If the Made in Tuscany, towards the Made in Italy - a brand of origin synonymous with beauty and quality - represents a focus on a specific territory within a country renowned for itsexcellence of its production, the Made in Florence it is in turn a metaphor for a focus on the focus, a further narrowing of the lens onto the Florentine area.

A brief history of Florentine craftsmanship

On the other hand, if one considers that the medieval Arts and Crafts Corporations of Florence contributed substantially to the grandiose economic development of the city, constituting the basis for the flourishing of theHumanism and of the Renaissance, one cannot fail to recognize thelocal crafts a value that goes beyond the simple quality of production as well as immediate relevance.

It is here that in those times wool, silk, wood, iron, bronze, leather, spices and much more were worked, all top quality products which, boasting the brand Florence Branded with fire, they were coveted in the most important markets of the then-known world. They perhaps arrived there on muleback, at risk of being stolen along the way by marauders or bandits, but when they reached their destination they caused a stir.

In the city, just to give an example, there were over two hundred, among shops and “fondachi”, to produce the famous Florentine woolen cloths, the best, the most expensive, the most sought after.

Of course, it was another universe. In Fourteenth century Florence, in terms of importance and size, represented the third largest European city, while its currency, the Golden Florin, was equivalent to today's dollar, a reference currency on which the majority of commercial transactions were based. However, despite centuries having passed, the quality artisan tradition it is partly left.

Leather goods, silk, paper: some examples of typical Florentine craftsmanship

In fact, they still resist today, ancient or more recent specializationsAmong the first, the artisan tradition certainly holds a place of honor leather goods, which includes shoemaking, bag production, and successful artistic leather desk sets. Among the more recent traditions, the most notable is the marbled paper, an ancient paper decoration technique of oriental origin, in which the Tuscan capital has specialized over the centuries to the point of becoming a world-class excellence.

But it doesn't end here, because perhaps not everyone knows that in Florence, in the wake of the great medieval tradition of silk processing, proliferates the Lisio Silk Art Foundation, an ancient factory that creates the highest quality fabrics, silks, brocades and velvets hand-woven for haute couture and the dream dresses of princes and princesses.

Or do we want to talk about the historic Florentine pharmacies which still contain within themselves the ancestral knowledge of the apothecary's trade, one of the seven Major ArtsA name for everyone? Officina Profumo Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, so important and well-known that it carries the name of Florence around the world.

But no, let's not talk about it, let's stop here. We'll leave you to enjoy our articles that will transport you to a world that never really happened and from which you will never want to leave.