KEY POINTS

  • Italy's vaccine centers will be adorned with primrose, which symbolizes regeneration
  • Architect Stefano Boeri created the design for the project for free
  • It is another example of how Italians use art to spread hope and positivity during these trying times

Around 1,500 temporary circular pavilions adorned with primrose will be installed all over Italy's squares and town centers starting January. They will serve as immunization stations against COVID-19 for the civilians of the country.

The floral ornament that represents regeneration was designed by architect Stefano Boeri, who is known for his famous architecture building II Bosco Verticale – the Vertical Forest. His studio announced that he has worked on this project free of cost, reported CNN.

Boeri said in a press release that these vaccine rollout centers were created "to convey a symbol of serenity and regeneration."

"Getting vaccinated will be an act of civic responsibility, love for others and the rediscovery of life. If this virus has locked us up in hospitals and homes, the vaccine will bring us back into contact with life and the nature that surrounds us," he added.

During the pandemic, Italians have used art to spread hope and positivity. In March, children in the country came up with banners featuring a rainbow and the words, "Andrà tutto bene," which means, "Everything will be alright." They hung these banners on their windows and balconies, giving everyone some much-needed hope.

Musicians in Italy also opened their windows and balconies and offered free performances every 6 p.m.

"It was strange, because most of the neighbors didn't know that I played violin... I could see people happy and smiling. Then, after I had finished the piece, they were clapping, shouting and demanding more," Aldo Cichinni, a violinist from Milan, told the UN.

Cichinni said that was the beginning of everything and since then he's played famous pieces from different countries, such as Debussy's "Claire de Lune," Carlos Gardel's "Por Una Cabeza," John Lennon's "Imagine" and music from the movie "Cinema Paradiso." He also explained how music brought people closer together during the time of isolation, noting that although it couldn't cure the disease, it might be a cure for people's hearts.

A study published by Nisha Gupta in the Journal of Humanistic Psychology explained how Italians used the act of dancing, singing and playing instruments at their balconies as a therapeutic vehicle for empowerment, solidarity and collective action as they went through one of the worst cases of the virus. The study also explained that watching cinema and listening to music are forms of art therapy that can get rid of the social distancing blues during the time of COVID-19.

Italy has seen at least 65,000 deaths due to the coronavirus, making it the worst-hit country in Europe, according to John Hopkins University. The country hopes to begin vaccinating socio-medical staff and residents of homes for the elderly with 1.8 million doses by mid-January, Domenico Arcuri, Rome's special commissioner for the COVID-19 emergency, said on Dec. 12 as per Reuters.

Italy became the first Western democracy to shut down virtually everything in the face of COVID-19
Italy became the first Western democracy to shut down virtually everything in the face of COVID-19 AFP / Alberto PIZZOLI
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