The Florentine Leather Market

By: Haley Duford

There’s nothing quite like walking down the narrow sidewalks of Florence, looking up at the beautiful architecture, listening to the sound of coffee cups being rattled around and smelling leather goods in the air.

Walking through Florence it is hard for visitors to miss the many leather stands and shops. Here visitors can find small items like lipstick holders, change purses, sunglass cases and wallets. Or for a purchase that’s really going to catch the eye of many people walking by, visitors can buy leather jackets, backpacks, purses and briefcases.

Tourists in Florence can find a variety of products and colors in the leather markets. (Photo by: Haley Duford)

The History

The history of leather production in Florence starts in 1282 when a leather-workers guild, the Arte dei Cuoiai, was formed.

Leather production was a smelly and tedious process during this time. Workers would lay out the leather along the Arno River to begin the tanning process. By laying it along the Arno River the leather was outside the city and the smells could be somewhat controlled.

Tanning leather is the process of laying out leather in the sun to turn the rawhide into a material that will be more durable and not decay later on.

Backpacks are just one of the many products that customers can buy from the leather stands and stores. (Photo by: Haley Duford)

During this time, leather was mainly used for books and clothing that could be worn on special occasions, like festivals. It was not until the 20th century that the leather industry took a more luxurious route, thanks to Guccio Gucci.

Gucci was the son of a leather artisan, so he was very familiar with the craft. However, he decided to walk away from his family business to work at the Savoy Hotel in London.

While working at the Savoy Hotel, Gucci came in contact with many wealthy guests and helped carry their, often, high-end baggage. He became very familiar with how the upper class citizens liked their belongings to look and feel. Some of the hotel guests he was able to meet included Frank Sinatra, Winston Churchill and Marilyn Monroe.

In the leather markets, customers can find purses that are original in shape and design, such as these multi-colored purses. (Photo by: Haley Duford)

Gucci kept in contact with each of these people he met; today people would say he was networking. These guests would ultimately play crucial parts in Gucci’s later career.

In 1921, Gucci moved back to Florence and brought a new found passion for leather with him. He focused solely on creating accessories and luggage strictly for the wealthier clientele by opening his new store on the Via della Vigna Nuova.

After Gucci established his presence in the leather industry, he began making harnesses for horses, which only the elite participated in. The Gucci name quickly became associated with luxury as more people grew to learn about his business.

Gucci helped the Florentine economy boom from his high-end clientele and luxurious leather items. He helped form the leather market into what it is known as today in Florence.

When walking through the leather market, visitors can stop and ask any of the employees about the history of leather in the city and they will be happy to share. Mateo, who works at a leather stand near the Santa Maria Novella train station, gets extremely excited when visitors ask him questions about leather in Florence.

“Leather in Florence has an amazing history. I could talk about it for hours. Leather is my passion,” Mateo said.

Mateo leads customers into his shop to show off the variety of products he sells. (Photo by: Haley Duford)

The Leather

As with any material, there are different types and grades of leather that can be found in the stores and markets.

“Depending on where you go, you might find some leather items that are mixed with plastics to make production cheaper. Some items may also be made with leather that is cheaper to buy and sell them for more at the market,” Mateo said.

Purses of all different colors, sizes and shapes can be found so customers are able to find the perfect match for them. (Photo by: Haley Duford)

The highest quality grade of leather that can be found is full-grain. In Italian it is pieno fiore. This is the best leather because the hide has not been sanded off so the authenticity and originality of the leather will come through in the product

Next, customers may shop for top-grain leather products, or parte grano in Italian. This is still a great leather to look for when buying a jacket or purse, however, it is different from full-grain leather because the imperfections of the original hide have been sanded off.

Genuine leather, or vera pelle, is the second to lowest grade in leather that customers can buy. This is the type of leather that you will find at the average leather stand or store. Most of the time these products have the words “Genuine leather” stamped somewhere on it.

Some of the leather is original in color, and varies in different shades of brown, depending on its tanning process. (Photo by: Haley Duford)

These products are still very nice and durable. Most importantly, they still hold the smell of real leather, while maintaining a more affordable price.

Finally, bonded leather, or cuoio rigenerato, is just scraps of leather glued together. It is one of the poorest qualities of leather customers can find. The old scraps and shavings are held together using chemicals and dyes.

Keychains are one of the smaller items that can be found in the store, ranging from red chili peppers to cherries to ladybugs. (Photo by: Haley Duford)

To prove to visitors that his products are truly made of leather, store owner Amedeo puts a flame on the outside of a purse or wallet. As he does this, he explains to customers what would happen to the product if it were not made out of genuine leather.

“If this was made of plastic it would burn and change colors. Because it is real leather it will not burn and just get warm,” Amedeo said.

It is important to do research before shopping for leather in Florence if you want durable and genuine products.

Amedeo holds a flame to his products to show customers that the items he sells are real leather. (Photos by: Haley Duford)

The Stores and Stands

When walking anywhere in Florence, visitors will more than likely pass at least one leather store. The leather stores tend to be less crowded, and will give shoppers more time to think about their purchase.

In the leather storefronts, it is easy to have a conversation with the employees, hear their stories and learn more about the leather in that specific store.

In the markets, walls of bright colored belts can be seen, as employees will be happy to discuss pricing with customers. (Photo by: Haley Duford)

However, visitors can also visit the San Lorenzo market near the Santa Maria Novella train station. There they will find a long street lined with leather stands selling a variety of items. Behind these stands, are more leather stores, where visitors can pop in and see an even larger selection of goods.

Another leather market can be found near the Ponte Vecchio, called the Mercato Nuovo. It is a covered area where visitors can shop around for any leather gifts they want to bring home with them.

Shopping for leather in Florence is a thrilling experience, as visitors learn about the different kinds of leathers, see the bright colors and the large variety of goods they can buy.