9 Unique Souvenirs To Bring Home From Florence

Florence and leather go hand-in-hand. This Tuscan city has been famous for its fine pelle since the Middle Ages, when it was thick with craftsmen making everything from shoes and accessories to decorated saddles and leather armor. Today, the local leather industry lives on in the many upscale boutiques and open-air markets scattered throughout the historic center, though the foul-smelling tanneries have long moved outside the city. Join a Florence shopping tour to scout the best leather shops—as well as other artisan boutiques.

Insider tip: Leather is one of the best souvenirs from Florence, and you can peruse the stalls at the San Lorenzo Market and Porcellino Market for well-priced wares.

It only takes a few steps across the Ponte Vecchio to notice Florence’s second great tradition: gold (and silver). Florence has been known for its master gold- and silversmiths since the early Renaissance when artisans were commissioned to make fabulous works for the city’s wealthiest families to adorn their private chapels and dinner tables—examples of these extraordinary pieces are now displayed in the Silver Museum in Pitti Palace (Palazzo Pitti). This tradition continues in the luxurious jewelry stores lining Ponte Vecchio and in small shops tucked in quiet corners throughout the city. Take a walking tour of Florence’s historic center that includes Ponte Vecchio to admire the shimmering shop displays.

Insider tip: Select premier Florence keepsakes in gold on Ponte Vecchio at Dante Cardini (established in 1888)—a fourth-generation, family-run shop.

The Tuscan capital was also an important center for ceramic production in the Renaissance, when the Della Robbia school decorated churches, facades, and the tables of aristocratic homes with brightly glazed terracotta artworks—you can still admire their orphan medallions on the facade of Brunelleschi’s Ospedale degli Innocenti. Most of the ceramic production has since moved outside the city, but specialty shops such as Ceramica Ricceri sell traditional Tuscan ceramics sourced from artisans in the surrounding hills. Pop in to browse after a tour of the Medici Chapels, located just around the corner.

Insider tip: Ceramics are one of the most popular Florence souvenirs for travelers, but they can also be tricky to transport. Most shops offer shipping upon request.

The art of paper marbling is practiced almost exclusively in Florence by a handful of masters. Once widespread throughout Europe, this ancient craft has become increasingly centered in the Tuscan capital over the past centuries; most marbled paper elsewhere is mass-printed in a factory. Giulio Giannini e Figlio, founded in 1856, is Florence’s oldest and most important paper marbling workshop. Today, the family’s sixth generation still handcrafts each sheet of paper, plus offers hands-on workshops that are easy to pair with a tour of the nearby Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens (Giardino di Boboli).

Insider tip: Outdoor markets are a great place to buy inexpensive and quirky gifts from Florence, but always purchase marbled paper from a workshop so you know it is handmade.

The craft of creating luscious perfumes flourished in Florence during the early 16th century. Catherine de’ Medici was a particular lover of elegant scents, and aristocratic Florentines would source their scents from the Pharmacy of Santa Maria Novella and other city perfumeries. Perfume enthusiasts can still purchase unique scents, luscious soaps, body lotions, and other souvenirs from Florence at the original Santa Maria Novella and SS. Annunziata pharmacies, both in operation for almost 500 years, or modern local workshops such as AcquaFlor, Dr. Vanjes, or Sileno Chiloni.

Insider tip: The original Officina Profumo Farmaceutica of Santa Maria Novella is part of the monastery complex. Its beautifully frescoed rooms just next to the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella are worth a visit even if you don’t plan on shopping.

Florentines have been creating intricate acquaforte copperplate etchings since the 16th century, and the art form is still alive in many city workshops. Made by engraving copper plates and then using a hand press to print a limited series of copies from the ink-covered matrix, these prints are generally less expensive than paintings but equally striking. Most workshops sell both black-and-white etchings and more intricate works that are hand-painted in watercolors after printing, and subjects range from historic maps to whimsical modern images. Stop in the family-run L’Ippogrifo to watch the artists at work and select a print to frame and hang once home.

Insider tip: Etchings are simple to transport, as they can be rolled up and packed in a cardboard tube to avoid sustaining damage in transit.

Florentine wealth was built on textiles, and the city was a major center of wool and silk production in the Middle Ages. This tradition continues at Antico Setificio Fiorentino and Arte della Seta Lisio Foundation, two of the most fascinating workshops to visit in Florence. Both produce intricate silk fabrics—including brocade, velvet, and jacquard—on hand-operated looms. Their creations decorate everything from renovated Renaissance palaces to contemporary super yachts. After visiting the shop floor to watch the master weavers at work, browse the on-site shop for ready-made pillows or other home décor (or splurge on lengths of fabric for curtains or wall coverings).

Insider tip: For a more modern twist on Florentine fabric, stop by Area d’Arte just steps from the Santa Croce Basilica, where weaver Laura Biagini sells handcrafted linen and wool clothing and accessories.

Pietre dure is a historic Florentine art that uses the technique of piecing together cut and polished semi-precious stones to create intricate, painting-like images. Highly prized during the Renaissance—the Medici Grand Duke Ferdinando I founded a workshop that still exists today as the Opificio delle Pietre Dure museum and restoration lab—this unique art form is produced in just a handful of workshops today. Visit Scarpelli Mosaici, set between Florence’s magnificent Duomo (Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiori) and the Accademia Gallery, or Pitti Mosaici, just opposite Pitti Palace, to see artisans at work and purchase a keepsake piece.

Insider tip: To admire historic examples of pietre dure works, visit the Opificio delle Pietre Dure or the Palatine Gallery inside Pitti Palace, where dozens of pietre dure tabletops sit below works by Raphael and Caravaggio.

Florence sits in the center of one of the most food-forward regions of Italy, and the city’s gourmet food shops and markets top the list of where to buy unique souvenirs in Florence. Local specialties from extra-virgin olive oils and bold red wines produced in nearby Chianti to pungent truffles, artisan honey, and aged Pecorino cheese from the Val d’Orcia are ideal gifts for foodies at home (or to stock your own pantry). Stop at the Florence Central Market and Sant'Ambrogio Market during a Florence food tour to bring the flavors of Tuscany home with you.

Insider tip: Meat, soft cheeses, and fresh produce cannot be imported into most countries. Opt to bring home hard cheeses, olive oil and wine, chocolate, honey, dried pasta, and preserved truffles.