A popular rock structure in Italy known as the “Lovers’ Arch” collapsed on Valentine’s Day after days of bad weather.
The natural formation, which was part of the Sant’Andrea sea stacks along southern Italy’s Adriatic coast, was often used as a backdrop for tourist photos and marriage proposals, according to Reuters.
“This is an unwanted Valentine’s Day gift,” Maurizio Cisternino, the mayor of the nearby town of Melendugno, told a local newspaper.
Cisternino described the collapse as a “very hard blow” to the area after days of heavy rain, high winds and rough seas.
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On the left is the “Lovers’ Arch” near Melendugno in southern Italy in 2018. On Saturday, February 14, 2026, the rock structure collapsed after days of bad weather. (DEA/V. Giannella; Paolo Manzo/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
“Nature has taken back what she created,” Cisternino said.
Photos taken at the scene showed a pile of debris in an area where the arch used to float over the water.
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The area where the “Lovers’ Arch” was located in Italy is a popular tourist photo site. (Paolo Manzo/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Officials are now warning that other parts of the rocky coastline are at risk of collapse, with cracks visible along the cliffs. Reuters reported this.
The arch collapsed on Saturday, February 14, after days of bad weather, a local mayor said. (Paolo Manzo/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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The news agency also said that storms and heavy rains in recent days have damaged other parts of Italy’s coastline along the Ionian Sea, damaging beach structures and causing small cliffs from Gallipoli to Ugento.
