Florence is a city that is absolutely renowned for its leather tradition. If you are searching for a Made in Italy handbag or leather jacket to take home, Firenze is the place to get it. However, this fame for leather means that you will find shops peddling counterfeit or imported goods in every corner of the city. Luckily, Scuola del Cuoio – the Florence leather school – is a place where you can still find artisans handmaking leather goods.

Located in the monastery of the Santa Croce church, the quiet school is also one of the most unique places to buy leather in Florence. The Santa Croce neighborhood has traditionally been the area of the city where leather making has taken place for hundreds of years and you will still find streets named for the traders who once located their shops there, such as Via dei Conciatori (Tanner’s Street).