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The famous “Lover’s Arch” collapsed into the sea on Valentine’s Day as a result of severe weather in Southern Italy
Located in Italy’s Puglia region, the rock formation became a popular travel destination that drew in thousands of tourists and couples each year
Local legend says those who kissed under the arch would experience everlasting love
A famous rock formation known as “Lovers’ Arch” in Southern Italy collapsed on Valentine’s Day following severe weather.
Strong storm surges that brought heavy rain and winds over the weekend caused the fragile structure at Faraglioni di Sant’Andrea to crumble on Saturday, Feb. 14, CNN and the BBC report.
The natural formation has become a major tourist attraction in Salento, located in Italy’s Puglia region, drawing in thousands of tourists and couples wishing to take in the picturesque sights of the Adriatic Sea.
Paolo Manzo/NurPhoto via Getty
Mayor Maurizio Cisternino of Melendugno, a town located near the collapsed arch, told CNN that the natural event is not only “a blow to the heart,” but it also poses a “devastating blow to the image of Salento and to tourism.”
He added to the outlet: “Nature has reclaimed the arch, just as it created it.”
According to the BBC, visitors first noticed the natural landmark was missing on Sunday morning following severe weather brought to the region by Storm Oriana.
While Cisternino knew the collapse would be inevitable at some point, the harsh natural elements brought by the storm accelerated the tragedy much sooner than expected, per CNN.
Local legend says couples who kissed under the arch would meet the sweet fate of eternal love together, the outlet reports. Because of this, visitors have been drawn to the site for centuries, making it a popular spot for marriage proposals, first kisses and even celebrating unions.
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The location was once used as a strategic spot to look out for pirates, however it later developed a reputation for romantic happenings in the late 18th century, according to CNN.
This is not the first natural disaster Italy has seen this year.
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On Sunday, Jan. 25, the hilltop town of Niscemi, located in southern Sicily, was left hanging at the edge of a cliff after a severe storm caused a major landslide, forcing 1,500 residents to evacuate the area.
Footage obtained by PEOPLE at the time showed houses hanging from the edge of the sharp cliff that the natural disaster created. In one shot, a car could even be seen teetering halfway off the edge as pieces of the saturated soil continued to crumble around it.
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