Craftmen, jewelers, engarvers, silversmiths....The Renaissance and Humanism in Florence mark the development of ateliers (workshops called bottega) of artisans and artists where students such as Leonardo and Michelangelo practised and an artisan effectively became an artist.
Walking in Florence with a native official guide you will discover the craftsmen who have given so much fame to the city: from leather goods to jewelry, from marbled paper to frames, from the time of the guilds to present days. Santa Maria Novella and Oltrarno districtsThe first neighborhood is famous for Santa Maria Novella Pharmacy, the oldest in Europe producing perfumes and potpourris developed by Domenican apothecaries, but this area is virtually carpeted with a maze of small workshops on tiny side streets as well as in the other discrict, Oltrarno (“on the other side of the Arno”), Florentine jewellers, engravers, silversmiths, shoemakers, leatherworkers and milliners continue to practice their crafts building upon methods passed down through generations. We will visit the private workshops of these distinguished individuals, providing a behind the scenes look at the current state of artisan production. You will have the opportunity seeing some of these craftsmen at work; observing their meticulous practices and their tools Discover!This private walk is very much for the traveler looking to scratch a little more beneath the surface of the city. It should not be thought of as a shopping tour, instead, it is an in depth look into real workshops and should provide a better understanding of the importance of preserving and promoting this dying skills.We'll talk about Tuscan artisan traditions and watch people working; silver, gold, perfume, leather... another Florence, a link between the art and craft from the Renaissance to the present days. Duration: 3 or 4 hours Operates: daily (the artisans' choise will be decided together) Booking / Info Request Rates