Stormy weather in Puglia: the Arch of Sant'Andrea collapses

One of the most evocative sites in Salento, the Arch of Sant'Andrea in the Pepe district of Melendugno, in the province of Lecce, collapsed last night after days of heavy rain and winds that hit the area. Known as the "arch of love," it is a cliff, a sort of spur, located in the sea in front of a high rocky ridge to which it was connected by a sort of natural bridge that collapsed on February 14th. The area is exposed to storm surges and wind, and is also infiltrated by water.

“It's a huge blow to the heart,” commented the mayor of Melendugno, Maurizio Cisternino, “one of the most famous tourist attractions on our coast and in Italy as a whole is disappearing.”