Brown to host film screenings, climate discussion as part of city wide Providence Florence festival

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] - On Aug. 31, 1954, Hurricane Carol made landfall in New England, unleashing one of the most destructive storms in the region's history. In Rhode Island, the Category 3 hurricane swept through the state with peak wind gusts of 135 mph, flooding parts of Providence with up to 12 feet of water. Massive storm surges inundated coastal neighborhoods, leaving uprooted trees, submerged cars, damaged homes and battered buildings in its wake.

Seventy years later, Rhode Islanders and other coastal communities continue to grapple with pressing questions: What lessons can be drawn from past climate events? How have coastal areas adapted to become more resilient? And are cities prepared for the next major hurricane?

These questions will take center stage at "Sott'Acqua: A Tale of Two Cities Underwater " - an open-to-the-public festival held across Providence, including at Brown University, from Nov. 9 to 17.

The festival - originally created by Splendor of Florence in 1998 to celebrate Italian culture and its influence in Rhode Island - is presented in partnership with the Downtown Providence Parks Network. It commemorates the 25th anniversary of the friendship pact between Providence and Florence, Italy. Both cities were struck by catastrophic floods and left underwater - Providence in 1954 and Florence in 1966.

To commemorate those historic events and build awareness about the impacts of climate change, the festival will feature a vibrant series of programs and events, including interactive art workshops, a film screening, culinary tastings, photo exhibits and expert-led discussions on climate resilience.

Splendor of Florence founder and creative director Joyce Acciaoli Rudge said the aim is to raise attention to global climate change's local impacts while also promoting urban resilience and community action through a blend of art, music, science and history.

"With catastrophic climate events rising, I hope that the programs during the Splendor of Florence festival will elevate our awareness of climate change, and perhaps, even motivate action," Acciaoli Rudge said. "We are tremendously appreciative of our partners, Brown, RISD, Save the Bay, Providence Resilience Partnership and all of our sponsors for lining up timely and important programs. The festival also has given us the opportunity to acknowledge the renewal of a friendship pact between Florence and Providence, which reunites our two cities after 25 years."

Learning from the past, preparing for the future

On Brown's campus, the University will host a two-part event on Nov. 13 and 14 led by the Brown Arts Institute and Department of Italian Studies in partnership with the Office of Global Engagement.

Asabe Poloma, associate provost for global engagement, said Brown's participation in Splendor of Florence's festival underscores the University's commitment to cultivating local and global engagement, particularly on critical challenges, while also celebrating the rich cultural heritage of Providence and Florence.

"By collaborating with Providence and Florence to host the film screening and symposium events, Brown not only strengthens its ties to both cities but also leverages its expertise in environmental studies, cultural heritage preservation and public engagement," Poloma said. "This partnership enables Brown to serve as a bridge, connecting local and transnational scholars, community organizers and policymakers with relevant insights and innovative approaches on climate action and resilience, all while highlighting the shared histories and vulnerabilities of Providence and Florence to climate-related events."

On Wednesday, Nov. 13, local community members can attend a film screening of "Per Firenze," directed by Franco Zeffirelli, and "Natural Disasters in Rhode Island," by the Rhode Island Historical Society. The two films will showcase rare footage of the 1954 storm, Hurricane Carol, and the 1966 flood in Florence, when more than 19 inches of rain fell in 24 hours, causing the Arno river to overflow into the city. Opening remarks will be given by Providence Mayor Brett Smiley and Arnaldo Minuti, consul general of Italy in Boston.

On Thursday, Nov. 14, a panel of scientists, practitioners and policymakers will come together for a roundtable discussion titled "Climate Science and Climate Action in the Aftermath of Two Natural Disasters." The exchange will focus on climate change, through a conversation among scholars and community leaders from Florence and Providence, linking scientific and humanistic perspectives on flood vulnerability, infrastructure preservation, protection of the artistic and cultural patrimony, climate action, education, justice and community resilience.

Science writer Cornelia Dean, former science editor for the New York Times, will moderate the discussion. The panelists include: April Brown of the Racial and Environmental Justice Committee; Enrica Caporali, an associate professor at the University of Florence; Manuel Cordero, founder of Civic, Inc; Emanuele Di Lorenzo, a professor of Earth, environmental and planetary sciences at Brown; Macarena Gomez-Barris, a professor of modern culture and media at Brown; Kyle McElroy, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Rhode Island.

Massimo Riva, a professor of Italian studies at Brown who will serve as moderator for the film screening, said both events create unique opportunities to consider the specific challenges that climate change presents globally, both from a scientific and a cultural point of view.

"Florence is one of the most significant art cities in the world, and Providence is one of the most remarkable architectural cities in America: Both communities carry the burden and duty to preserve their rich and diverse cultural and human heritage and prevent its potential loss, protecting in particular the most fragile elements of our society," Riva said. "Both communities, including academic institutions as well as the city administrations and local climate activists in either country can only benefit from exchanging their experiences and knowledge, exploring and establishing collaboration in the face of a common struggle."

Both events will take place in Martinos Auditorium at Brown's Granoff Center for Creative Arts, 154 Angell St. in Providence. They are free and open to the public, but advance registration is required.

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.