Say “Florence” to anyone who loves fashion and they will probably think of leather. Walk through the historic centre today and you will pass leather shops, small workshops and market stalls on almost every corner. That connection did not happen by chance. It grew from centuries of trade, craft and a particular corner of Tuscany that still works leather today.
Guilds, tanneries and the Arno
In medieval and Renaissance Florence, economic life was organised around guilds, the Arti. Each trade had its own guild with its own rules, standards and privileges. Leather workers and tanners had their own guild, and their work sat alongside the wool and silk trades that made the city rich. Guilds protected the quality of their members’ work and passed skills from master to apprentice, generation after generation.
This culture of standards and apprenticeship is one reason why Florentine craft built such a strong reputation. Skills were not only practised; they were taught, refined and protected.
Tanning needs water, and Florence has the Arno. Historically, tanners, dyers and other trades that needed water worked close to the river, and some street names in the city still recall those trades. Today, much of Tuscany’s tanning takes place outside the city, in the district around Santa Croce sull’Arno, between Florence and Pisa, which is known internationally for leather production, including vegetable tanning.
Tanning is the process that turns raw hide into stable, long-lasting leather. Vegetable tanning uses tannins from natural sources such as tree bark. It is a slow, traditional method, and the resulting leather is firm, takes on a rich patina with age, and is often associated with Tuscany.
Other methods, such as chrome tanning, are faster and give softer, more uniform results. Both are widely used, and each suits different products.
Santa Croce and the leather school
In the heart of Florence, the Santa Croce neighbourhood has long been linked with leather. After the Second World War, a leather school was founded within the Franciscan monastery of Santa Croce to teach young people a trade. It still operates today, and visitors can watch leatherworkers at work. It is a living reminder that, in Florence, leather craft is something passed on by hand.
A reputation built on detail
Florentine leatherwork has always covered more than bags. Gloves, belts, wallets, book bindings and small leather goods have all been part of the city’s trade. That breadth matters: skills learned on one product, such as precise edge finishing or neat stitching on a small wallet, carry over to handbags. It is one reason why Florentine designs often pay attention to details that are easy to overlook, such as the way a strap is attached, how a lining is fitted or how hardware sits against the leather.
Florence’s place in leather is about more than history. It is about an eye for proportion, colour and finish that comes from living among Renaissance architecture and art. Florentine design tends to favour clean lines, structured shapes and quality details over logos. That aesthetic is easy to recognise and hard to imitate.
How that heritage shapes our bags
Alinari Firenze bags are handmade in Florence, Italy, and that shows in the shapes we choose. The Navona, named after Rome’s Piazza Navona, is a compact, structured handbag in croc-embossed and textured leathers. The Maxima Croco Tote is a crisp, architectural tote with suede lining and gold-tone hardware, made for the working day. The Alita pairs soft quilted Italian leather with a classic silhouette.
Each is designed to be carried every day and to last, with free delivery to Europe, the UK and the USA.
Visiting Florence for leather
If you visit, take time to look beyond the market stalls. Ask what kind of leather a bag is made from, where it was tanned and where it was made. Good sellers will answer clearly. Our guide on how to tell real Italian leather explains what to look for.
Many workshops in the Santa Croce area are happy to explain their process, and watching a craftsperson cut, stitch and finish a piece is the best way to understand what quality really looks like.
And if you cannot get to Florence just yet, you can explore our Maxima, Navona and Alita leather bags online.
Our bags are handmade in Florence, Italy. Start with the Navona Classic, the croc-embossed Maxima Croco Tote or the quilted Alita, or browse our classic leather handbags, leather tote bags and leather gifts for her.
Related reading: our UK guide to Italian leather bags under £200 and what "Made in Italy" means on a leather bag. Or meet our three bestsellers, the Maxima Croco Tote, the Navona Classic and the Alita, all handmade in Florence, Italy.