of the Resistance (Istituto Storico della Resistenza)
• Hospital of the Innocents (Ospedale degli Innocenti)
• Institute and Museum of the History of Science (Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza)
• Uffizi Gallery
• Book shops and antique book dealers, many in possession of rare materials
• Countless private collections
• The collections of numerous churches and cathedrals^[6]

The following is a list of the churches in Florence, Italy. ...

Specific works affected

• Crucifix by Giovanni Cimabue
• Doors of Paradise by Lorenzo Ghiberti
• Magdalene by Donatello

Categories: Tuscan painters | People stubs ... Lorenzo Ghiberti on Gates of Paradise, Baptisterio, Florence self portrait Lorenzo Ghiberti (Florence, 1378 - Florence, December 1, 1455) was an Italian artist of the early Renaissance best known for works in sculpture and metalworking. ... Statue of Habacuc (popularly known as Zuccone) for the Giottos Bell Tower. ...

Funding and assistance

Realizing the immense wealth and importance of Florentine culture within a global context, countless individuals and organizations contributed in the mission of conservation, both monetarily and with physical work. Art historian and professor Carlo Ludovico Ragghianti assembled a committee, with Mayor Piero Bargellini as chair, to raise awareness of the needs of Florence's art and academic institutions. Members included prominent figures from around the world, representatives of their own respective institutions. This is a list of mayors of Florence, Italy. ...

A number of other international committees were formed with the intention of sponsoring various institutions in Florence:

• The Franco-Italian Committee aided the Church of Santa Maria Maddalena di Pazzi in Borgo Pinti.
• The U.S. Committee to Rescue Italian Art, composed of 25 sub-committees and chaired by the late Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, assisted in restoring frescoes around the city.
• The Viennese armory was responsible for restoring the arms and armor of the Bargello Museum.
• A Dutch committee sponsored the Buonarroti House Museum.
• A group of Germans repaired the musical instruments of the Bardini Museum.

The work of and contributions made by these committees were supervised by a central committee in Rome. the Bargello For the type of embroidery, please visit Bargello (needlework) The Bargello palace was built in 1255 to house first the Capitano del Populo and later, in 1261, the Podestà, the highest magistrate of the Florence City Council, Italy. ... Nickname: The Eternal City Motto: SPQR: Senatus PopulusQue Romanus Location of the city of Rome (yellow) within the Province of Rome (red) and region of Lazio (grey) Coordinates: Region Lazio Province Province of Rome Founded 21 April 753 BC  - Mayor Walter Veltroni Area    - City 1285 km²  (580 sq mi)  - Urban...

Additional funding has come from various governments, UNESCO, and the International Committee for the Assistance of Museums, Works of Art, Libraries and Archives, among others. UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established in 1945. ...

Charity auctions were also organized. In a show of support for the Florentine art community, Pablo Picasso had one of his paintings, Recumbent Woman Reading, auctioned off in an internationally televised program. He donated the $105,000 it earned to restoration efforts in Italy. Similarly, Pietro Annigoni and Luciano Guarnieri donated the money they earned from selling 575 color lithographs (depicting the events surrounding the flood and its aftermath), produced from 13 of their drawings. Pablo Ruiz Picasso (October 25, 1881 – April 8, 1973) was a Spanish painter and sculptor. ... Annigonis portrait of Queen Elizabeth II was used on a number of British colonial banknotes, including this Rhodesian £1 note of 1968. ... Lithography is a method for printing on a smooth surface, as well as a method of manufacturing semiconductor and MEMS devices. ...

While many institutions from around the world financially compensated employees who traveled to Italy and aided in the restoration of Florence, many others volunteered their services for absolutely no pay. Collectively, these people have been fondly referred to as "Mud Angels," due to their commitment to working in such deplorable conditions.^[7][8]

The "Mud Angels"

Mario Primicerio, the mayor of Florence from 1995 to 1999, helped celebrate the Mud Angels' efforts during an anniversary celebration in 1996. Thirty years earlier, he was a professor who lent his assistance in preserving the priceless artifacts of Florence. The Angels cleaned the city of refuse, mud, and oil, and retrieved works of art, books, and other materials from flooded rooms; experts from around the world volunteered their time and knowledge in the conservation of the aforementioned materials. This is a list of mayors of Florence, Italy. ...

In a 1996 interview, Primicerio offered three principal reasons as to why the Mud Angels felt compelled to help: a concern for future generations, a feeling of international unity, and a pervasive sense of solidarity.^[9]

What we were doing was dictated by the desire to give back the traces of the history of the past to future generations, so that it could be used for the spiritual growth of people who perhaps had yet to be born...it was the international community that worked to try to save Florence, this unique patrimony which belonged to the whole world.

– Mario Primicerio, Speciale Alluvione

Conservation measures

Many experts in the field of conservation utilized their knowledge in restoring the works of art and literature ravaged by the flood. Staff from the Central Institute of Restoration and Institute of Book Pathology, for example, volunteered their time, efforts, and expertise in this enormous undertaking. New concepts, such as "phased conservation," and methods in conservation, such as mass deacidification, were conceived during this period after the flood ravaged the city of Florence.^[10]

Books and records

Priorities were established during the process of conserving damaged books and records, the most critical of which became the retrieval of materials from flooded rooms. After they were rescued, books and records were typically washed and disinfected. In certain cases, bindings were cut and sheets treated individually. Following a thorough cleansing, the materials were then dried in Florentine libraries, space permitting, or at locations outside of the city, such as tobacco kilns and granaries. In some circumstances, large quantities of books were covered with sawdust, as a means of drawing out moisture. When not washed prior to drying, dried mud was then scraped off the exterior of the books. Old book binding and cover Bookbinding is the process of physically assembling a book from a number of folded or unfolded sheets of paper or other material. ... Charcoal Kilns, California Gold Kiln, Victoria, Australia Hop kiln. ... Granary at Thiruparaithurai, Kumbakonam (old temple town), built around 1600-1634 A granary is a storehouse for threshed grain or animal feed. ...

One or both of two drying techniques was applied: interleaving by hand and/or drying with the aid of domestic heaters or other mechanical equipment. Interleaving involved the placement of blotting papers within the text-block of a book and replacing them once they were fully soaked; a variety of papers were used, including mimeograph paper and green blotting paper (the latter of which ultimately caused more damage). In kilns, the humidity level was slowly lowered from ninety to forty degrees. If deemed necessary, bindings were removed and dried separately. Removed pages were hung out to dry on an apparatus similar to a clothes line. This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ... Clothes pins on a clothes line Clothes line is any type of string, rope, cord, or twine that has been stretched between two points, generally outside, a few feet above the ground. ...

Fearing the spread of mold, workers completed these tasks with the greatest speed possible. After they were disinfected and dried, the items were then reassembled, restored, and, if necessary, rebound. Card catalogs and, in some cases, the actual books and documents were reproduced by reprinting on early presses, photocopying, or copying by hand. ^{[11][12] [13][14][15]} It has been suggested that Toxic mold be merged into this article or section. ... The card catalog at Yale Universitys Sterling Memorial Library goes almost completely unused, but adds to the austere atmosphere. ... The printing press is a mechanical device for printing many copies of a text on rectangular sheets of paper. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

The National Library Centers of Florence: a case study

Within six months of the flood, the National Library of Florence had 144 workers on hand: three binders, eight binder trainees, two librarians, forty-two workmen, eighty-one student volunteers, and eight other library staff members.

Together they devised a logical and efficient method in book repair, involving nine separate and clearly defined steps:

• Books were selected for treatment. The details of work to be done was recorded on a formatted card that accompanied its respective book throughout its treatment. Once work was completed, the card was permanently filed. A universal language utilizing symbols, created with foreign workers in mind, was employed in the formatting of this card. Symbols were assigned to key phrases that communicated the condition of each book and how its repair was to be conducted, such as:
  • historically important-only to be dealt with by experts
  • incomplete
  • medium mud
  • rebind
  • collation part missing
• The book was photographed.
• The book's collation was verified and its covers removed and stored in a marked case (if they were to be used in a new binding).
• If necessary, the book was carefully taken apart in order to wash it in warm water and disinfect it with Topane.
• In certain cases, the leaves of the book were deacidified and buffered.
• The text-block was pressed.
• The text-block was dried in specially designed cabinets.
• Sections of the book were then reconstructed and the text-blocks collated.
• Finally, each book was inserted into a disinfected envelope for any later repair/binding. Binding was completed in either the main reading room of the library or in other institutions around the world.

This methodical nine-part system enabled workers to process between seventy and a hundred books a day. ^[16] Mass deacidification is a term used in Library and Information Science for one possible measure against the degradation of paper in old books (the so-called slow fires). One technique proposed was to place books in an evacuated chamber, then introduce diethyl zinc (DEZ). ...

Paintings

Many panel paintings were critically damaged as a result of water saturating their wood, causing the glue and gesso, which compose the priming layer, to dissolve. Consequently, the paintings' colors dissolved as well. In addition, the moisture caused paintings to buckle and crack or develop blisters, and the paint to chip and fall. Actions were taken to stabilize the problem by applying rice paper to the affected paintings and storing them in cool, stable environments where humidity was slowly decreased. In extreme cases, the paint layer was extracted from the wood and gesso and then reapplied to a new support. Nystatin, an antibiotic, was sprayed on the wood in order to prevent mold from growing. Treatment facilities were established at locations such as the Boboli Garden Lemon-House, where over two hundred of these panel paintings were restored. Gesso is the Italian word for chalk (akin to the Greek word gypsum), and is a powdered form of the mineral calcium carbonate used in art. ... Rice paper usually refers to paper made from parts of the rice plant, like rice straw or rice flour. ... Nystatin (Nystan®, Infestat®, Nystamont®) is an polyene antimycotic drug Nystatin is considered one of the clean drugs as it has no proven side effects. ...

Similar measures were necessary in conserving canvas paintings. First, an original canvas was relined and gauze applied to the painted surface, which was then ironed. This process is referred to as the rintelatura, or "new canvas" method. Relatively minor surface work was often completed with a variety of solvents and/or types of resin. Insect trapped in resin. ...

Frescoes

Frescoes demanded more complicated treatment. Normally water, once it evaporates, will leave a layer of residual salt on the surface of the wall that absorbed it. In some instances, the resultant efflorescence obscured painted images. In other cases, the impermeability of the fresco plaster caused the salt to become trapped beneath the surface, causing bubbles to form and erupt, and the paint to fall. The adhesion of the plaster to the wall was often also seriously compromised. A fresco could only be detached when fully dry. To dry a fresco, workers cut narrow tunnels beneath it, in which heaters were placed to draw out moisture from below (instead of outwards, which would have further damaged the paintings). Within a few days, the fresco was ready to be detached. A XIV Century fresco featuring Saint Sebastian Note: Fresco is the NATO reporting name of the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17. ... In Chemistry. ...

Fuel oil, which coated many painted works of art, was removed by using Japanese tissue paper to apply a solvent, which dissolved the tar. An absorbent, such as talcum powder, was then distributed on the tissue paper. Absorption has a number of meanings: In physics, absorption is a process in which particles of some sort encounter another material and are taken up by or even disappear in it. ... Talc block Talc is a mineral composed of hydrated magnesium silicate with the chemical formula H2Mg3(SiO3)4 or Mg3Si4O10(OH)2. ...

Sculpture and other objects

It became imperative to clean sculpture immediately, before it fully absorbed the oil. Flaking sculpture was sprayed with a silicate mixture, while wooden pieces were treated with insecticides and toxic gases to kill insects and prevent future infestation. Weaponry, like firearms and swords, were taken apart, cleaned with paraffin, and finally lubricated in order to prevent future rusting. In chemistry, a silicate is a compound containing an anion in which one or more central silicon atoms are surrounded by electronegative ligands. ... Insecticide application by crop spraying An insecticide is a pesticide whose purpose is to kill or to prevent the multiplication of insects. ... A weapon is a tool used to kill or incapacitate a person or animal, or destroy a military target. ... Paraffin is a common name for a group of alkane hydrocarbons with the general formula CnH2n+2, where n is greater than about 20, discovered by Carl Reichenbach. ...

Bronze objects were kept in dehumidification chambers for a few weeks and cleaned with distilled water or polished. For more severely damaged pieces, experts completed "depth cleaning," which entailed the use of small drills and vacuuming. Similar measures were taken with gold. Broken objects were reassembled using photographs and other retrieved documentation. ^[17][18] Assorted ancient Bronze castings found as part of a cache, probably intended for recycling. ... GOLD refers to one of the following: GOLD (IEEE) is an IEEE program designed to garner more student members at the university level (Graduates of the Last Decade). ...

Work Undone

The disastrous results of the flood established an international awareness of the need for preservation and conservation education and facilities. In America, for example, it is no coincidence that the National Historic Preservation Act was passed in 1966.^[19] During the next twenty years: Look up preservation in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... == == == == [[Media:Conservation may refer to the following: Politics and policy Conservation movement, movement seeking to protect plant and animal species as well as the habitats they live in Conservation ethic in relation to preserving ecosystems Energy conservation, reduheck yea cing non-renewable energy consumption Water conservation Wildlife conservation Conservation authority... The National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) is a piece of legislation in the United States of America concerned with sites of historic and archaeological interest. ...

2,000 to 3,000 preservation organizations actively engaged in public education, advocacy, preservation and restoration projects of various kinds, many of them operating revolving funds. In terms of geographic interest, distinctions among the regions are no longer drawn. Membership in the National Trust for Historic Preservation grew from 10,700 in 1966 to 185,000 in 1986. More than 35 university graduate professional and technical courses directly related to historic preservation were created in the interim. It would be reasonable to estimate that more than 54,000 jobs were created in the administrative aspect of preservation alone.

– Robert E. Stipe and Antoinette J. Lee

The National Library Centers of Florence

Yet sadly, even forty years later, an immeasurable amount of restorative work remains to be done in Florence. Due to a lack of awareness, funding, and manpower, countless works of art and books lie in storage, dirty and damaged. Christopher Clarkson, noted conservator, calls attention to this problem in a 2007 letter, stating that the National Library still has a "warehouse" full of books to be repaired and bound; many others need cleaning or reassembling. According to a 1993 report, approximately 25% of the 80,000 items belonging to the Magliabecchi and Palatino collections had not been fully restored in the nearly thirty years since the flood. The number of conservators that work at the library presently is only about a tenth of the amount that worked there immediately after the flood. ^[20] The BNCF was one of over 100 libraries and archives affected, and yet many of the other institutions received no aid whatsoever.

Environmental measures

Regional officials in Tuscany are responsible for organizing a massive project, the purpose of which is to not only protect the area from future flooding but to maintain high water quality and effectively utilize water resources.

Work commenced in 1984, with the construction of the Bilancino Dam, near Florence. The Sieve tributary and spillway at Pontedera are among other developments. The national government has funded a majority of these various subprojects, with the city of Florence being the primary recipient of the monies. ^[21] Look up tributary in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Italian small city in Pisas district. ...

See also

• Arno River
• History of Italy
• History of Florence
• Natural disaster
• Flood
• Preservation: Library and Archival Science
• Art conservation and restoration
• Architectural conservation
• Historic preservation

Arno River in Florence, Italy The Arno is a river in the Tuscany region of Italy. ... United in 1861, Italy has significantly contributed to the cultural and social development of the entire Mediterranean area, deeply influencing European culture as well. ... The History of Florence // Roman Origins Florences recorded history began with the establishment in 59 BCE of a settlement for Roman former soldiers, with the name Florentia. ... Mount Pinatubo eruption, 1991 A natural disaster is the consequence of the combination of a natural hazard (a physical event e. ... Picture of flooding in Amphoe Sena, Ayutthaya Province, Thailand For other uses, see Flood (disambiguation). ... Conservation is the profession devoted to the preservation of cultural property for the future. ... Architectural conservation describes the process through which the material, historical, and design integrity of immovable objects are prolonged through carefully planned interventions. ... Historic preservation, heritage management, or heritage conservation is the theory and practice of creatively maintaining the historic built environment and controlling the landscape component of which it is an integral part. ...

References

• Taylor, Kathrine Kressman (1969), Diary of Florence in Flood, New York: Simon and Schuster 

2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... February 23 is the 54th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... PDF is an abbreviation with several meanings: Portable Document Format Post-doctoral fellowship Probability density function There also is an electronic design automation company named PDF Solutions. ... PDF is an abbreviation with several meanings: Portable Document Format Post-doctoral fellowship Probability density function There also is an electronic design automation company named PDF Solutions. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... PDF is an abbreviation with several meanings: Portable Document Format Post-doctoral fellowship Probability density function There also is an electronic design automation company named PDF Solutions. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... February 28 is the 59th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... PDF is an abbreviation with several meanings: Portable Document Format Post-doctoral fellowship Probability density function There also is an electronic design automation company named PDF Solutions. ...

External links

• Speciale Alluvione Images of the flood and interviews with notable figures regarding its impact
• The Florence Flood News, archives, and photos for the Florence flood of 1966
• Cities and Disaster: The Florence Flood of 1966 A summary of events surrounding the flood.