A statue paying tribute to The Gleaner of Sapri from a famous 19th century poem has caused a stir among women's rights activists in Italy.

The tribute to the poem written by Luigi Mercantini in 1857 was unveiled on Saturday.

The statue, by Emanuele Stifano, depitcs the peasant woman from the famous poem wearing a figure-hugging dress.

A crowd gathered around the foot of the statue where it stands in the town of Sapri.

Among those at the reveal of the statue was Italy’s former prime minister Guiseppe Conte.

Laura Boldrini, a deputy with the centre-left Democratic party, took to Twitter to express her feelings about the statue describing "male chauvinism as one of the evils of Italy”.

She said: "The newly inaugurated statue a #Sapri and dedicated to #Spigolatrice it is an offense to women and to the history it should celebrate.

"But how can even institutions accept the representation of women as a sexualized body?

"Male chauvinism is one of the evils of Italy."

Artist defends statue

Taking to social media, the artist behind the statue defended the statue adding that he is “shocked and displeased” at the reaction.

He said: I'm shocked and displeased by what I'm reading. I have been brought charges of all kinds that have nothing to do with my person and history.

“When I make a sculpture I always tend to cover the human body as little as possible, regardless of gender. In the case of the Editor, since it was placed on the seafront, I ′′ took advantage ′′ of the sea breeze that invests it to move the long skirt, and so highlight the body.

“This is to highlight an anatomy that should not have been a faithful instant of a 800 farmer, but rather to represent an ideal of a woman, evoke her pride, the awakening of a consciousness, all in a moment of great pathos.”

He continued: “I add that the preparatory sketch has been viewed and approved by the contracting authority.

“To those who don't know me personally I say that I continuously question my work, working with humility and always trying to improve myself, far from me to the great Masters of the past that represent a beacon that guides and inspires me.”