Florence Artisan Workshop Tour with Oltrarno Neighborhood

Support local artisans and explore the tradition of craftsmanship in Florence
From US$405 privately
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Tour Details
Duration
3 hours
Product Type
Tour
Venues
  • Oltrarno neighborhood
  • Piazza Santo Spirito
  • Artisan Workshops
Photos & Highlights
  • Private access to a variety of craft workshops in the Oltrarno neighborhood which has produced quality goods for countless generations
  • Led by a Florence expert
Select a date
Tour Description
The Florentine tradition of producing artisanal goods has been in existence for centuries and remains one of the cornerstones of Florence's visual and social history. This 3-hour Florence Artisan Workshop tour explores the area of Oltrarno (“on the other side of the Arno”), which has produced goods for countless generations of kings, queens, gentlemen, and noblewomen, and visits a variety of private workshops, who continue to practice their crafts building upon methods passed down through generations.
Experts
Laura Laura
Art Historian
Sarah Sarah
Local Guide
Nebojsa Nebojsa
Local Guide
Helen Helen
Artist
Valerie Valerie
Art Historian
Valeria Valeria
Historian
Juliane Juliane
Local Guide
Olivia Olivia
Art Historian
Lucy Lucy
Local Guide
Luca Luca
Architectural Historian
Debora Debora
Local Guide
Irene Irene
Local Guide
Christiane Christiane
Art Historian
Federica Federica
Local Guide
Adrienne Adrienne
Art Historian
Susanna Susanna
Art Historian
Molly Molly
Art Historian
Valentina Valentina
Local Guide
Sandro Sandro
Art Historian/Local Guide
Agata Anna Agata Anna
Art Historian
Kate Ann Louise Kate Ann Louise
Cultural Historian
You will begin your tour in the lovely Piazza Santo Spirito and enjoy a stroll through the Oltrarno neighborhood, which has been home to Florentine leatherworkers, silversmiths, shoemakers, and milliners for the last five hundred years. 

The neighborhood is a maze of tiny streets and small local workshops, representing some of the most historic enterprises in the city. You will have the opportunity to see some of these craftsmen at work, ask them some questions, and observe their meticulous practices and the tools of their work.
In the company of your expert guide, you will learn the historical and cultural significance of each craft, and the value and role of work and manufacturing in the Tuscan tradition and the Italian culture. 

This experience transcends the typical tourist path, inviting you to engage deeply with Florence's living tradition, it emphasizes sustainable practices and contributes to the local community by supporting and promoting artisans whose crafts are at risk of disappearing. 
By visiting these workshops, you are helping to preserve these vital Florentine traditions and ensuring their enduring for future generations.

  • You want the opportunity to engage with master artisans and learn about their craft and techniques
  • You’re eager to explore a side of Florence that goes beyond the typical tourist attractions
  • You want more than a shopping tour, you are interested in the historical and cultural contexts that shaped these crafts

  • Oltrarno neighborhood
  • Piazza Santo Spirito
  • Artisan Workshops


Transportation

Where does it start? Where does it end? 
The tour begins near Piazza Santo Spirito and ends in the Oltrarno neighborhood.

How will we get around the area? Will a car be provided?
This is a walking tour only. The Oltrarno neighborhood is compact, and all the shops are within close proximity, making walking the ideal way to explore.

Additional Trip-Planning Resources

  • For more information on planning your travels to Florence, take a read through our Context Stories.
  • If you are looking to learn more about Florence prior to a visit, check out our online lectures at Context Learning.

What kinds of activities and shops will we visit on the tour? We plan to visit a variety of artisanal shops to give you a comprehensive understanding of Florence's rich craft traditions. The route will depend on each guide and the workshops availability and schedules. 

Why is this tour not available in August? Most studios are closed, and the artists are typically out of town during the month of August.

Are we allowed to make purchases at the workshops? While this tour is not designed to be purely a shopping trip, you are more than welcome to make purchases along the way. Just inform your expert guide of your interest, and they will accommodate it within the tour schedule.
We understand that some of our valued guests may have mobility concerns, and we want to ensure you have a comfortable and enjoyable experience throughout your tour. If there are any accessibility concerns that your tour guide will need to be aware of, please let our team know at the time of booking.

Is this tour wheelchair-friendly?
Although the tour is focused only in the Oltrarno area, so the walking distance  is limited, some shops may not be wheelchair accessible and may have few steps at the entrance. If you are slow walkers and need breaks, please let the expert know so they can factor in some time to rest in between artisan shop reservations.
Book with confidence — see Context's flexible cancellation policy here.

Where You'll Start
(4.83) 203 Reviews

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We loved our tour with Adrienne! She is so knowledgeable and full of enthusiasm and energy. Could not ask for a better guide than her !
Molly deserves 5 stars. She is clearly knowledgeable, gracious with her clients(us) and the vendors. The walk was at a good(comfortable) pace. Two of the visits were superb—the stone mosaic and the printmaking. These visits were exactly what we were hoping to see; craftsmen at work (raw materials to finished product). I am unsure if Molly puts the walk/stops together or if the company was responsible. However, the other stops while fun to see did not offer a peek into the craftsmen at work. I would recommend (if possible, as I understand the true old craftsmen are disappearing) finding at least 2 others to visit. The experience should reflect the price of the tour.
Frederica was a superb and knowledgable guide. We appreciated the tour but due to illness, we had to cut the tour short by about 90 minutes. The visit to the mosaic shop and the paper shop was excellent, especially since we were able to see and talk to the folks that do the actual work on these works of art. The visit to the church near the mtg place was also extremely informative. In terms of future improvements, having an itinerary or outline of the places that will be visited would be nice along with an indication of whether there is a lot of walking (which is good) or not much walking.