An amazing statue of Aloy from Horizon Forbidden West arrives in Florence to celebrate the women of the past

If by chance you are in Florence (Italy) up until February 27, the heart of the ancient City - in Piazza Madonna della Neve, in the Complesso delle Murate - will host a temporary statue dedicated to Aloy, the beloved heroine in the Horizon series. The initiative behind this statue is more than commendable: in fact, as a revolutionary and combative woman - willing to do anything to save the world from a catastrophe - Aloy becomes a symbol of all those Italian women of the past, who contributed to writing the history of this country.

There are many Italian heroines who with their work in the scientific, artistic and social fields have built the foundations of Italy - despite the fact that most of the time they have been marginalised or little recognised in their merits. Revolutionary women, just like the protagonist of Horizon Forbidden West, who are honoured through a statue that wants to become a symbol of uniqueness.

As Marco Saletta, General Manager of Sony Interactive Entertainment Italy, tells in a press release: "The story of Aloy tells us about the ability, on the part of the videogame industry, to transport universal stories and themes into the dimension of the videogame, putting the player at the center, and allowing him/her to live and play deep and articulate stories, take on the role of incredibly multifaceted characters, without ever losing sight of the opportunity to dream. An extraordinarily stimulating reference model for the younger generations and a look at a possible future, this time not only for the videogame context".

To understand the importance of this initiative, it's enough to understand how many structures, buildings and streets are dedicated to women in Italy. The numbers are awful: according to the Female Toponymy Association in Italy, only 5% of Italian streets are dedicated to women, of which about 60% refer to the names of Saints and Martyrs and to Marian denominations. In the remaining 40%, legendary, mythological, literary characters and traditional denominations have a certain weight. The most remembered figures belong to national and/or local history, literature and the world of entertainment; women of science, of the visual arts, of the world of work and of sport are to a much lesser extent.

The initiative of the city of Florence therefore acquires a double value: that of leading the way in initiatives of this type, finally giving value to the work of the many Italian women who have built the history of the Country, but above all of celebrating their uniqueness. If you are passing by Florence, remember to take a look to Piazza Madonna della Neve to immortalise this splendid statue in one shot.