Florence Artisan Shopping Walk
Today we want to take you to discover the more authentic soul of Florence: the one linked to its artisan shops and to the discovery of the Oltrarno district.
A Florence that is not only Giotto and Michelangelo, which does not stop at the Uffizi or Palazzo Vecchio, but which offers a new, genuine, contemporary face.
Strolling between art and crafts in a real, pulsating city, a union between the artists who shaped the city in the past and the artisans who continue to create beauty today.
Florence, the great inspiring muse of the geniuses of yesterday, is today the breeding-ground of artisans who are custodians of Italian know-how, of our country’s mastery in creating excellence.
The artisan shops to visit
The art of tannery and leather binding certainly stands out at the heart of great Florentine craftsmanship: artifacts characterized by meticulous hand production, the quality of the materials and the refinement of the design. The goldsmith’s art is another of the pearls of local craftsmanship and plays a very important role together with artistic prints.
The walk through the streets of Florence Oltrarno thus offers a pathway through the artistic, architectural and cultural heritage of the city combined with today’s art, alive and imbued with the beauty of craftsmanship.
The Goldsmith Shops of Florence
Between Ponte Santa Trinità and Ponte Vecchio, the great stars are the goldsmiths shops holding the secrets and techniques of the art of jewelry.
The craft shops of the Florentine Oltrarno represent the soul of popular Florence. Peering through the shop windows, we can find the craftsmen at work and hear the noises of the tools that shape glass, metal, paper and wood to create unique objects.
From Borgo San Jacopo, we can visit numerous shops, between the districts of Santo Spirito and San Frediano.
Our Boutique B&B Soprarno Suites is located in the heart of the Santo Spirito district not far from Ponte Vecchio. If you are looking for an elegant B&B in the center of Florence, Soprarno Suite is the ideal solution. An intimate residence, a reference point for travelers looking for an elegant retreat in Florence.
The art print shops
The world of art prints catapults us into a genuine center for investigating the ancient art of engraving. Using the etching technique, i.e. the print obtained from a metal matrix engraved using an acid solution, original graphic works with a certificate of authenticity are created.
The Florentine artistic binding
Florentine artistic binding is still held in great esteem today, where everything is worked by hand, with shears, cutter, press and clamp, for art bindings, ornaments for furniture, books and prints and restoration of old prints and books.
The manual inlay of wood follows the same approach of “wise and valued production” as the glass art that is inspired by the practices of the past, integrating innovation and refinement.
Blown glass workshops
In the heart of the Florentine Oltrarno, you can also witness age-old glass blowing in some shops that have been in business since the end of the nineteenth century. Here, tableware and items for interior decoration are produced and glass and crystal objects are restored.
A Florence which is new to many but equally precious, a vibrant city, a city that is still offering works of art today and continues to be the home and hotbed of artists and lovers of beauty.
Between the Duomo and Giotto’s Bell Tower, between the Loggia dei Lanzi and Piazza della Signoria, we will find ourselves marveling at what the city offers today: contemporary manual expertise that originates in the traditions of the past but continues to reinvent itself every day.