The love arch, in Italian l’arco degli innamorati, in Torre Sant’Andrea on the Apulian Adriatic coast no longer stands.Image: www.imago-images.de
Extreme weather
Puglia is known for its sunny, sandy beaches. In recent days, however, a severe storm has hit the region and destroyed a popular tourist attraction.
February 16, 2026, 7:05 p.mFebruary 16, 2026, 7:05 p.m
Lukas Armbrust / watson.de
If you are looking for long sandy beaches and turquoise sea in summer, you will probably find what you are looking for in Puglia. The region in southern Italy attracts numerous tourists every year with its picturesque bays. In addition to fine sandy beaches, there are also dramatic cliffs, which have served as an Instagram-worthy photo motif for many vacationers.
A particularly popular photo spot is the so-called love arch. This is a limestone formation that was created by erosion and impressively spans – or rather, stretched – over the sea. The well-known arch collapsed last weekend.
Italy: “Arch of Love” collapses on Valentine’s Day
The reason for this is said to have been the persistently heavy rainfall and storms that recently hit the coastal region. As a result, the rock structure was weakened further until it collapsed on Saturday – Valentine’s Day of all days. According to the Guardian, the most serious damage caused by coastal erosion was in Salento, the southernmost region of Puglia.
This is what the love bow looks like now.Image: CorriereSalentino
“It’s a painful blow to the heart,” says Maurizio Cisternino. He is mayor of the municipality of Melendugno, which includes the stretch of coast with the famous rock formation. “One of the most famous tourist attractions on our coast and in all of Italy has disappeared.”
This will probably make both the locals and some tourists sad. For a long time, the myth was spread that a couple could “seal” their love by swimming together under the rock arch. That’s why the “Love Arch” not only served as a backdrop for countless selfies, but also for romantic dates and marriage proposals. But that’s over now.
«Nature has been turned upside down: what existed 30 years ago no longer exists. We have to find the resources to intervene organically,” says Mayor Cisternino.
The problem of coastal erosion in Puglia is likely to get worse
Meanwhile, scientists are concerned. “The collapse of the arch of Sant’Andrea in Melendugno raises concerns about safety and environmental protection,” says Giovanni Caputo, president of the Puglia Chamber of Geologists, to the Italian newspaper “Corriere del Mezzogiorno».
More than half of the Apulian coast is threatened by erosion “and 839 landslides have been recorded in the region,” the scientist writes in a statement. Around 63,000 people live in the affected areas.
One of the measures he suggests is systematic monitoring and analysis of the soil. And further: “It is essential not only to stabilize the coast, but also to carry out educational campaigns to raise the awareness of the population and visitors about the fragility of the coastal ecosystem.”
Experts point out that the climate crisis will cause extreme weather events to occur more and more frequently in the future. It was only at the end of January that the «Guardian» According to a cyclone that hit several coastal areas in southern Italy. On January 25, torrential rain triggered a landslide in Sicily, sweeping away houses in a town and leaving a long gorge.