The Family
The family
Heart and soul of the community
The neighbourhood
The Portrait of a Gypsy Community - Marta Pascual Juanola
The Forgotten
It isn’t even 8 o’clock in the morning but some people are already starting to head out of their homes. Portly man carry birdcages down the streets and the oldest residents start sitting in a circle on their old rusty camping chairs. It’s still early for the smell of “churros” but in some flats the smell of coffee starts drifting out the window.
Many families have lived in the neighbourhood for more than two decades. Not many people move to the area and those who leave don’t usually come back.
Font de la Pólvora was built in the 1970s as an answer to the shantytown problem in Girona, one of the wealthiest towns in Spain. Many migrant families had come from Portugal and the South of the country to search for a living. They were mostly poor and belonged to the gypsy community. The government decided to build a brand new neighbourhood that would host all the inhabitants that the town couldn’t fit. Streets were named after trees and plants, so to enhance the beautiful environment in which the “dream” was built. The surrounding nature however became a cage that isolated the area, transforming it into a 21st century ghetto.
Nowadays, just two kilometres away from the old town, parks and forests are filled with trash and waste. Font de la Pólvora has been erased from the map and so have the lives of those who live in it.
Currently there are only three avenues in and out of the community, the main of which is a bridge that links Font de la Pólvora to the quiet, wealthier communities of Vila-Roja and Mas Ramada. Crossing this bridge is like crossing into a new world, a new culture, a new way of life.
Whoever visits Font de la Pólvora will feel invaded by the communion feeling among all the members. It is not only in times of need that they rely upon each other, but also for daily life issues such as children care, money for snacks during the Cult or getting a lift into town.
The family is the neuralgic point of the life system. All decisions need to be approved by the family members. These families can have up to three hundred members, and it isn’t uncommon to marry a relative. Elder people and men have the highest authority in the community, with women having the lowest rank.
There is, however, a clear distinction between the two groups inside the area, they hold a cordial relationship but don’t get too involved in the other community’s life. Portuguese people argue that they differ in their life approaches and that they don’t share the taste for certain behaviours, such as going out at night, smoking, or dishonourable businesses. They proudly state that none of them have ever been sent to jail up to the day, and admit that Andalusians are considered bad company for their kids.
Worship is a core element in the life of a gypsy in this community. Both groups belong to the Evangelist Church of Philadelphia, a religion that welcomed the ethnicity with open arms. Initially there was just one church in the neighbourhood that was built by some of the local residents. However, due to misunderstandings between two different Andalusian gypsy families, the Portuguese community decided to restrict the building to Portuguese groups.Additionally, activity involving the church differs between the two groups.
Within the Andalusian church, which the Andalusians attend four days per week, is a bar and a separate room for children. In line with their outgoing nature, mass is conducted with the aid of loud music, a loud pastor, and a significant amount of singing and clapping.
The Portuguese on the other hand, are not as dynamic as their Andalusian counterparts in their church. Attending 3 times a week in winter and just once during the fairs and festivals, their mass is more focused on the educational and participative aspect of the event.
None of the groups agreed on letting me take photos of the event.
Despite the unique and interesting lifestyle of the inhabitants of Font, a dark cloud hovers above many of those who partake in the unfortunately renowned drug culture of the neighbourhood. Marijuana, speed, and heroin are commonly found throughout the community, contributing to the unhygienic and unhealty nature of the area. Syringes scatter the parks, leaving not only a bad appearance, but also a safety hazard for the children of the community.
The Portuguese put the blame on the Andalusians for this, being firmly against this activity themselves. Andalusians counter this by claiming that it is their only option with little assistance being offered in terms of employment.
Whoever the fault lies with, this is a really that is firmly linked to the marginalisation of the area. To solve the problem therefore requires political collaboration, something which is easier said than done. Without it though, the syringe laden parks will remain a symbol of the drug fuelled problem staining Font de la Pólvora.
The marginalisation efect
A 21st century ghetto
From the outset, it was clear to me that I was the outsider here. Suspicious glances were spotted out of the corner of my eye and I could sense they were puzzled over my presence in the neighbourhood. Due to the negative general perception of gypsies, it couldn’t have been often that a non-gypsy (referred to by gypsies as “paios”) found their way into the neighbourhood.
However the more sounds you hear, the more things you see, the more you begin to appreciate that perhaps gypsies are just widely misunderstood.
Many people disregard the fact that two distinct groups of gypsies coexist within Font de la Pólvora. Despite belonging to the same ethnicity, the neighbourhood branches into Portuguese and Andalusian families, each with their own routines and traditions.
Andalusians are known for being open, talkative and party-loving whilst Portuguese gypsies come across as shy work-focused people. These traits often complement their lifestyles and culture, particularly in their jobs and religion. Commonly found working in construction or collecting scrap metal, Andalusians are real animal lovers and usually compete in bird singing competitions. Conversely, the Portuguese are often employed in temporary jobs as showmen for local fairs and festivals, or work for themselves collecting and fix pallets to sell. They are known for being honest really devoted to their traditions.
One of the most unique features of either group's culture is their gastronomy. Andalusians are well known for their "churros" which they eat every Sunday morning after staying up until late partying with their neighbours. Portuguese gypsies, whilst a little more subdued in their celebrations, are renowned for their "fular", a thick bread filled with different types of meat eaten on special occasions.
The Forgotten
The Portrait of a Gypsy Community - Marta Pascual Juanola
El Culto
El Culto
The drug culture
One ghetto, two groups
The peaceful coexisence of Andalusian and Portuguese
