A novembre si ricordano i 50 anni dalla peggiore all’alluvione che la città di Firenze abbia vissuto dal 1557. Il British Institute of Florence partecipa all’anniversario con numerosi eventi.   

L’Istituto organizza un corso della durata di una settimana dal titolo “Arno Unleashed: Seven centuries of art and floods in Florence”. Il corso, che inlcuderà lezioni teoriche e visite guidate, analizzerà il ruolo centrale che il fiume Arno ha avuto per la crescita economica e per l’identità della città, così come la sua forza distruttiva, attraverso un’analisi delle alluvioni storiche subite dalla città dal 13° al 20° secolo. 

Mercoledì 2 november alle 18:00, il regista Roger Graef parlerà del suo controverso documentario “Why save Florence?” alla Biblioteca Harold Acton Library del British Institute of Florence, Palazzo Lanfredini, Lungarno Guicciardini 9. 

On the evening of the actual anniversary, Friday 4 November at 17:00, the Harold Acton Library will host the launch of a book of testimonies of the flood entitled “Perimetri perduti”, in the framework of artworks by David Cass, inspired by the 1966 flood.

Weathered (Oil Oceans) 2011 – 2013 24 x 26 x 10 cm • Layered oils + metal/wooden drawers

His book explores the events before, during and after the catastrophe and features watercolour studies by the artist alongside texts from invited authors with a link to the city. On the occasion, the artist will also display some of his paintings inspired to the 1966 flood.

The exhibition will be followed by eye-witness accounts of the flood and the première screening of Roger Graef’s documentary “Why save Florence?” at 19:00.

Wednesday 9 November at 18:00, Bruno Santi, Director of the Opificio delle Pietre Dure will speak at the Cultural Programme. His talk in Italian is: ‘L’alluvione a Firenze: sgomento e riscatto di una città’.

Wednesday 16 November at 18:00 Swietlan Kraczyna, one of the founders of ‘Il Bisonte’ International School of Advanced Printmaking in Florence will give a lecture in English: ‘The 1966 flood: an eye-witness account’.

The British Institute of Florence welcomes lovers of Florence, from mud angels to current residents and students, to join us in marking the anniversary of an event which cost over 100 lives and many livelihoods, as well as destroying and damaging countless books and artworks.