Why has this Italian politician’s neighbourly photo prompted such a furious backlash?

Italy has been experiencing a resurgence of xenophobia in 2014. Migrants and Roma have been violently attacked by gangs, and people claiming to be 'ordinary citizens' have organised marches in racially mixed neighbourhoods to stir up unrest.

Against this backdrop, Enrico Rossi, the left-leaning president of Tuscany, has turned what appears to be a rather mundane photograph into a bold political statement.

In the photo, Rossi stands flanked by a family of men, women and children. It’s a Sunday afternoon in Florence. 'Let me introduce my neighbours' reads the description posted on Facebook. His neighbours are Romanian Roma.