One rural Romanian village’s main street is filled with unexpectedly opulent and luxurious homes. The Roma, a people of Northern Indian origin who are not to be confused with Ethnic Romanians, inhabit many of these houses in Buzescu. While Roma are often associated with a nomadic lifestyle, many were enslaved by the Crown centuries ago. After slavery was abolished in Romania in the mid-19th century, some Roma remained in the country to make a living as metal smiths. Such people, known as the Kalderash, constitute a large portion of Roma…
