Florence on Friday is marking the 50th anniversary of the devastating flood of the River Arno in 1966, which claimed dozens of lives and caused incalculable damage to the Tuscan city's rich heritage.
"We must not love in fear of the river," Florence Mayor Dario Nardella told Rai radio. "You have to acknowledge that little was done in terms of prevention for 48 years. But things have turned around over the last two years". However, Gerald Galloway, a University of Maryland engineer and head of an international panel of experts that assessed the measures need to protect Florence should the Arno burst its banks again, said the city is still vulnerable.
"The city remains in serious danger of flooding and this risk is set to increase every day if we don't intervene," Galloway said.
Italian Premier Matteo Renzi on Friday made an unscheduled appearance at an event in Florence's town hall, Palazzo Vecchio, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of a deadly flood of the river Arno in 1966.
He was applauded by participants, including many so-called 'mud angels', the volunteers from Italy and abroad who joined relief efforts to help Florentines affected by the flood and limit the extensive damage to the city's heritage.
Addressing the international volunteers during the commemoration event in Palazzo Vecchio's Salone dei Cinquecento (hall of the five hundred), the premier called for optimism and energy for the future.
"We are here also to drop a couple of tears, especially those who realize they are 50 years older", said Renzi, describing the "emotion and commotion" for the anniversary that have to be put at the community's service.
"Bring us your optimism and your energy to eye the future with enthusiasm", he told the 'mud angels'.
France Sedee, a Dutch colonel who went to Florence with a contingent of 140 volunteers in 1966, told the commemoration that they purified 9,000 cubic meters of water as "everything was missing in Florence, even drinking water".
Renny van Heuven also left the Netherlands as a young art historian in the wake of the flood, contributing to restoration efforts at the Duomo, in Serristori Palace, as well as other historic buildings.
"The situation was terrible and the damage incalculable", she said at the ceremony.
Florentine filmmaker Franco Zeffirelli, 93, described in a video interview produced by State broadcaster RAI how locals suddenly realized the immense value of their city's artistic heritage.
"We are so used to cohabiting with our masterpieces that looking at them has no effect, until something like this happens", he said, describing the "powerful, very strong feeling" Florentines had to "defend our city, our home" in the wake of the flood.
Zeffirelli in 1966 made a documentary on the flood - 'Florence: Days of Destruction" - narrated by Richard Burton.
"It was not difficult to persuade him, everyone was aware of the problem, of its gravity".
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