VINCENZO PERUGGIA & THE GREAT PARIS FLOOD OF 1910

The summer of 1909 was a wet one in France.  Then the early winter brought heavy snow.  By January, 1910, the ground was saturated, so when the rains started on January 18, 1910, the Seine rose with unusual speed creating a natural disaster of literally Biblical proportions.

The Great Paris Flood of 1910.

The Seine which overflowed its banks, invaded the tunnels that honeycomb Paris, flooding homes and deluging the metro and railway stations.

On January 28, the flood reached it maximum height -- 20 feet above its normal level.

Vincenzo Peruggia was living in Paris at the time and had just finished working at the Louvre for the winter. He was employed to help put the major masterpieces behind glass. After that job ended, he continued with his employer Gobier who was also a painting contractor.

On February 6, 1910, he wrote this letter to his brother. It contains a few words about the flood that all of Paris was facing.

He had just sent 50 lire to his father but complained: "If it wasn't for the flood I could have sent 100 lire."

He goes on to say:  "... all the jobs that my boss could get in hotels are held because [the hotels] are filled with people that have their houses flooded. Around Paris, we can start seeing the roofs of the 2-story houses and some windows at the top floors of the higher ones. Water is lowering slowly. The sky is still gray and today it's raining.

Carlo [a friend] is hosting a 7-person family in his house. They ran from the invading river waters that have reached a ten meters height in some points. I hope that the sun will shine soon."