Florence Shopping Guide: Stores and Shops in Florence Italy

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Florence

Shopping

If you've ever admired a friend's finely made boots, purse, or stationery – chances are they came from Florence. For a thousand years, Florentines have excelled in couture, leather working, paper making, and gold jewelry. In fact, the shoesmiths here are so renowned that, when the actor Daniel Day Lewis decided to take time away from film-making, he hunkered down in Florence to learn the cobbling trade. If you're prepared to hunt for bargains or pay the asking price, chances are you too will come home with something everyone else wants.
< Two of the best shopping streets in Florence are the Via Calzaiuoli, the Florentine equivalent to Madison Avenue, and Via Tournabuoni, the main address for some of Italy's greatest fashion houses. On the latter artery, you'll find Salvatore Ferragamo, at number 4-14r, where a free footwear museum is also open (weekdays only); Versace, next door, at number 13r; the original Emilio Pucci shop, at 20-22r; Giorgio Armani, at 48r; and, of course, who can resist Gucci, at number 73r? Another shop along this street worth a stop is Seeber Books, at number 68-70r, for its huge section of art books (it also has a decent English-language department).

Streetside shopping aside, three local markets are also shopping musts. We've already mentioned the Ponte Vecchio (above), where gold-jewelers and leather-makers rule the roost, but there are less pricey wares at the outdoor Mercato San Lorenzo that snakes for blocks near the church of the same name (also covered, above). Here, you'll find hundreds of kiosks selling knock-off leather goods, designer labels, souvenirs, and more. A block beyond is the city's main food market, the Mercato Centrale, where over a dozen stalls specialize in a variety of fresh local produce; put together a lunch of fruit, cheese, and bread, and head to the Piazza della Signoria for a picnic.

If you're really serious about shopping, you might also consider a visit to the designer outlet mall outside the city; it features Gucci, Prada, Fendi, and Dolce & Gabbana, among other high-end retailers. Florence City Discovery (http://florence.city-discovery.com) runs half-day and full-day trips (€21 or €28).