A renowned natural rock formation on Italy’s Adriatic coast, affectionately known as the “Lovers’ Arch”, dramatically collapsed on Valentine’s Day following several days of severe weather.
The incident has prompted local officials to issue warnings that other vulnerable sections of the coastline could now be at risk.
The arch, a distinctive part of the Sant’Andrea sea stacks near the town of Melendugno in the southern region of Puglia, had long served as a cherished backdrop for marriage proposals and countless tourist photographs.
Melendugno mayor Maurizio Cisternino expressed his dismay to the local Corriere Salentino newspaper, describing the collapse as “an unwanted Valentine’s Day gift” and a “very hard blow” for the area’s image and vital tourism industry.
Mr Cisternino attributed the destruction to days of relentless heavy rain, powerful winds, and turbulent seas that had battered the coast. He concluded, “Nature has taken back what it created.”
Officials have warned that other parts of the rocky coastline could also collapse, with cracks visible along the cliff, underscoring the growing threat of coastal erosion.
Storms and heavy rain in recent days have also eaten away at long stretches of coastline on the Ionian Sea, from Ugento to the beaches of Gallipoli, damaging beach structures, causing small cliff falls and harming ports.
Weeks of terrible weather this year have also caused damage estimated at well over a billion euros in southern Italy, including a landslide that has forced more than 1,500 people to evacuate their homes in the Sicilian town of Niscemi.
Buildings were overhanging the edge after large sections of the slope gave way, and a car was left with its front end poking into the chasm.
The Italian government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni declared a state of emergency for Sicily, Sardinia and Calabria, the three southern regions battered by the violent storm in January.
Extreme weather events have become more frequent in Italy in recent years. Floods have devastated cities across the country, killing dozens of people and amplifying risks of landslides and floods also in historically less exposed areas.
The severe weather brought relentless rain, powerful winds, and waves as high as nine metres (30ft) that battered Sicily, Sardinia, and Calabria for two days, pushing water inland and overwhelming coastal defences.
