20 August 2026
Florence
How many times have we visited a city and come across a historic craftsperson’s shop as we wander through its streets? We have entered respectfully and breathed in the history, the beauty, the quality and the care dedicated to hand-crafted items that transport us to a world of markets and old-fashioned street life. A traditional past that has almost disappeared and is rare to find! Not in Florence, where the Ancient Shops that made the city’s history still thrive!
Today we will take you on a walk around Florence on a tour of Ancient Shops that are still working and producing, that have kept up with the times without losing the focus on their unique and rare products, for those who enjoy and are interested in craftsmanship.
Travellers and curious tourists, with a pinch of the romantic, lovers of beauty and the unique, perhaps a little old-fashioned: this is your chance to trace a map, a route along which you can explore Florentine craftsmanship, which tells us the story of this fascinating, multi-faceted city as we cross its roads, enjoying losing ourselves, immersed in the fragrance of paper, perfumes, ancient prints, ceramics and embroidery. A shop catering to lovers of all the arts!
Breathe in ancient perfumes and herbal and spicy essences
If you are passionate about fine quality products and research based on traditional perfumes and herbal products made using ancient methods, we recommend a visit to the Santa Maria Novella Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica a few minutes away from the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. The traditional pharmacy was established in the ancient monastery in 1221, a date that curiously forms a palindrome, by Dominican monks who grew the officinal herbs there for making medications, balms and perfumes for the monastery’s small infirmary. Today being surrounded by the medieval architecture while you browse the products and perfumes gives an impression of travelling back in time. The furnishing and decor includes items from the middle ages to the modern day, with curiosities and collections of tools, scales, measuring instruments and ancient pharmacy urns, making the atmosphere magical even for those who are not fans of alchemy and herbalism.
The rustle of paper and the scent of learning
Do you love paper? Do you notice its smell and the noise it makes and do you love writing? If you carry walking along the Ancient Shops tour around the Cathedral, about 15 minutes later you will come to Marzotto Carta, on the ground floor of the splendid Renaissance Palazzo Ramirez de Montalvo, where you can breathe in the atmosphere in which 19th-century writers worked and see a wide range of different types of paper. Further into the city centre you will find the other kingdom of paper, the Libreria Cartoleria Baccani where bookbinding is still carried out by hand like it used to be, with care and love.
Classic Florence – old lace and terracotta
This tour of Florentine craftsmanship still has a few more jewels in its crown. Continuing on foot among these enchanting Renaissance surroundings, we come to the Libreria Baccani bookshop, after dropping in to T.A. F. Tovagliati Artistici fiorentini near the Palazzo Vecchio, which for over a hundred years has been selling ranges of home furnishings, mainly textiles, in a traditional style with a modern twist. At this point we must not forget Florentine majolica.
A little further on and we enter a world where hand-thrown clay is shaped into fired products in the kiln behind the shop belonging to the Sbigoli family. Wall plates, jugs, bowls, mugs and cups, with a good helping of artistic and creative imagination.
All things you will want to “experience for yourselves” before taking home your favourite examples of this traditional art and craft, so you too can own a piece of history, a touch of Florence.
