A Blanket of Solidarity

For one weekend, Florence’s iconic Piazza Santa Croce was transformed into something truly extraordinary: a vast, colourful patchwork of handmade blankets created to send a powerful message against violence towards women.

The installation was part of Viva Vittoria, a volunteer-led project founded in Brescia in 2015 that uses knitting and crochet as a way of bringing people together while supporting women affected by violence. In Florence, the project was organised locally by the American International League of Florence (AILO), together with Viva Vittoria.

On 11 and 12 November 2023, around 3,000 square metres of Piazza Santa Croce were covered with thousands of colourful handmade blankets. Each blanket was created from 50 × 50 cm knitted or crocheted squares, made and donated by a remarkable community of people from across Italy and around the world. Participants ranged in age from just 6 years old to 102, proving that solidarity truly has no age.

What makes Viva Vittoria especially moving is the meaning behind the craft. Every individual square represents a contribution; stitched together, the squares become a symbol of connection, protection and collective strength. The organisation describes knitting as a metaphor for self-creation and the ability to shape one’s own life.