Elderly widow in Florence faces eviction after rent nearly triples

A 94-year-old widow in Florence faces losing the home she has lived in for more than 60 years after her landlord increased her rent, Euronews reported. The woman, identified as Franca, is almost blind and uses a walking frame. Her monthly rent is set to rise from €450 to €1,200, and her contract expires in February. [1]

Franca's family said she will not be able to afford the new terms, according to Euronews. As of October 2026, her family stated that she does not yet know about the pending eviction. [1]

Franca's daughter stated that her mother's situation echoes the case of María del Carmen Abascal, known as Maricarmen, Euronews reported. Abascal was an 87-year-old woman who died in a hospital shortly after being evicted in Madrid following a steep rent rise. [1]

The eviction of Abascal on 23 September 2026 sparked a series of housing protests across Spain and brought the country's housing crisis back into focus. Public discontent had previously increased following the suicide of an evicted woman in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat earlier that month, along with a controversial luxury property purchase by a Madrid official. On 26 September 2026, demonstrators established a protest camp at the Puerta del Sol square in Madrid. [3]

Florence, where Franca lives, is a historic Italian city known for its Renaissance art and architecture. Its historic core was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982. [4]