Berkley Center

When visiting Florence, guidebooks and seasoned travel agents will refer you to all of the major sights—the Duomo, Santa Croce, San Lorenzo, the Ponte Vecchio, Palazzo Pubblico, etc. Immediately following these suggestions, however, is a warning: keep an eye out for pickpockets and gypsies. With this warning ringing in my head, I have checked my pockets, zipped my purse, and avoided eye contact with anyone that has approached me every time I have come into Florence since my arrival in September.

Over the past three months, I have obviously grown much more familiar with the city of Florence. Now that I have my nose out of my map and can navigate my way around the city, I have begun to observe certain aspects of the city that had gone previously unnoticed. The presence of gypsies, shaking the change in their cups under your nose as you walk near the Duomo through the area between the cathedral and the baptistery, has always been noticeable; yet, as I continued visiting other sights in the city, a pattern revealed itself. Gypsies were stationed on the steps of Santa Croce, San Lorenzo, and Santa Maria Novella. These beggars, however, were nowhere to be found at the Ponte Vecchio, the Palazzo Pubblico, or the Uffizi Gallery, all popular tourist attractions as well.

It became obvious, then, that those less fortunate were not just targeting tourist areas—they were targeting churches. In fact, the only gypsy I have seen in Fiesole, a town much less frequented by tourists, was sitting in the doorway of the church on a Sunday morning. This behavioral pattern of Florence’s impoverished population shows that they too understand the society of the heavily Catholic country in which they live. According to Christianity, it is expected that those who have been blessed with good fortune assist those who have not been so lucky. In fact, it has been traditionally understood that beggars are a gift from God, for they allow you to do as God instructed and contribute to the lives of those less fortunate. The gypsy population in current day Florence has made this connection between Christian ideals and charity. They appear to understand the teachings of the church and attempt to attract the charity of those who have been paying attention.

Although this may seem like an obvious connection and observation, it is something I have found to be unique to Florence. The high population of street performers that a tourist might encounter on La Rambla in Barcelona or near the Eiffel Tower in Paris is simply not present in Florence. Instead of instruments or costumes, the beggars of Florence rely on charity alone. Italy has traditionally been a very Catholic country and, despite arguments of growing secularization, continues to have Christian ideals ingrained in its society. The gypsies and beggars of Florence understand this. As the Christmas lights lining the streets of Florence illuminate and nativity scenes pop up around the city, it will be interesting to see if the presence of gypsies in the city center becomes more prominent. After all, it is the season of giving, and those who need the charity are certainly aware of the time of year.