The S. Giuseppe Oratory in Florence – The boys of Via Cirillo

In Florence, in an area, today, not far from the city centre where there are almost exclusively blocks of flats, many people remember that in the place of one of those blocks of flats there used to be an oratory and football pitches where all the children and youngsters of Florence attended catechism, played, and met daily.

The oratory – located in Via Cirillo no. 2 – was the seat of a real work founded by Fr Strickland – a Maltese Jesuit – to welcome Florentine children, especially those from the city suburbs, in a suitable place, able to offer spaces to play, to study, to perform in theatre. There was also a small carpentry and handicraft workshop at the service of the children for their training and also to build what was needed for games and theatre sets.

The work was founded in the early years of the 20th century by Fr Strikland, and found its definitive home in about 1910, 2 Via Cirillo. Strongly linked to the Society of Jesus, it remained in activity until the first half of the 1960s, when it was temporarily transferred to the Jesuit residence in Florence and then closed.

Our historical archive contains papers relating to the foundation and administration of the oratory and extensive photographic documentation on the premises, but above all depicting the groups of children who played there, gathered to pray and attend catechism classes for more than half a century. There are numerous photos of processions, congregations, prayer groups.

The oratory saw generations of children grow up from the early 20th century until the 1960s, when for various reasons the premises were moved to the Compagnia’s Florentine residence for a year and then closed for good.

Among these photos of boys running after a ball are the memories of generations, who still remember this part of their childhood, as evidenced by the requests received by the historical archive.

Maria Macchi