Many buildings and front doors of the historical centre of Ravenna are decorated with typical flowered tiles – realised by mosaic artists from Ravenna – placed beside the house numbers.
It is a symbolic gesture by the artists from Ravenna to celebrate the International Day for the Elimitation of Violence against Women (November 25th), but most of all a tangible symbol of the city’s attention towards women in difficulty.
An agreement across the entire political spectrum declared Ravenna a “women-friendly city“ and in 2013 this initiative took shape with the project “I Fiori di Ravenna – Ravenna città amica delle donne” (lit. The Flowers of Ravenna – Ravenna, a women-friendly city) promoted by the Linea Rosa association, in collaboration with the International Mosaic Documentation Centre, MAR – Ravenna Art Museum and CNA (the local Confederation of Craft Trades and Small and Medium-sized enterprises).
The subject of these tiles is a chalice-shaped flower inspired by the ancient Byzantine decorations, complemented by a sentence that states the willingness of the community to consciously protect all women.
Over the years, the tiles have become a welcoming sight to all the people who visit Ravenna, with a special focus on women, so that they feel welcome guests in a welcoming place.
Many tiles have already been bought by the people of Ravenna, but it is still possible to buy them in various places (Linea Rosa, MAR Museum, workshops of the mosaic artists) and display them to decorate the streets of the city and witness its social value.
Many mosaic artists have enthusiastically joined the project over the years, putting their refined technique and creativity at the service of such an important and symbolic collective work of art.
Among the many who took part in the project are: Ad Arte, Elisa Brighi, Pixel Mosaici by Lea Ciambelli, Ivana Ciuti, Silvana Costa, Anna Fietta, Arianna Gallo of Koko Mosaico, Imad Punto Mosaico, Barbara Liverani, Mosaico di MADDY, Luciana Notturni and Cecilia Travaglia.
