Overview
- The natural limestone arch at the Faraglioni di Sant’Andrea in Melendugno, Apulia, collapsed overnight on Feb. 14 after days of heavy rain and violent waves, with no injuries reported.
- Also known as Arco di Lu Pepe, the formation was a signature image of Salento tourism and a common setting for proposals, advertising and social media.
- Regional and municipal leaders inspected the coast and linked the failure to long‑term erosion intensified by recent storms and warmer Mediterranean waters, including medicane activity.
- Melendugno’s mayor said a coastal‑protection plan judged admissible never received financing, referencing an unmet 2024 request of roughly 4.5 million for anti‑erosion works.
- Authorities kept weather alerts in force across Italy during the storms, reported evacuations and hundreds of emergency responses, and said the arch rubble will likely be carried off by the sea.