Highlights
- 3-hour art and crafts walking tour in Florence
- Explore Oltrarno, a lively Florence neighborhood where many local artists live and work
- Watch craftsmen in action and see their finished work including fine art prints, jewelry and more
- Try the centuries-old tradition of paper marbling in an authentic atelier
- Visit Piazza Santa Spirito and see a wooden crucifix, carved by legendary Renaissance sculptor Michelangelo
Useful Information
Florence Walking Tour: Oltrarno Art and Crafts
Head to a studio close by and watch a silversmith in action, creating jewelry from silver and enamel. Hear colorful tales and learn about his working life in Florence as a master craftsman. Your tour continues to a paper marbling shop where you’ll learn all about this fascinating craft. The ancient skill of paper marbling is rarely practiced anywhere else in Italy, so this is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to learn how to mix and apply colors to create gorgeous, marble-like swirls on paper.
After spending roughly two hours meeting Oltrarno's most interesting craftspeople and seeing their places of work, your guide will introduce you to the neighborhood's other charms. Walk through Piazza Santo Spirito, lined with restaurants, craft shops and galleries, before stepping inside its main attraction -- the beautiful Basilica de Santa Maria del Santo Spirito. Originally designed by Filippo Brunelleschi, one of the most important architects of the Renaissance era, the church is home to a wooden crucifix that was carved by a young Michelangelo when he was just 17 years old.
Your walking tour ends at the workshop of a great Florentine artist, descended from six generations of sculptors. Located in an 18th-century church, the workshop is home to a vast collection of molds, models, copies of famous monuments and replicas of classical works of art, all of which you can admire!
Reviewed by Jacquie K, July 2012
Enjoyed this tour very much; the guide was easy going and knew her stuff
Reviewed by Jerrold P, October 2012
The tour was billed as a 3 hour tour. It was a 2 hour tour, We went to three workshops which were interesting, The owners did most a good job of showing us their talents. The last workshop was closed. I felt that we did not get our money's worth and at times were felt pressured to purchase items.
