After visiting Florence for two years in a row, I am convinced that to date the city is an artist’s haven. In all honesty, it took me a second visit to look beyond the architectural marvels and pistachio stracciatella sandwiches to observe the tiny stores tucked in the same lanes as the famous wine-windows.
Unassuming shops stocked with some of the most unique leather journals hand-painted by a man who’s spent his life perfecting the art-form; or hand-sewn Venetian shoes that will make you want to buy a pair in every colour. There was something to impress everyone.
For this reason, our recent trip to Florence was a lot about seeing if I could bring home something from Michelangelo’s art capital beyond the heavy yet utterly intricate and beautiful marble cherubs. I am delighted to report that shopping in Florence did not disappoint.
This article is inspired by my mission to find the best souvenirs from Florence, the kind you’ll actually use and cherish. Consider this your one-stop guide to shopping in Florence, complete with my top store recommendations, a micro-guide to vintage shopping in the city, and a few insider shopping tips that are sure to come in handy.
If you love shopping as much as I do, you’re in for a treat.
TL;DR
If you only have a few hours in the city, these are the best stores for shopping in Florence:
- Heart to Heart: women’s Friulane shoes – traditional, handcrafted Italian slippers that look like Mary Janes.
- Bottega del Giglio: handcrafted leather bags available with customisation.
- Riccardo Luci Marbled Paper: stationery and notebooks with marbled paper and leather.
Quick Navigation: Where to Shop
- Leather Bags
- Fashion and Footwear
- Stationery: Paper, Prints & Journals
- Perfume & more
- Ceramics and Home Accessories
- Vintage Stores
Shopping in Florence
Italy is known worldwide for its luxury brands, supreme craftsmanship, and top-tier fashion. If Milan is the fashion capital, Florence doesn’t feel too far behind. Shopping in Florence offers a diverse and exceptional retail experience; it’s a treasure trove of high-quality leather goods and thoughtfully curated art and design stores.
One of my favorite things to do was simply walking into unassuming, quiet boutiques to browse through their collections. Even if I couldn’t find anything worth squeezing into my suitcase, I always walked out feeling fulfilled and inspired. However, the absolute coolest part of going on a shopping spree was discovering hidden vintage stores in Florence stocked with archival Fendi and Celine.
⚠️ Before you step out for a shopping spree in Florence, ensure that it is not a Sunday. A lot of stores are closed on Sundays.
Leather Bags
One simply cannot go to Florence and return home without a piece of handcrafted Italian leather. These are the top spots to visit
📍While Florence is a treasure trove for leather handbags and belts, it is best to steer clear of the tourist-heavy markets, like Mercato Centrale, where mass-produced items are often mislabeled. Especially if you don’t have a trained eye, like I don’t, to differentiate between authentic and factory-produced leather, it is advisable to seek out the city’s historic bottega (workshops) instead.
Bottega del Giglio
Situated steps away from the iconic Ponte Vecchio, it is undeniably one of the most famous leather workshops to buy handcrafted bags. They also offer free customisation on the products. I bought one of the popular bags from their collection, retailed for €249.
Since it is a popular store, it is best to visit early in the day, preferably when they open.
Infinity Leather
A family-owned leather store and workshop, Infinity Leather is perfect for stylish designs with supreme quality. They sell everything from satchels, sling bags to shoulder bags, and more.
Antonella Ferrante
Think unique weave, vibrant colours, and designs inspired from the likes of Bottega Veneta to Poléne. Antonella Ferrante is home to some of the most stylish and fashion-forward leather bags. The best part is that the bags are moderately priced so you might end up walking out of the store with more than just one purchase.
Scuola Del Cuoio
The best shopping in Florence list would be incomplete without giving space to one of the popular finds from the city. Scuola Del Cuoio is not just a store but a workshop to learn more about the Florentine craftsmanship. If you’ve been wanting to own the famous Bottega Veneta style knot bags, this workshop might be worth your time. Besides the bags, you can also find unique bracelets and belts.
Gianni Chiarini
Now they are on the brink of becoming the next big name because their collection is all about understated luxury and supreme style. The best part is that owning one of the bags from Gianni Chiarini will offer you something that is sure to catch eye-balls without breaking a bank.
I highly recommend visiting their store.
Monica Miato
It is probably the only exceptional boutique that offers hand-sewn cloth bags in a city famous for its leather. The designs are refreshing and colourful but if you’re travelling from India, you might feel the store is an extension of Baapu Bazaar in Jaipur.
Where to Stay in Florence
Here are my favourite picks to stay in the city with a charming vibe in order of increasing prices.
- Hostel Archi Rossi – nothing better than saving money on a stay and splurging it on shopping.
- Essence Hotel – tucked just minutes away from the main train station, this was our most recent abode (in the featured image). The windows of the room open up to a beautiful Duomo view.
- Historic Frescoes Apartment – magnificent apartment to complement the art and culture deeply rooted in Florence.
- Best Airbnb Properties – find my curated list of best Airbnb stays in Florence.
Fashion and Footwear
Heart to Heart
If there’s only one store I’d recommend you to check out for the classic Friulane shoes, it would be Heart to Heart. Tucked in the same lane as the famous wine window at Via Santo Spirito, this is a family-owned store producing hand-sewn Venetian style shoes. Essentially invented to be worn on the Venetian gondola to reduce the wear and tear, the shoes are now manufactured with a rubber sole, and make up for a perfect wearable souvenir to bring back home.
Each pair retails for €85-100 and it is worth every penny.
You can also get the pair customised with your initials for a small fee.
Davide Cerasi Leather Boutique
It is the perfect store to find yourself a well-tailored leather coat. They are happy to customise the jackets and everything is high-quality Florence produce. If you’ve ever desired to own a chic leather trench coat, you’ll walk out of here rather satisfied
Leonardo Shoes
This is one of the best stores in Florence to indulge in leather shoe shopping. They have some of the nicest leather shoes for men. While the women can browse through the Mary Jane and sandal collection.
If you visit the store in winters, you might just find yourself a great pair of leather boots.
Calzoleria Toscana Shoes
Now this is yet another excellent store to get your hands on a classic pair of loafers. The shoes are high-quality and a testimony to Florentine craftsmanship that will last you years.
Stationery: Paper, Prints & Journals
The stationery shops in Florence drew me in unlike anything else. I was looking for the perfect travel journal to document my polaroids from the trip and the paper shops in the city understood the assignment.
Whether you fancy a leather journal or not, the paper shops are the perfect pit-stop to learn about the family-run marbled paper art form.
Riccardo Luci Marbled Paper
It is a paradise for stationery enthusiasts. The swirls of marble painting are unmissable and a craft that has been passed from one generation to the next. They sell handcrafted leather journals with marbled jacket covers, notebooks, bags and marbled paper sheets. If you’ve been looking for a leather notebook gilded with gold foil, this is where you can get it customised (of course, for a small fee).
You can even sign up for a workshop to learn the art of marble paper printing, which I guarantee will be fun.
Eredi Paperone Bottega d’Arte
It stands a testimony to careful craftsmanship and skills honed over a lifetime. Eredi Paperone Bottega d’Arte is a hidden gem for paper lovers, because you’ll not only find marbled paper sheets, but also unique Florence-inspired pop-up cards, hand-painted postcards, book marks and pens.
Of course, everything is customisable as per your liking too.
Signum Florence
Right across Ponte Vechhio, this is where one goes for a wider selection of vintage stationery. From maps and miniature bookshelves to quills and custom stamps for seals, you will find yourself spending an hour at this store. This is the perfect stop for shopping gifts for friends and family, especially when a classic Florentine pen costs €5.79.
Perfume & More
Walking into the perfumeries and pharmacies in Florence is much like walking into a museum. Think extraordinary architecture, vaulted ceilings and bottles of perfumes peeking out of glass cabinets like artefacts. After all, one of the oldest perfumeries in Europe is situated in present-day Florence. No wonder, the best shopping in Florence comes with a fragrant experience.
Officina Profumo – Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella
A shopping trip to Florence can hardly a success without visiting arguably the oldest pharmacy in the world. Once a Dominican pharmacy dating back to 1221, it is nothing less than a museum. Decorated with intricate art-work and hand-carved panels, you can sample everything from signature scents to soaps to a lot more. Moreover, it’s proximity to the main train station makes it even more enticing to sneak a quick visit before heading off to your next destination.
Profumeria Invicta Firenze
Another one of the oldest perfumeries in the city, you’ll not only find your signature scent here but also snag some of the nicest Y2K coded hair accessories, pins and headbands. It usually misses a spot on popular list of shops in Florence, but I believe it deserves a visit.
AquaFlor
While AquaFlor might come across as yet another perfumery in Florence, it draws customers in with their signature, expensive scents. You can even enrol in a workshop ‘Bar a Parfums’ to craft your own 100ml bottle of perfume for €340.
Miamo Cosmetics
No Florence shopping guide is complete without mentioning Miamo. Owing to the vast social media presence, this Italian brand has almost become a common name amongst shopping enthusiasts. But I must credit that their SPF loaded lip gloss is genuinely worth the hype. It retails for €24 and it’s mostly sold out in all pharmacies except Pharmacy Al Ponte Vecchio and Antica Farmacia del Cinghiale.
Ceramics and Home Accessories
Mio Concept Store
A beautifully curated space that champions local Italian artists and contemporary designers. Mio Concept Store is the perfect place to pick up unique souvenirs, artisan ceramic cups, striking art prints, and handcrafted jewellery. I highly recommend visiting this store.
Florence Duomo Cup
This is hands-down one of my absolute favourite souvenirs to bring home from the city. It’s a beautifully quirky ceramic espresso cup shaped like the iconic Brunelleschi dome. Despite its popularity on social media, finding one can be surprisingly challenging.
The only one I found was at a stall opposite Hotel Universo stocked up with the cup.
Vintage Stores
Florence is home to some truly unique vintage and antique boutiques. If you have an eye for detail and a penchant for designer labels, you might walk out with a vintage Gucci bag, a pre-loved Celine piece, or rare jewellery, and that is just the beginning.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, shopping in Florence is so much more than a retail excursion. It’s an unforgettable immersion into living history. The city is the world’s art capital for a reason, and between the rich leather, vintage fashion, and artisan ceramics, you might just find yourself needing to buy a second suitcase to fit all your spoils.
If you want to experience the city like a local, head across the river to the Santo Spirito neighbourhood. This vibrant area is dotted with unique boutiques, open-air markets, and independent workshops. I highly recommend setting aside a full day to slow down and truly indulge in everything Firenze’s incredible artists and craftsmen have to offer.
📍One Final Insider Tip: While almost every boutique and market stall in Florence comfortably accepts credit cards, cash is still king when it comes to negotiation. If you are looking to secure a gentle discount on a special artisan piece, politely asking if they offer a better price for cash may work wonders.
Are you also planning a trip to Spain? Check out our detailed shopping guide for Spain here.
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