A downburst that swept across Florence on Thursday brought more than 45 millimetres of rain in an hour, raising concerns for artworks housed inside the Uffizi.
The intense rainfall infiltrated the museum and reached the skylight of a gallery displaying seven 17th-century paintings, including Caravaggio’s Bacchus. The painting itself remained unharmed, protected by a glass case that shielded it from the water.
“Following the necessary checks, no damage was found to any of the artworks,” the Uffizi said in a statement. The gallery reopened on Friday morning.
Tuscany was among the Italian regions hardest hit by the severe weather, alongside Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Lombardy and Marche. The storm caused flooding in underpasses and ground-floor premises, landslides and numerous fallen trees. In Empoli, the situation was particularly difficult, with flooding reported in the historic centre. Water reached depths of around 10 centimetres. Massa, Carrara and Viareggio also experienced flooding, although the effects were less severe.
