The Arco di Sant'Andrea, known as the Lovers' Arch, collapsed over the weekend after heavy rains and rough seas on the coast of [location missing from original text]. Salento, in Puglia, in southern Italy.
Visitors who were at the site on Sunday morning found that the rock formation had disappeared. In its place, only scattered stones and an isolated pinnacle remained in the sea.
The natural monument was located in the territory of Melendugno, in the Puglia region.
Local impact
"It's a terrible blow to the heart," said the mayor of Melendugno, Maurizio Cisternino.
"One of the most famous tourist destinations on our coast and in all of Italy, which has even appeared in TV commercials, has disappeared."
Formed by coastal erosion, the arch was one of the most recognizable landmarks in the region. Its image frequently appeared on the covers of travel magazines and postcards of Salento.
The nickname Lovers' Arch It originated from the tradition of couples declaring their love in front of the structure. The location served as a backdrop for vacation photos.
“A piece of history is gone,” a resident told the national broadcaster Rai. “It was a tourist attraction, it was very beautiful.”
"It's a terrible day for us, because we are losing our heart, our land," said another resident.
Erosion worries authorities.
According to geologist Giovanni Caputo, approximately 53 percent of Puglia's coastline is currently at significant risk of erosion.
The regional Secretary for Infrastructure, Raffaele Piemontese, announced on Sunday that the region will work with coastal municipalities to conduct safety inspections and plan sustainable interventions.
Storms hit southern Italy.
Southern Italy has been facing a series of violent storms in recent weeks.
Last month, the government declared a state of emergency in Sicily, Sardinia, and Calabria following the Storm Harry Leaving a trail of destruction. In Sicily alone, the damage was estimated at at least 2 billion euros.
On Saturday, the president of Calabria, Roberto Occhiuto, requested the declaration of a new state of emergency after new storms caused floods and landslides that, according to him, brought several industries in the region "to their knees."
The impacts were not limited to the south. On Friday, a man died and two people were injured after a landslide hit a residential building in Formello, north of Rome.
On Saturday night, part of the walls of the medieval castle of Fabro, in the central region of Umbria, collapsed. Roads were blocked and some houses remained without electricity.
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