Florence has been a leather capital since the Middle Ages. The Santa Croce quarter still has working botteghe (workshops).
Plan this experience →Workshops: Scuola del Cuoio (inside the Santa Croce monastery, free to visit, 2h belt/wallet workshop €85–120), Art Leather Studio (€100–150, make a bag/journal), Cellerini (private lesson, €150+). What you make: belt (2h), wallet (3h), small bag (4–6h). You choose the leather, cut, stitch, stamp, and finish. Buy: Florence’s San Lorenzo market sells leather, but 80% is imported. For genuine Florentine leather, buy at Scuola del Cuoio, Il Bisonte, or Officine Creative.