Today this term is still commonly used in Tuscany to describe small artisan shops. Email address:. See Florence in 3 days with this ever popular itinerary. Discover all the sights and delights of the Florence outlets are a hotspot for shopping enthusiasts. These top luxury outlet shops are filled with Enjoy the finest coffee in Florence, and some beautiful views along with it. Coffee culture is Best 10 small gifts from Florence.
Ponte Vecchio — photo karkandmimi on pixabay 6. San Lorenzo Market 8. Did you know? Your friendly online guide to Florence and Tuscany. Get our insider travel tips delivered to your mailbox every month.
Explore more of Tuscany. Tuscany is famous for its charming small towns, Medieval hilltop hamlets and scenic walled towns rich with atmosphere. Tuscany is famous for its hills and scenic hilltop towns. Once the shops close down, all the glass window displays are covered with wood, transforming the shops into large wooden jewelry boxes - how appropriate! I would suggest to stay away from Ponte Vecchio as prices there are quite high, even though the quality obviously is also high.
Alessandro Dari - in the Oltrarno, on Via di S. Niccolo, R. Alessandro is much more than a goldsmith, he is an artist that expresses his knowledge and spirituality in his work.
There are rings made in Renaissance style as well as more contemporary designs. You will find something you love here, and know it is a unique, one of a kind work of art you will treasure forever. Penko is a small family run workshop less than two blocks from the Duomo specializing in handmade jewelry following Florentine techniques. Penko is known for his wonderful creations and the high quality of everything the shop produces. I actually have his " Ring of Promise " as my wedding band!
The style of the workshop is to meld the past with the present, recreating jewelry from the Renaissance as seen in famous paintings but using modern tastes to make them contemporary. If you're looking for more contemporary designs, then head to this co-working workshop just off Piazza Santo Spirito where 6 young jewelry designers have set up their workshop. They also have an exhibition area but it isn't open all of the time.
Ring the bell and hope someone is there or better yet, call ahead at and set up a time to see their wonderful modern designs, in very six different styles from artists Margherita de Martino Norante , Martina Loncar also known as Tinka Loncar , Valentina Caprini , Francesca Zanuccoli , Kellie Riggs and Arata Fuchi. In December during the holidays, they will be open from the 11th through the 24th in the afternoons from 3 to 8pm and on weekends from 10am to 8pm to give everyone a chance to stop by and buy special handmade gifts.
You can also take several types of workshops with them that last from 1. Additional gift idea is to give a workshop to someone you know would love to try it out ;-. Check out their Facebook page for more details. Ceramics were very important in Florence in the Renaissance, particularly when the Della Robbia brothers and their bottega managed to create strikingly brilliant blues, yellows, greens and whites and a clear glaze to decorate their terracotta works of art that can still be admired today inside churches as well as the outside of several buildings think of the orphaned children decorating the Istituto degli Innocenti in Piazza Santissima Annunziata.
Platters, plates, pitchers and more were widely sought after to decorate the most illustrious of homes of the Florentine nobility through the centuries. While ceramics no longer are generally produced directly in town, production continues to surround Florence. Since the Renaissance, the city's major families have commissioned large sets and collections of work in ceramics from Montelupo Fiorentino thus creating the importance of the maiolica style born there , from Impruneta more widely known for its terracotta production and from Sesto Fiorentino , where local ceramists learned the art of porcelain making.
Ceramics from Florence have been exported all over the world through the centuries, but it is also true that it is not an easy sector. Once you have beautiful sets of plates, do you keep replacing them? Maybe not, but they do make for wonderful, unique presents from Florence as they carry their own unique designs. With their fruits - particularly lemons - I have been buying small platters, olive oil flasks and salt and pepper shakers as great small presents to take to family when I can!
The most important thing to note is that if you fall in love with anything ceramics, you shouldn't worry about how to get them back home - just have them shipped! It generally is not that expensive, particularly if you pay by the size of the box rather than by the weight make sure to ask the shop owner. This small shop near the Medici Chapels goes back for 8 generations, with their workshop based out of Impruneta, not Montelupo.
It produces the classic Florentine designs that were popular in the Renaissance but also quite colorful geometric designs on platters, dishes and pitchers make not on a potter's wheel but with the unique process of stacking "snakes" of clay and building up the item. They ship all over the world with insurance so your gifts are guaranteed to arrive home safely!
When I stopped by, the owner Luca was very kind and friendly, admitting it isn't an easy job but trusts a cousin's son will continue the family tradition. If you wish to visit their workshop in Impruneta, just give Luca a call to setup a time as he's the one that speaks English and alternates between the shop in Florence and the workshop ;-. One of few remaining artisans on this particular street, as there are mostly bars and restaurants here now. Migliori, another family enterprise, focuses not only on platters with traditional designs, but also reproducing works of art in glazed terracotta.
See those angels? The originals are inside Santa Croce, go and look for them! The shop has articles in all sizes, something will surely catch your eye! Ceramiche d'Arte Parrini - Shipping worldwide, you can buy directly online on their website.
This ceramics shop is dedicated to creating hand painted traditional Tuscan decorated pottery, from large serving platters to decorative table tops and tableware. Located just off the very central Via Calzaiuoli two doors down beyond the Fratellini panini shop. It is a wonderful way to take some of the color and warmth from Tuscany home with you, with items offering landscapes, sunflowers or the classic rooster, symbol of the Chianti wine region. You can visit their showroom and laboratory outside the outskirts of Florence to see firsthand how the pieces are made, with a free shuttle offered from downtown Florence upon request.
Another tradition born centuries ago back when everyone relied on chemists to concoct healing lotions, syrups, teas and much more - including extracts from flowers, plants and herbs for the pure pleasure of their scent. Today, these can be enjoyed in perfumes for you or a lighter essence for friends, as perfumes are really a matter of personal preference. Very popular are the essences for the home, some shops having decidedly specialized in this area. With over scents, this shop is a must for anyone looking for any perfume!
For a really extraordinary gift to yourself, you can even have a perfume made especially for you by Master Perfumer Sileno Cheloni. In addition to perfumes and fragrances for the home, you can also find organic soaps, creams for face care and body care, herbal baths and bath salts, all made with natural and raw materials.
Visit this shop just to see its old world charm and beauty within the three rooms on the ground floor of the historical Serristori Corsini Antinori Palace in photo above. These awesome small shops are specialized in fragrances for the home, office and car, and obviously shops since the moment you walk you are enveloped in a wonderful fragrance. And I always buy my sunscreen in Europe. The full size tubes of Marvis are the best value, but I also loved this gift pack of minis in different flavors— a perfect souvenir gift for the traveler.
These trays actually make a great souvenir— lightweight, flat, sturdy and virtually unbreakable they are easy to pack. The pretty Florentine designs definitely give a sense of place, and I find trays to be useful back home I have perfumes clustered on one on my dresser, remotes on one on a sofa table. Prices vary depending on the shop. One of my favorite Florentine souvenirs is t he recipe for drunken spaghetti made with red wine I received from our waiter at Osteria de Benci.
Try the original at the Osteria, then follow my recipe in this post to replicate that addictive flavor back home. You can find gorgeous hand marbled Florentine paper created by local artisans.
Adorable tiny cardboard boxes with Florentine designs. You can buy a high-quality leather handbag from a local designer, but it will cost you. For a knockaround bag that will last a few seasons before showing wear and tear, you can hit any of the near identical touristy-looking leather shops. Drop into any of the shoe stores lining the streets of Florence for a huge variety of shoe shopping, for both men and women.
Quality will vary so use price as a guide and inspect your shoes carefully for workmanship. Cameos are delicately carved shells, crafted into jewelry. Cameos in all shapes and sizes at a shop on Ponte Vecchio. Goldsmiths have a long history in Florence.
While gold-shopping in Florence might not be a huge bargain, there will be a lot of variety and unique finds. I adore beautifully Italian linens and my favorite Tuscan linen shop is actually in the hilltown of Montepulciano. Runners, placemats and napkins are the easiest linens to bring home.
These linens were feather light and beautifully made. I found lots of delicious smelling and gift worthy soaps made locally— including this unusual tomato soap.
The beautifully presented paints and inks I saw made me wish I had a little more artistic talent to justify buying them. I just adore your website, Kristin! And this post reminded me why. The shopping vicariously through your writing! My first trip abroad as a high-schooler took me to Florence and my mom still raves about the necklace I brought her from there.
My first time visiting Florence was on a shore excursion in the fall of I bought some rosaries for some of my lady friends at work and nice handbag for my Mom. She did and I thanked her for doing so. Mom was pleased to get that bag when I came home, and she only carries it when she can match it with one of her outfits. You also might show some addresses where the shops you mention in this article so I can find them the next time I visit Florence.
I spent quite a long time in SMN examining the meridian line in the nave and the sundials on the facade. Oh, and the rest of the church. I totally forgot about the shop… RH. The last pictures has really awesome art supplies, do you remember the shop where you took the picture I would really like to buy some when I go. Thanks so much for the lovely compliment! There is so much excellent shopping in Firenze, you will absolutely love it.
Hi Kristen! Great post! Do you have any shopping tips for Siena?
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