Translated automatically by AI from the Italian original.
FLORENCE – “I lived in Borgo San Lorenzo, in the Mugello, a stone’s throw from Florence, with my parents. My mother says to me: ‘There’s a flood. School’s closed, the volunteers are already ready.’” With these words, actor Marco Messeri recalls the dramatic moments of the flood that struck the Tuscan capital in 1966, when as a 17-year-old he did not hold back from the tragedy that had hit the city.
An intimate and profound account that bears witness to the worth and spirit of a generation that stepped in to aid a wounded cultural and human heritage.
The human chain at the Uffizi and the work in the field
The memory of the symbolic places invaded by mud and water is still etched in the artist’s mind, then a student at the art lyceum:
“The Uffizi, a blow to the heart. That giant I had visited so many times with my art lyceum teachers was gutted. Straight away they gave us tasks, that is, to be part of the human chain to save the ancient writings.”
— Marco Messeri, actor
Those young people were soon dubbed “mud angels”, a symbol of spontaneous and tireless solidarity. Messeri highlights the paradoxical atmosphere of those days:
“Even though there was a catastrophe, there was an incomprehensible smile in people’s eyes. The craftsmen on the pavements with brooms, throwing out the mud. They would have eaten it in chunks.”
— Marco Messeri
The impact on a generation: “The positive value of human energy”
A dramatic experience that would shape the character and path of the post-war youth, leaving an indelible mark on their values and outlook on life:
“I changed. This dive into a violent reality made me grow. And yet this sense of the positive value of human energy remained.”
— Marco Messeri
