Living in Florence as a Muslim remains incredibly difficult—while I was often shielded from the worst of it thanks to the privilege of attending an American university and having access to resources that others do not, people I spoke to told me stories of endless micro-aggressions, prejudice and often explicit discrimination. From being forced to not observe Ramadan in school to being cursed on the street, Muslim youth in Florence and other parts of Italy have had to bear the brunt of terrorist attacks that shook Europe over the last few decades.
It’s easy to focus on the brighter side of Islam in Florence, of its aesthetic history held in Veneto-Saracen plates and Ottoman-Florentine carpets, but walking on the city’s streets tells a very different story. While Florence has around 30,000 Muslims, its only mosque was set to close down during my study away semester. Many Muslims are migrants who are paid significantly less and are often struggling to make ends meet.
To learn more about Islam in Florence during your time there, attend some of the local events led by organizations like Giovani Musulmani Italia and Comunità Islamica di Firenze e Toscana. This guide created by NYU Florence also has some great resources to explore recent research as well.
Photo from Liberation day 2023, posted by Comunità Islamica di Firenze e Toscana.