The leather market of San Lorenzo is the most important in the city of Florence: it is set up every day, except on Sundays and Mondays, from Piazza San Lorenzo to Via dell’Ariento and around the Church of San Lorenzo, in the historic center of Florence. It is an ancient market that, even today, is among the favorite stops of Florentines and tourists who are in the city. In addition to the souvenirs, in the San Lorenzo market you will find clothes and a wide range of leather accessories, such as wallets, bags and belts.
The history of the San Lorenzo leather market
The Central Market of San Lorenzo was born on the appointment of Florence as Capital of the Kingdom of Italy; with the arrival of the institutions, around 1865, the city of Florence thought to completely renew the historic center, inspired by the style of the largest European capitals, especially Paris. With the growth of the city and, consequently, of the population, the old market, Il Mercato della Paglia, was no longer able to provide the necessary supply to all the inhabitants, so it was decided to give life, in some of the most dilapidated neighborhoods, The Herb Market in Sant’Ambrogio and the Market of San Frediano, now no longer present.
The idea was immediately successful but the space in San Lorenzo was still insufficient to extend the area dedicated to the market, so a labyrinth of small alleys was created between the city walls that surrounded the historic center of Florence and between some of the poorest and most battered neighborhoods.
For the improvement of the area and for the creation of a sort of large stand under which to enclose the market, the city of Florence, taking advantage of the flourishing period it was going through, hired the architect Giuseppe Mengoni, one of the most sought after in Italy at the end of 1800. The new building, with a clear Florentine appeal given by the base with Renaissance features, was inaugurated, in 1874, with the International Horticulture Exhibition, while the market, in a structure far from what we know today, only took over the following year.
In the last years of 1800 the merchants decreased drastically and the internal arrangement of the market became what we know today: around the Central Market Square, shops and stalls offer visitors goods of all kinds: from food to leather accessories, while the typical local carts offer the opportunity to stop and enjoy the authentic local delicacies.
Still today, as it happened in the previous two centuries, the city life develops around the market, between social and cultural relations, always respecting the ancient Florentine traditions.
The Florentine leather goods
Among the highlights of the San Lorenzo market in Florence there are all the items produced by Florentine leather goods: every day tourists and curious take assault the stalls eager to buy elegant accessories, born from the hands and passion of the best Florentine craftsmen.
Florence, on the other hand, is one of the main European cities with regard to the production of leather and the creation of clothes and accessories sought after, by virtue of their history and their style, all over the world.
As you approach the San Lorenzo market, you can feel the scent of freshly worked leather in the air: don’t stop, however, at the first stand! We advise you to breathe the atmosphere of the Florentine market, immersing yourself between people and typical objects and doing, in this way, a jump back in time. Among the most sought after goods there are, without doubt, the bags, the result of the wonderful Tuscan leather goods: from those with classic and elegant lines to the most modern ones, from small clutches to large bags, from the most elegant bags to those suitable for everyday life, to the ball market of San Lorenzo every woman can find the bag that suits her style and needs.
A similar argument applies to accessories: between wallets and belts, passing through leather nails, every curious will find a garment that will not be able to resist. All the products born from the hands and knowledge of the artisans of Florence Leather Market, a leading company in the leather goods and accessories sector, are Made in Italy: the local manufactory gives daily life to accessories that express, in every inch, the excellent quality of Made in Italy. These are mainly bags, briefcases, wallets and accessories that over time do not get ruined but, on the contrary, earn a value that has no price: with use, the accessories acquire a vintage and unique look, impossible to recreate in any way.
The leather of the Tuscan district is among the best in the world: after a long and accurate treatment process inside the Florentine tanneries, after 13 phases, the leather becomes a real luxury product, with immense value. Buying these products in the streets of the leather market of San Lorenzo means going back in time and being full of beauty and tradition, culture and authentic values.
