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'Lovers' Arch' collapses on Valentine's Day on Italy's Adriatic coast

The iconic rock formation popular for proposals collapsed due to weeks of storms and coastal erosion, with 53% of Puglia’s coastline at risk, geologists say.

  • On Sunday the Arco di Sant'Andrea in Melendugno collapsed into rubble, visitors found its absence on Sunday morning, leaving a pile of rocks and a sea stack on the Adriatic coast.
  • Officials said storm-driven erosion, including the tail end of storm Oriana, accelerated damage to the arch which was already weakened after recent violent storms in Southern Italy.
  • The arch had long been a popular backdrop for proposals, with Instagram drawing thousands of couples and hotels named for it, while Melendugno Mayor Maurizio Cisternino called the loss `This is an unwanted Valentine's Day gift`.
  • The municipality said remaining rubble will be left to wash out at sea, affecting the site's future appearance and tourism, following Decaro's statement on Monday.
  • Despite earlier grant applications, local authorities failed to secure a $2 billion preservation fund, while geologist Giovanni Caputo estimates 53 percent of Puglia's coastline is at erosion risk, amid weeks of violent storms.
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Center

It is often said that "love all can", but in the face of the inclementness of time little can be done.The iconic Arc de los Enamorados, located in the Italian peninsula of Salento, is already only a memory, and is that it has collapsed because of the strong storms that have struck this area located in the "tacón de la bota".And for more inri, the collapse occurred nothing more and nothing less than Valentine's Day.From romantic emblem to memory …

·Madrid, Spain
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Lean Right

The natural arch, which is part of the marine "faraglioni" of Sant-Andrea, was very popular with couples and tourists for weddings and tourist photos.

·Paris, France
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Lean Left

In Melendugno in the Italian region of Puglia, the famous natural stone arch known as the Arch of Lovers (Arco degli Innamorati) collapsed into the sea on Valentine's Day amid strong storm waves and rains that swept southern Italy.

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Center

Shock on the Italian Adriatic coast: In Melendugno, the internationally renowned "love bow" has collapsed.The mayor speaks of a "stitch to the heart".It is bitter irony: on Valentine's Day, the day when couples all over the world celebrate their love, one of the most romantic natural monuments collapsed.The world-famous rock arch of Sant-Andrea in Melendugno on the southern Italian Adriatic coast is history. For decades it was a postcard motif, …

·Germany
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ANSA broke the news in Italy on Sunday, February 15, 2026.
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