Artisan Walking Tour in Florence

Explore Tuscan artisan traditions and the value and role of work and manufacturing in Italian culture

Enjoy interesting discussions in a small group six people or less

The Florentine tradition of producing artisanal goods has been ongoing for centuries and today remains one of the cornerstones of Florence's visual and social history, as it did in the times of the guilds.

Florentine leatherworkers, silversmiths, shoe manufacturers and hat makers have produced handmade goods for countless generations of kings and queens, princes and noblewomen and continue to this day, mostly in the area known as the Oltrarno ("on the other side of the Arno").

This three-hour walk will explore the private workshops of this characteristic neighborhood, providing a behind the scenes look at the current state of artisan production.

We will begin in the lovely Piazza Santo Spirito and enjoy a stroll through the Oltrarno neighborhood, which has been home to artisans for the last five-hundred years. The neighborhood is virtually carpeted with a maze of these small workshops on tiny side streets, representing some of the most historic enterprises in the city.

The group will have the chance to see some of these craftsmen at work, watching their meticulous practices and the tools of their trades.