The young Roma woman gingerly touched the oranges and cabbages, bright, fresh and neatly stacked in crates. Francesco Fanoli, an anthropologist, insisted they were hers to take - for free.
With a toddler playing in a nearby pram and more mouths to feed at home, the mother took the cache gratefully, telling Fanoli she could not find any work without an identity card.
Next up: a range of breads from Viola de Andrade Piroli, a pilates teacher who had just nipped into a nearby shop.
The loaves were gratefully received.
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