Firenze: Days of Destruction

Sixty years after the devastating flood that struck Florence on November 4, 1966, the Fondazione Franco Zeffirelli presents a documentary exhibition dedicated to one of the most significant expressions of the Maestro’s civic commitment.

From November 4 to 29, 2026, the Zeffirelli Museum will host “Firenze: Days of Destruction. The 1966 Flood Through Zeffirelli’s Eyes”, an exhibition that retraces, through original materials preserved in the Zeffirelli Archive, the decisive role played by the director in the hours and days following the disaster.

Photographs, letters, documents, press reviews, and historical testimonies reveal how Franco Zeffirelli transformed the language of cinema into an extraordinary instrument of international solidarity, helping draw the world’s attention to the tragedy of Florence.

When Florence Called on the World

At dawn on November 4, 1966, the River Arno burst its banks, overwhelming Florence, devastating its incomparable artistic heritage, and bringing the city to its knees.

Franco Zeffirelli immediately understood that, alongside the emergency rescue efforts, something equally urgent had to be done: the world needed to witness what was happening.

As both a filmmaker and a Florentine, he decided to place his artistic vision and international reputation at the service of his city.

Within hours, he reached Florence with a RAI television crew and began documenting the devastation caused by the flood. The images captured during those dramatic days still convey the surreal sight of a city transformed into a sea of mud, where monuments, churches, museums, libraries, and homes lay submerged.

 

“Firenze: Days of Destruction“: The Documentary That Moved the World

From those images emerged Firenze: Days of Destruction, one of the most significant documentaries ever made about the preservation of cultural heritage in the aftermath of a natural disaster.

Its production was extraordinary, both for its speed and for the remarkable collaboration it inspired.

On the morning of November 4, Zeffirelli contacted his friend Furio Colombo, then RAI’s correspondent in the United States, who collaborated on the documentary’s narration. Over the following days, filming, editing, and production continued without interruption.

The documentary was broadcast by RAI on November 23, 1966—just nineteen days after the flood.

An unprecedented achievement for its time, made possible in part through the participation of Richard Burton, who recorded both the Italian and English versions, allowing the film to reach audiences around the world and helping raise international support for Florence’s recovery.

Firenze: Days of Destruction was far more than a documentary.

It became a powerful international communication campaign, transforming images and storytelling into an appeal for solidarity that inspired governments, institutions, artists, and thousands of people worldwide to help safeguard Florence’s cultural heritage.

 

The Exhibition

The exhibition presents an exceptional selection of original materials from the Zeffirelli Archive, many of them displayed publicly for the first time.

The exhibition includes:

• photographs taken by Franco Zeffirelli in the immediate aftermath of the flood;
• correspondence exchanged during the days following the disaster;
• letters from institutions, artists, and leading cultural figures;
• Italian and international press reviews;
• original documents relating to the production of Firenze: Days of Destruction.

Through these materials, visitors can follow, step by step, the creation of a project that helped raise international awareness and support the reconstruction of Florence.

The exhibition also offers the opportunity to discover a lesser-known side of Franco Zeffirelli: that of an artist who, in one of the darkest moments of Florence’s history, placed his talent at the service of the community, demonstrating how cinema can become a powerful instrument of civic responsibility.

 

The Zeffirelli Archive: Preserving the Memory of a Commitment

The Zeffirelli Archive preserves not only the documents that testify to Franco Zeffirelli’s extraordinary career in theatre, opera, and cinema, but also the records of his profound bond with Florence.

The photographs, letters, and documents presented in this exhibition preserve the memory of an initiative that transformed the way a cultural tragedy was communicated, demonstrating the vital role that storytelling and the moving image can play in protecting our shared heritage.

Sixty years after the flood, these materials retain all their historical significance and emotional power, reminding us that even from devastation can emerge an extraordinary movement of international solidarity.

 

Visitor Information

Exhibition
Firenze: Days of Destruction. The 1966 Flood Through Zeffirelli’s EyesDates
November 4 – 29, 2026

 

Venue
Fondazione Franco Zeffirelli – Zeffirelli Museum

 

Opening Hours
Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

 

Admission
The exhibition is included with the Museum admission ticket.

 

Information

📞 +39 320 1637839

✉️ ticket@fondazionefrancozeffirelli.com