Photos: Carlo Raso from Naples, Italy, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain Francesco Bini, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Andrzej Otrębski, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo credits
Photos: Carlo Raso from Naples, Italy, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain Francesco Bini, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Andrzej Otrębski, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
The 1966 flood: a walk through Santa Croce
Your local guide
Beatrice Mori
View profile
Highlights
- Water marks still on the walls of Santa Croce
- Cimabue's crucifix and its decade-long restoration
- Via dei Neri, a family's flood story
- The mud angels who came to help
- How the Arno is managed since 1966
About this tour
This session walks through Santa Croce, the neighbourhood hit hardest by the 1966 Arno flood, using the basilica, Via dei Neri and the riverbank to trace what happened. You see the water marks still on the walls inside Santa Croce, hear about a family that lived through the flood on Via dei Neri, and stand where the mud angels once gathered. It stays close to the flood's real ground rather than the wider city.
After the sound check, the guide moves between the four points in order, sharing a family account of the night itself and leaving room for questions along the way. A short note on what to see today follows the call.
This suits anyone interested in Florence's more recent history, or with a personal or family connection to the flood.
Included
- Live video walk with a local guide
- Questions to your guide all the way
- A short list of places to visit later
Not included
- Internet connection
- Travel to the city
Itinerary
-
Welcome and sound check 10 min
The guide joins the video call, checks the picture and sound with you, and gives you a quick sense of Florence before heading out.
-
Basilica di Santa Croce 21 min
Inside the basilica, the camera lingers on water stains still visible on the walls, some higher than head height, then moves to Cimabue's crucifix, restored for over a decade after the flood damaged it.
-
Via dei Neri 21 min
On this narrow street, the guide points to the building where their grandmother lived through the night of the flood and describes how fast the water rose without warning.
-
Piazza Santa Croce 21 min
Standing in the square, the guide explains how the mud angels, volunteers who arrived from across the world, gathered here to help dig out books and artworks buried in silt.
-
The Arno embankment 21 min
From the riverside, the guide points out flood markers and explains the barriers and warning systems installed since 1966 to manage the river through the city.
-
Your questions 18 min
Time to ask anything about Florence: prices, safety, food, or whatever you are curious about.
-
A short list to keep 8 min
Before you go, the guide sums up with a few things worth remembering: a dish to try: Bistecca alla fiorentina and San Lorenzo, worth a slower look.
Good to know
- A stable wifi or mobile connection makes the picture smoother than a shaky one.
- Any phone, tablet or laptop with a camera works. You watch, the guide does the walking.
- Times are shown in Rome time, so check the time where you are before you book.
- The session is not recorded, and recording it yourself is not allowed. Feel free to take your own notes.
- Ask questions any time, out loud or in the chat. The guide will pause to answer.
- Sessions run in small groups, up to 12 people, so there is room for everyone to ask something.
Questions about this tour
What will the session cover?
The guide walks through Florence, showing you Florence Cathedral (Santa Maria del Fiore) and Piazza della Signoria live on camera, plus whatever else you would like to see.
What happens if my connection drops?
Rejoin with the same link within a few minutes and the guide will catch you up on anything you missed.
Can I ask the guide questions during the session, or is it a fixed script?
Anything, any time. Sessions leave room for your own questions throughout, not just at the end.
Do I need to know the history already?
No background needed. The guide explains everything as it comes up.
How it works
- You get one join link after booking.
- Join from any device: phone, tablet or laptop.
- We meet on Google Meet; the link comes with your booking. I walk Florence live with my phone and you ask anything as we go.
Times shown in Rome time (CET)
Cancellation
Flexible
- Cancel up to 24 hours before the start: full refund.
- Cancel less than 24 hours before the start, or no-show: no refund.
- If the guide cancels or the date does not reach its minimum group: full refund.
- Cancel in My Account → Bookings; the refund is calculated from the start time in the tour's local time.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Reviews appear here after travellers have completed this tour.
How reviews work
Only travellers who booked and paid through Locals Guide and whose tour took place can leave a review, within 60 days of the tour. Every review is marked "Verified booking". We check reviews before they appear and publish positive and negative ones alike; we remove only reviews that break our rules (insults, personal data, unrelated content). Guides cannot pay for, edit or hide reviews, and ratings are the plain average of all published reviews.
Next: Tue 27 Oct · 12 seats left From 24,00 €
Book