ULTR-ARNO

Explore the colourful Oltrarno neighbourhood and gain behind-the-scenes insight into Florence’s bustling, creative craft scene. Lying “beyond the Arno” – as its etymology explains – Oltrarno is the repository of the city’s age-old traditions and unique manufacturing heritage. Here you won’t find chain stores or haute couture boutiques but you’ll get a real feel for the texture of life in Florence and discover some of the city’s long-hoarded secrets.

As you roam through the neighbourhood you’ll come across typical family-run botteghe selling all sorts of masterly crafted mirabilia, including musical instruments, wooden items, leather shoes, jewellery, marbled paper and bespoke clothing – all lovingly hand-made, hand-carved, hand-painted and hand-sewn by talented artisans.

This tour will be led by an artisan expert and can be tailored to suit the needs and interests of all guests. Send us your wish list and we’ll create a customised “Made in Florence” itinerary just for you. From handbags to old manuscripts, from pottery to perfume, the Oltrarno district will fulfil your every desire. With an innate passion for scouting and twenty years of experience in the field of fashion and tourism, your artisan expert is unbeatable when it comes to locating hard-to-find items. She also keeps up to date with new workshop openings and artisanal-related events both in town and in the region. Meet her at your hotel and follow her on a trail through the streets of this 500-year-old district. You will be led past a variety of hand-picked botteghe tucked away on the Arno’s southern bank and discover to whom Florence owes its enduring fame as a centre of excellence for the production of ultra-quality crafts. There will be ample opportunity to find out more about the trades, traditions and production methods in personal exchanges with the artisans themselves.

Depending on your interests and the day of the week, you might visit furniture restorers, leather workers, shoemakers, wood carvers, goldsmiths, silversmiths, mosaic artists, tailors, milliners, custom jewellery designers, potters, book binders and antiquarians… the very best talents in every sphere. Your local expert will enrich your experience by recounting stories and curiosities regarding past and present-day protagonists of Florence’s magnificent world of arts and crafts.