A Visit to Florence’s Famous Leather School
Posted on Apr 11, 2012 under Archives, Italy | No Comment
The Scuola del Cuoio
The Scuola del Cuoio, Florence’s famed leather school, is located in an annex of the monastery behind the Sante Croce church.
Santa Croce Church
Through the back to the leather school
Up the stairs to the leather store
Most come to the church to view where some of the cities most famous historical figures are buried. I came to learn about the school and to peruse the many beautiful purses.
The school was created to provide a livelihood for orphans taken in by monks after the World War II to teach them a craft. In 1950 the school opened its doors to clients allowing them to purchase the students’ hand crafted items. Today the workshop still operates as a school for the selected few students that are accepted. One of a kind handbags, glass cases, briefcases and coats are made and sold at the school. After interviewing Tommaso Melani Gori, the marketing director for the school and the grandson of one of the founders, he took me on a tour of the grounds.
Ostrich pelts
Bags, coats and accessories are made from crocodile, calfskin, lambskin, deerskin and ostrich pelts. Above are some ostrich pelts waiting to be turned into purses.
Students making purses
Tommaso let me go behind the scenes to check out the students making bags. Only a dozen are selected from all over the world to learn to craft unique hand made leather items.
More students crafting leather items
Student making a purse
Pelts used for purses
Tommaso doesn’t just direct the school’s marketing efforts, he also designs bags. Here are some of his designs.
Tommaso's line of bags
His aunt, Francesca Gori, also has her own lines of purses.
Francesca Gori, making a purse
One of Francesca's line of purses
Francesca's purses
One of Francesca's purses
I really loved the braided purses.
braided bags
braided bags
braided bags
Tommaso offered me a very large discount, so I purchased one of the school’s most classic (and cheapest!) designs. Here is my bag. They also stamped my initials into the inside of the purse.
My purse
My initials
Guests can walk through the halls of the school to view employees working on purses and the many handbags for sale. The school also has a huge showcase room housing wallets, keychains, eyeglass cases and other goods for sale. You can visit the Scuola del Cuoio at Piazza Santa Croce, 16.