Florence Flood 60th Anniversary: Exhibitions and Events, November 2026

If you are in Florence in early November 2026, you will see the city remember one date: November 4, 1966. That night the Arno River flooded the historic center, filling churches, libraries and museums with water and mud.

Sixty years later, Florence marks the anniversary with ceremonies, concerts and more than a dozen exhibitions. Several are free. Here is what happened in 1966 and what you can see now.

What Happened on November 4, 1966

After days of heavy rain, the Arno overflowed at 2:30 a.m. in Nave a Rovezzano, on the eastern edge of the city.

By 7 a.m., more than 3 feet (1 m) of water covered the Santo Spirito neighborhood. In Gavinana it rose above 16 feet (5 m). Around the Duomo it reached about 10 feet (3 m), and the current burst open the Baptistery’s Gates of Paradise, tearing off five panels.

The official death toll was 35, in Florence and the surrounding area. In the Basilica of Santa Croce the water reached about 20 feet (6 m). Cimabue’s Crucifix was soaked in water, fuel oil and mud and lost 60% of its painted surface, according to the Uffizi Galleries (see our guide to Uffizi tickets).

Thousands of volunteers from more than 70 countries came to dig the city out, according to the official anniversary website. Italians still call them the angeli del fango, the mud angels.

Walk around the center and you will spot marble plaques like this one, marking how high the water rose.

Flood Exhibitions You Can Visit

These are the shows that run long enough to fit into a trip:

• Firenze per il mondo, il mondo per Firenze, Sala d’Arme, Palazzo Vecchio: November 4 to 22. Free admission;
• RI-EMERGERE 1966-2026, State Archives of Florence (Viale della Giovine Italia 6): November 4, 2026 to February 5, 2027. Free, with booking by email at as-fi.eventi@cultura.gov.it. Guided tours from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Saturdays November 14, 21 and 28 and December 5 and 12. Evening openings with a performance by Studio Azzurro on November 5, 6 and 7 at 7 and 8:30 p.m. (program);
• Per Firenze: l’alluvione del ’66 secondo Zeffirelli, Fondazione Zeffirelli, Piazza San Firenze: November 4 to 29;
• Le forme del fango, Accademia di Belle Arti, Via Ricasoli: November 4 to 20;
• photographs by Giorgio Lotti and the Italian Army, Palazzo Medici Riccardi: November 5 to 17;
• Con la bici nel fango, unpublished flood photos, Biblioteca Umanistica, Piazza Brunelleschi 4: November 3 to December 31;
• Italian Red Cross exhibit in the former ticket office of Santa Maria Novella station: through November 30.

The city’s program does not list prices or hours for the other shows. Check before you go.

November 4, 2026: The Anniversary Day

Main events on Wednesday, November 4, from the City of Florence program:

• 9 a.m.: Mass at the Basilica of Santa Croce;
• 10:15 a.m.: procession from Santa Croce to Ponte alle Grazie, where a wreath is laid in the Arno at 10:30 a.m.;
• 4:30 p.m.: official ceremony in the Salone dei Cinquecento, Palazzo Vecchio, with Italian President Sergio Mattarella;
• 5 p.m.: opening of RI-EMERGERE at the State Archives;
• 7:30 p.m.: documentary Angeli del Fango – La Meglio Gioventù europea by Marco Spagnoli at Cinema La Compagnia;
• 9 p.m.: Marco Masini concert at Mandela Forum.

On Saturday, November 7, at 9 p.m., there is also a Mozart concert in the Basilica of Santa Croce.

Practical Tips

Access: the city program does not say which ceremonies are open to the public. Check firenze2026.it for updates.

Language: talks, theater and documentaries are in Italian. Exhibitions and concerts work for everyone.

Where to stay: see our picks for hotels in Florence.

Planning the rest of your trip? Read our tips for Florence in November and the neighborhood events of Autunno Fiorentino, which runs through November 30.