(ANSA) - PADUA, 03 JAN - A statue of a woman to "update" towards the principles of gender equality also a historical monument such as Prato della Valle, the large square of Padua, whose central nucleus, the Memmia Island, is surrounded by 78 statues of great characters in history, but only men.
The proposal, with a special motion, was presented last December 27 by two city councilors of the center-left majority, Margherita Colonnello and Simone Pillitteri. Purpose: to install a sculpture dedicated to Elena Cornaro Piscopias on one of the two empty bases, inside the northern bridge of Prato della Valle. In this way, the figure of the first woman graduate in the world would have been celebrated and highlighted, among other things in the University of Padua, where there is already a statue that portrays her.
The proposal, relaunched by local newspapers, found the support of Daniela Mapelli, first female rector of the University, and then also by the superintendent of archeology, fine arts and landscape, Fabrizio Magani, for whom it would be a sort of insertion into the "pantheon of Venetian glories ".
Some doubts were raised by Carlo Fumian, a university professor of contemporary history, according to whom "making history with toponymy and moving monuments as if they were Legos is a dangerous and unintelligent game".
(HANDLE).
