SURVIVORS of SAN LORENZO

Schiller talks about heritage and change in a Florentine market. As globalization propels people and commerce across international borders, landmark destinations like the San Lorenzo Market in Florence, Italy, are adapting. Changes to some important cultural traditions, however, can be controversial. Some enterprising vendors are taking cooperative ownership of the transition from neighborhood market to globalized marketplace. Thirteen million tourists spend time and money in Florence each year. As their numbers have grown, so has the marketplace. Mass tourism set the neighborhood on a path to becoming a stopover or even destination point for immigrants from South and East Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and South America seeking employment.