This tour is designed for travelers who wish to scratch underneath the city’s surface, to take a different look at Tuscan cooking and to get an idea of the Florentine craftsmanship that has made Florence one of the European fashion capitals on par with Paris and Milan.

The Florentine tradition of handcrafted products is centuries old, and remains one of the cornerstones of Florence's artistic and social history. Our tour offers tourists a unique behind-the-scenes look at craftsmen at work. Dating back to medieval times, Florence has been a city of "bottegas," small artisan workshops, and the tradition continues today. Florentine leatherworkers, silversmiths, shoe manufacturers and hat-makers have long produced handmade goods for all levels of nobility. The bottegas are mostly located in the area known as Oltrarno, a neighbourhood which has been home to artisans for over five hundred years.

In one of these workshops, on the south side of the Arno, skilled craftsmen continue the tradition of marble inlay, an art that culminated in popularity under the Medici grand dukes. The dukes would send these artistic creations as gifts to the crowned heads of Europe they wanted to impress. In the workshop’s storeroom we will see various types of exquisite marbles in their raw, unpolished form.

Continuing our walk, we will visit gilders, hand decorating furniture and frames with curling leaf designs inspired by 15th-century patterns. We will have the opportunity to admire their skillful technique and the pride they take in their trade. Water gilding is an ancient traditional technique used by Italian and European artists and artisans. It was widely used in Medieval (particularly Byzantine) and Renaissance art: gold leaf was applied to the background of paintings to enhance minute details like saints’ halos.It was also used on frames and other objects to embellish them. Use of gilding was widespread beginning in the 13th Century, not only for paintings, but also in architecture (e.g. in door decoratiion), luxury household goods, and church ornamentation.

We will continue to the lovely Piazza Santo Spirito, and enjoy a stroll in Oltrarno. We will pass through a virtual maze of small workshops in tiny side streets, including some of the most historic names in the city.

We will then proceed to a “marbled paper” production demo. Marbled paper was most likely created in China or Japan, traveling to the Middle East at the beginning of the 15th Century. It was introduced to Europe by Venetian artisans, following the battle of Lepanto (1571). These artisans began making marbled paper with spot-decoration. In the 18th century, the French "Royal bookbinder" Machet Rouet invented a new decoration technique ,“combing,” which remains popular to this day. At the end of the 18th century, marbled paper arrived in Florence, where it was initially used only for decorating the edges of books. As time progressed, it was also used for endpapers and covers and as a beautiful covering for many different objects.

Next we will have a peek into a “Scagliola” workshop. This art form is
based on ancient techniques used to create impressively convincing imitations of marble and costly semi-precious stones. The word «scagliola» most likely stems from “scaglie,” (flakes) which characterize selenite, the crystal gypsum used to prepare the scagliola
mixture. This technique was developed in the 17th century in Emilia Romagna – a region where marble and similar stones are very scarce, but where plenty of selenite is to be found. The center of production became the city of Carpi, which was instrumental in the field of scagliola ornamentation for churches. This art soon spread to other Italian regions: Lombardy, the Marche and Tuscany. Florence has been a capital of scagliola since the 18th century. Today the craftsmen who master this technique are few and far between. These skilled artisans produce tables, small decorated objects and panels with a variety of patterns.

Florence is particularly famous worldwide for fine quality, hand-crafted leather goods, so we will visit a unique workshop where we will be shown how leather is embellished with traditional gold and silver leaf decoration. It is not mere chance that Prada, Gucci and Ferragamo were born here!

Getting hungry? Time for a snack? We’ll share some of our favorite places to sample the city's best snacks, cakes and sweets, from a long-established bakery...We can also give you some tips on finding the frothiest cappuccino!

Continuing, we will attend a demonstration – and tasting – in the best
ice-cream parlor in town, where you will learn how to recognize genuine
handmade “gelato” from its mass-produced equivalent. The interior of the parlor
was radically refurbished in 1950 and fitted with pure onyx slabs that still
adorn its walls. Also present is a clock of the same onyx, a true
masterpiece of its kind, which has become the shop’s symbol. The owner,
Signora Paola, has maintained the family traditions in defense of handmade ice cream,
assuring the constant quality and authenticity that only tradition can guarantee.

Signora Paola and her two daughters are devoted to their work, and helping customers in the shop with the utmost professionalism and good nature. They rediscovered the original recipes, and began to make different ice cream flavours, with particular attention to the quality of the ingredients. This lends a bold, unmistakeable taste which is the main feature of true gelato.

It’s difficult to suggest which flavour you should try, but you must taste Crema, prepared the traditional way with lemon rind and vanilla, and Pistacchio made with
organic Sicilian pistachios. Also note-worthy are dried-fruit flavours like Hazelnut
and the ever-popular Almond. The Sicilian Cassata, made with ricotta cheese and candied fruits, is equally irresistable. For gourmets, there’s also a variety of sophisticated flavours like Amarena with black cherries, Green Tea and Fiordilatte with chestnut honey and sesame seeds, to mention a few. We also recommend the fruit flavours (Sorbetti ), which are lighter as they are made just with water. In summer you can choose from countless flavours: peach, melon, watermelon and other seasonal fruits. On the hottest days of
summer a Granita is always refreshing – just fresh fruit and chopped ice. Don’t miss the real ‘cherry on the cake’, the delicious Semifreddi made with whipped cream, and deservingly, one of their specialties.

The busy Food Market (open only until 1pm) is an integral part of local
life. This is a great place to find bargains or just browse the wide variety of
stalls, enjoying the colorful atmosphere and local market chitchat. It is a rewarding
way to shop for both experienced and novice bargain hunters alike. Upon our arrival, we will taste different types of salamis, flavored pecorino cheeses, high quality local wines, extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Our tour winds down in the most stylish shop in town: one of the oldest
Pharmacies in the world. Initially opened set by the Dominican friars shortly after they settled in Florence in 1221. The friars grew the herbs that they needed to prepare medications, balms and creams for the monastery's little infirmary in their own garden. In 1612 the Grand Duke gave the Dominicans permission to open this little store - the Pharmacy was opened to the public and their herbal secrets became internationally renowned. The essences, as well as the famous and much-in-demand perfumes, pomades, spirits and liqueurs are still prepared following the formulas established in 1500 for Caterina de’ Medici.
The history of 'Eau de Cologne' is quite special; it seems this was the perfume that Caterina de’ Medici, future queen of France, took with her to Paris. Here it was renamed 'eau de la reine'. Later, Giovanni Paolo Feminis changed its name when he moved to Cologne in 1725 and began to produce it there.
'Acqua di rose,' rose water, was already sold in this Pharmacy in the second half of the 14th Century.
Other favorites include perfumed powders, used by royals from Queen Victoria to Lady Diana. The powders are produced from ground iris bulbs, the flower that grows wild on the hills around Florence. The iris grows in such profusion that is was adopted as the symbol of the city, represented in its coat of arms.


* Please note: Itineraries are subject to change depending on seasonal
factors and the opening hours of artisans’ workshops.

Details:
- Duration: 4 hrs
- Cost of the tour: € 220

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