Blue blankets cover Milan statues on Valentine's Day to spotlight homelessness

On Valentine's Day 2024, the Fondazione Progetto Arca, a Milanese nonprofit aiding the homeless since 1994, wrapped statues of Leonardo da Vinci (Piazza della Scala), Alessandro Manzoni (Piazza San Fedele), and Cristina Trivulzio di Belgioioso (Piazza Belgioioso) in blue blankets. The blankets, donated by Italian startup Fody Fabrics—which transforms textile waste into survival blankets aiming to donate 1 million by 2030 while employing over 1,000 disabled people and recycling 1,000+ tons of waste—are a recognizable symbol of the foundation's nightly distribution of warm clothing and sleeping bags to the homeless. The campaign, titled "Copriamo le persone più importanti della nostra città" (Let's cover the most important people of our city), was sponsored by the municipality of Milan. A photo panel next to the statues introduced "Saverio," a fictional name representing all homeless individuals, with the message: "Saverio like Da Vinci slept here tonight. Those living on the street need our full attention." Volunteers distributed informational materials on assistance and the 24-hour hotline 02 88447646 for reporting people in need. The city has launched a census of homeless individuals to optimize services. Progetto Arca currently assists 16,000 people annually. Data from Palazzo Marino indicates that two-thirds of the 600 new admissions to the Cold Plan were previously unknown to the assistance system, highlighting a rise in new poverty.