I was determined to find a leather bag while I was visiting Florence. I did lots of research and multiple people suggested coming here. I am so glad I did. They are a leather making school which I think makes it even better. They have a showroom full of different items from purses, wallets, belts, and jackets. Everything is carefully crafted and handmade. No two are alike. I was looking for a crescent brown shoulder bag which they did not have at the time. I ended up going with a different brown bag which I love!! I also purchased a belt for my boyfriend. Any product you get there you are able to get initialed. If you pay for your whole order in cash you can also receive a slight discount as well. I personaly know the product is a little bit more but for the uniqness and quality I think it is well worth it and the best souvenir! read more

Scuola del Cuoio - Leather Goods Near Me - Florence, FI

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Florence (Firenze) is known for their beautiful leather products. Many visitors want to return home with a nice keepsake from their visit to Florence. So leather goods are very popular in Florence. The best place to get leather items in Florence is from Scuola del Cuoio. The leather is from Italy and the leather items are made on site by the artisans. The school was started by a family during WWII to help orphans from the war learn a trade. The school is still run by the same family and family members work at the store. The great granddaughter of the founder helped me with my purchase and was wonderful to work with. There are many leather market stalls around town that offer cheaper items but they can't beat the quality of the leather at Scuola del Cuoio. It might cost more at Scuola but you can rest assured that you will have the best quality product. I ordered a custom handbag so I could pick the type of leather, color of leather, color of hardware and also have it embossed inside with my initials. They estimate that custom orders take 5 months but mine arrived in 4 months. I also purchased a wallet and a crossbody bag off the shelf while I was there. They help with all the VAT paperwork so getting the VAT refunded was very easy. When we go back to Florence, this is a place I'll be visiting again! read more

Scuola del Cuoio - Custom small handbag with woven nappa leather with gold hardware. - Leather Goods Near Me - Florence, FI

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Florence is known for leather, but it's hard to figure out which of the countless shops offers quality, locally made leather goods and not junk of questionable provenance. I did some research online, and the one place that kept coming up was Scuola del Cuoio, or School of Leather. It is what it sounds like: a school where students, originally war orphans in the 1930s, learn the craft of leather. More relevant to the average tourist, it has a robust retail operation, with house designs made by on-site artisans and sold at reasonable prices. I was curious about the place and went with my husband while we were in Florence. It was in Santa Croce, a cool neighborhood we hadn't yet explored. The showroom was tucked in pretty far from the street, so we had to walk more than expected to do our shopping. Not the kind of store you can zoom in and out of in five minutes. We walked past the workrooms, which had Florentine Project Runway vibes, and made our way to the retail area, several rooms full of leather goods. There were nice accessories and beautiful purses, including several handsome ostrich pieces. A whole room of leather jackets in multiple designs and colors. My husband was looking for a basic black leather belt and found a few options that were to his liking. He took one of them home and it made a great, practical souvenir. Scuola del Cuoio is popular with tourists, but as far as I can tell, it isn't a tourist trap. It seems like a safe bet if you want a leather keepsake from Florence. read more

Love this place fine leather purse and leather goods. They give you paperwork to get the VAT back. Friendly service. They have items ranging from very expensive to good value like the leather bookmarks. During the week you can have your items customized with initials by the artisans. Highly recommended! read more

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I was very excited after lots of research on truly authentic Italian leather shopping in Florence because the school is highly recommended and reviewed. It's so cool to see the artisans actually working on pieces in the workshops as you walk in. But the actual showroom(s) were very small. No one was really able to help customers because of how crowded and busy they were. Apparently I chose a bad day because I heard someone say Mondays are so busy because the museums are closed. So I could only look around a bit before I gave up on trying to make a purchase. Prices are high end because of the guaranteed quality and local craftsmanship. Just don't go on a Monday! read more

Scuola del Cuoio - Leather shopping - Leather Goods Near Me - Florence, FI

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During my 3 week trip in Italy I purchased 5 leather wallets from the Scuola del Cuoio in Florence. I purchased a wallet for myself, birthday gifts for two friends and two family members. The wallets I purchased cost $205 USD each and you are paying for the quality of the leather. I got all the wallets engraved with everyone's initials. I would have loved to buy more items but my luggage was already at capacity with the 7 bottles of perfume I had purchased while in Italy. I would encourage anyone looking for quality leather to come here. It was about a 15 minute walk from the train station. Bring your passport for reimbursement of the VAT tax before leaving Italy. read more

Scuola del Cuoio - My wallet - Leather Goods Near Me - Florence, FI

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This place is terrific!! A wonderful salesperson found me the perfect jacket - color and size - at a great price. A true, very high quality lightweight leather jacket. This purchase made the whole trip to Italy worthwhile!! read more

Super nice staff but EXTREMELY overpriced- $800 euros for a tiny ass bag??? I thought these products were made by students who made the leather, not true at all, guess theyre made by artists which explains the $$$$$ prices. Misuri down the street has VAT tax credit paperwork and has better quality leather products made in house and cheaper. read more

Walking into the store you can tell it's going to be a cool experience full of well-made leather products, and it certainly was. The walk to the area is beautiful and peaceful. There are a few rooms with various products. It wasn't so busy so it was nice to stroll around in and see how things were made. I don't totally understand what was in cases/for sale and what wasn't, but it seems like there are many options for what you may be looking for. We were looking for belts, which ultimately we did buy one of but the sizes and styles are a bit limited, which was a bummer. Also a bummer was that the artists aren't there on the weekends to do things like add more buckle holes, which seems like a disservice to the store if they're going to be selling these products over the weekend. The employees were nice enough but I do think they could have been a bit more attentive in our wandering around, which made it seem more business-y than I would have wanted (they seem predominantly interested when people are at the counters ready to check out). I didn't so much understand the layout of the rooms and do wish maybe it had been a bit more outlined or organized. Ultimately, while I enjoyed the belt I bought I think it would have been a more enjoyable experience to go during the week. Definitely take advantage of the tax rebate if you can (I think it's over $71?). read more

Beautiful bespoke handcrafted belts, bags, and coats. Definitely need at least 4 to 6 months out to handcraft.

Quality leather and well made leather products. These "students" from this school would later on become the craftsmanships behind the luxury brands. The pricing definitely reflects the quality and if you're willing to wait, you can design/customize your own gem. Let's just say I haven't seen leather used in linings in purses in a long time. The purse I purchased came w 2 different types of straps to change it up and they emboss for you for free up to 4 letters if you've surpass a certain amount of spend. The service was great too, friendly staff and no pushy sales. They have purses, belts, jackets, small leather assortment like leather bound journals, coin wallets, key chains...etc. Worth a visit as it's right behind the Santa Croce Basilica if you're in the area. read more

Our experience was great! Helpful, kind employees that really knew their stuff. Majlinda is the person to see. She really went out of her way to help, and we ended up leaving with an awesome leather messenger bag and a purse. The workmanship was on par with the price, especially when you look at all the places in Florence. I did a lot of research on leather factories in Florence/Tuscany and they are the real deal. Don't expect them to start at $300 and then magically drop the price to $100, like so many of the retailers do in Florence, they are genuine and will give you a fair price. This should be first place you go. Beautiful craftsmanship and simple classic designs. You won't be disappointed. read more

Quality leather goods and very knowledgeable and friendly staff. I ordered a custom handbag when I was there and it arrived after 6 months since it was hand made to order. The whole process went smoothly and I Love, Love my purse. More value for the quality and craftsmanship. read more

Scuola del Cuoio - My top handle purse that arrived after 6 months of wait. - Leather Goods Near Me - Florence, FI

You get what you pay for! You can stand and watch the craftsmanship from start to finish. It's cool watching the artisans creat works of art by hand and stitching together the pieces in methodical fashion. Many pieces were out of my price range but they are absolutely gorgeous! If you are looking for quality here is where you want to shop- not the leather market where all the items look the same and the quality isn't as good. read more

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Amazing space full of high end leather, hand made. This place gets very busy in the afternoon. Prices are fair for what it is. You might think it's expensive, but it's fine for the quality. Endless beautiful pieces. read more

Scuola del Cuoio - Leather Goods Near Me - Florence, FI

Since leather is pretty popular in Florence, we wanted to find somewhere where the items were carefully crafted and affordable. My parents recommended Scuola del Cuoio and it did not disappoint! After you walk through a gorgeous courtyard away from the hustle of the city, you walk up some stairs to the showroom. The main room has the most items. I was happy to see a range of prices. I opted for a wallet instead of the 700 euro handbag. My partner got a tray for rolling dice. The saleswoman was incredibly kind and informed us that we could have our items embossed. We walked down the hall and watched as Giuseppe carefully hand embossed each item. We also watched him custom shorten some belts! read more

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Wind up a garden path's steep stairs to a workshop of keepsakes found only in the stories of early travelers discovering the finest materials, crafted with eyes and hands sensitive to finery creating jackets, that smell of fine meals, purses and wallets that carry the scent of lipstick and diaries that will be lived in then passed on from aunts and uncles to favorites and become the storytellers of the artistry of Florentine leather. Put your life marks on them: they will only become richer. ( I may have gotten a little carried away but the care and creativity reminded me of the treasures my family brought from Italy to New York so many years ago that I've never seen replicated until now. Thank you. Elaine) read more

This was such a wonderful experience! If you are looking for high-quality and exquisite leather goods in Firenze, you must go here! I ended up finding the most beautiful leather pouches for my mom, sister and me. The best part is that you can get everything monogrammed! Giuseppe took care of that part for me and helped me decide on how to best monogram a unique leather finish for me, I'm so happy with the results and I know we will treasure them for a long time! read more

Scuola del Cuoio - Leather Goods Near Me - Florence, FI

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got a gorgeous bag made with true tuscan flair- grateful for the experience and the quality

We went to the school of leather in September 2024. I can't tell you how happy we were with this manufacturer. My wife purchased two purses. I would never purchase from the name brands. The quality of these purses is top notch. Great customer service great product. read more

Scuola del Cuoio - One of a kind made bag, by the owner's daughter. - Leather Goods Near Me - Florence, FI

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My fiancé was in search of a quality leather belt, but with so many street vendors, it's hard to pinpoint which leather goods are actually made in Italy and those that are made in a nameless factory in China. So we decided to go straight to the source! The school's history has is an inspiring story rooted in generosity and excellence. There are a number of displays that tell the story paired with historical pictures and other great anecdotes. I was absolutely floored having never heard of the place and seeing all the celebrities that had come through the store. There were a number of items offered that included small leather keychains all the way to high end designer style bags, coats, etc. We weren't in the market for anything fancy so I picked up a wallet (which I absolutely love) and my fiancé picked up his belt. He was a tad disappointed that they didn't have anything in his size, but wait! They were more than happy to resize it for him on the spot. It took them all of 2 minutes to perfectly size it to him and emboss it for him with his initials. (They also embossed mine, and I loved the embellishment.) It was a great experience while we were traveling, and I'd whole-heartedly encourage you to check it out if you're in Florence. read more

Scuola del Cuoio is the best place to buy leather jackets, purses, wallets and belts. I bought a leather jacket in 2022 and they custom fit it and delivered it to my home, so easy! We also bought gifts and the wallets, belts and cosmetics bags still look great. On our most recent visit in May 2024 we bought belts and wallets. There are so many stores in Florence selling questionable quality and overpriced items but you can trust their high quality products. They even run a school teaching artisans in leather making and you can take a tour. I would highly recommend you go here. The prices are at the higher end but the quality and workmanship is excellent and well worth the prices for items that will age beautifully and last many years. read more

This is the best place to purchase leather in Florence from what I can tell. The staff is very kind, and you can get your items engraved with your initials. read more

Scuola del Cuoio - Leather Goods Near Me - Florence, FI

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Helpful and kind female staff. High quality leather and good selection. Value was good. $100 for cute crossbody bag.

This school was an absolute gem in Florence. My wife and I were looking all over to find somewhere to buy leather products when we stumbled across this school on Tik Tok. It was a breath of fresh air compared to all the unconvincing "real" leather the street vendors were pushing. The school was a little pricey, but the quality is worth it in my opinion as opposed to the expensive bags in the stores around the heart of town. I would recommend 100/10 read more

8/02/2022: 1 star: I ordered a custom made belt for 150 euro. They were supposed to emboss the belt with my initials. When it arrived there were no initials on it. So I contacted them and they agreed to take the belt back and that they would put my initials on it. But, then I tried the belt on and it does not fit. It is far too large. The sales person measured me incorrectly for the belt and when it arrived it was a size 40/41. I wear a 34. They are claiming since I "agreed to 103 cm" (or 40/41 inches) in the purchase agreement, I am stuck with it. Update 8/14: Got an email and they paid to take the belt back and asked for my correct measurements. I guess the lesson is to "measure twice, cut once". I will post an update when I get the new item. Hopefully it will fir read more

Lovely soft leather purses but not cheap €550 for a small camera bag purse! Fringing on LV prices with a few more euros. Cute spot, lots of tourists (mainly American the day we went), but not cheap. Nice to see, but didn't think quality was worth the mark up. read more

I discovers the Scuola by a Google search of best leather stores in Florence. Benheart came up, but I found the store (there are two near Duomo) uninviting and too edgy for me. To add there is a minimal womens' collection there. If that's your style, good for you. When I walked into the Scuola I knew it was more my pace. I purchased two handbags and couldn't be happier. It is true the styles are more classic, perhaps dated in some opinions, but I appreciated a classic touch. I paid around $350 US dollars for each. The quality is tops and the price was reasonable to me, considering handmade in Italy. I didn't feel pressured to buy and the sales people didn't try to sell, probably because the goods sell themselves. The imprinting of initials inside the bags was a wonderful touch as well. I highly recommend buying your leather souvenir here. read more

A surprisingly non-touristy leather store (and school) in a very touristy area. All the nearby shops will aggressively try to sell you junk, but if you find your way to this oasis no one will bother you and you can browse their goods at your leisure while watching artisans make handcrafted leather goods. Their men's shoes looked great and I almost bought a jacket, but didn't pull the trigger and I'm sort of regretting it. The school can be accessed through the Church of Santa Croce, which has an entry fee or if you can find the dedicated side entrance you can get into the shop without charge (the school is technically in the back of the church). In addition to selling leather goods they offer leather working classes ranging from a half-day to 6 months duration. read more

Scuola del Cuoio - Handmade high quality leather goods in a back section of this church. - Leather Goods Near Me - Florence, FI

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When I visit a late Gothic church with some of the most spectacular early Renaissance frescoes ever (the transcendent Bardi chapel FTW), I also like to do a little shopping. Santa Croce has me covered with the famous Scuola del Cuoio or leather school. Now if you've you've spent more than 5 Minutes in Florence you've passed a leather store so what makes this place special? Well a lot of that stuff (frankly much of it) is crap - either fake stuff in the markets or imported hides "tailored" in Italy (in sweatshops). Here you know you're getting the real thing as the artisans are often working right in front of you. That means if you need a belt shortened, they can do it for you. Quality is high, and comes with corresponding prices. Expect to pay well north of €200 for a bag. Wallets vary - but they're not cheap either. They do have reasonably priced leather bracelets and coin purses to bring home as gifts. The Mister bought a lovely €39 belt and I grabbed a black python bracelet for €20. Worth every penny. read more

Totally worth going. We were told it was kind of on the expensive side and that same person recommended Infinity (which was also great, and even more expensive). We happened to be there on black Friday so they were offering a 25% discount. The quality is really good and we walked out with a clutch and some smaller purse items. It's also located at a monastery! read more

Beautiful leather goods, excellent service, on-site monogramming. Definitely worth the trip if you're looking for quality items and some original designs. read more

A must visit when in the area. It's located behind the church and you walk through a quiet area and up the stairs to reach the store/workshop. We went on a Sunday to purchase items for ourselves and souvenir gifts. The woman working there was so nice! She told us to come back during the weekday with our items and we can get them engraved for free. So we went back the next day and watched the leather craftsman engrave all our purchases which were really cool. You get to choose between a gold or white gold foil and they'll engrave up to 3 letters for each item. You'll also get to see other leather students working on projects too on a weekday. Albert got a nice wallet for me and himself, and we each got smaller souvenir items (pouches etc) for the family. There are leather bookmarks and small leather bracelets too that are great for gifts and won't take up any space in your luggage! It's high-quality leather that you don't have to worry about getting ripped off from the market/vendors. Fun fact: In 1950 they started teaching leatherworking, a practical skill, to orphans affected by World War II. read more

The most popular souvenir in Florence is leather but good quality leather is hard to find. The shops themselves are hit-or-miss and the stalls in San Lorenzo Market are not to be trusted. The leather school tucked behind the Santa Croce church serves as both a school and a leather goods shop. - For the student, the school provides short workshops (of 3 or 6 hours duration) or long courses lasting a few months on the art of leather making. - For people interested in their leather goods they sell a decent variety. Though not necessarily designer level you can get a good quality wallet, belt or handbag. Even at this level expect to pay several hundred €s for a handbag, €50ish for a wallet or €30ish for a belt. At least your money goes back to the school. I was passively looking for a new wallet as my old wallet was seriously worn. While researching my itinerary this leather school presented itself as an opportunity to go shopping. While I didn't take a tour or a class, I dropped by the school towards the end of the day with the intention of visiting the church as well. The guy that was manning the shop was very kind. He provided suggestions on the various types of wallets and made brief conversation as I shopped. I ended up purchasing a wallet (~€55) for myself along with some small leather trinkets. You can also purchase your admission ticket for Santa Croce (€8) but the ticket itself can only be purchased with cash. Luckily everything else can be purchased with card. If visiting Santa Croce keep in mind the store drops you in the middle of the church. Took me a while to find the entrance to the church proper so I could begin exploring the grounds. read more

We just had a few hours in Florence, and the Scuola del Cuoio was the top of my list (we'll be back to do the 'proper' things in the future, I'm sure). Set in the cloisters of the Basilica of Santa Croce, we entered in through the private entrance in the back, and immediately everything became quiet and lovely. It's a pretty courtyard you go through before the steps take you into the School proper. From outside I could smell the leather, as at this level they have people working and learning, too. You can be a bit nosy and see in but we didn't want to disturb anyone and headed right up. The shop/showroom isn't overwhelmingly large and is easily laid out, with small leather goods and jackets each in their own area, and then handbags spread through a few rooms and the hallway. The hallway has craftsmen and women working, and here you can really watch up close and ask questions. Rooms behind could be peered in, and I saw handbags being hand-stiched, wallets being done up on sewing machines, and little bits of beauty everywhere. I couldn't leave empty-handed, but was a bit worried about the prices. The staff though were lovely and let me pace around over and over and I finally narrowed it down to 2 handbags. I asked for the prices, prepared to run - and they were actually reasonable! A small plain bag in the softest leather was on sale for about €130, and a beautiful more structured bag with hand-woven leather was €210. It's a shame the current exchange rate isn't more favourable for me, but I decided the more expensive one had to be bought - and for once, I've not had one bit of buyer's remorse. Yes, there are bags there for thousands, but don't think it's not worth a look. Next time, husband is getting a belt and I'm getting purse! And maybe a handbag. And a spare purse. And some desk accessories. And, and, and! read more

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One would think this is the usual tourist trap but it really is not. Along the way we stopped over at least a half dozen leather boutiques that were all custom and hand made. Most of them were also in this price range but of less craftsmanship. You might even be fortunate to find a great deal in their sales section here if item is in your size . Surely there are boutiques out there that cost less but are also mass produced and once again the details here are impeccable, I would highly recommend stopping by read more

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Italy is known for their leather and it was a nice change of pace to visit the School of Leather. You can see the passion behind the craft here, even from the salespeople in the gift shops. We came by here to just check out the leather goods, and the salesperson helping out in the leather women's coat was so friendly. No hassling customers or anything. I ended up just picking up a few cute leather coin purses for about 6.50 Euro each. This is the place to pick up legit and high quality leather goods. Some of the items are a little on the pricier side, but definitely worth it. read more

Rarely, I worry that my reviews will ruin a perfectly kept secret. This is one of those times. This school is tucked behind a church as it was originally founded to train orphans in a vocation. Before walking up the stairs to the showroom, you pass the workshops where classes are held. There's an option to take a class to make your own belt in 6 hours but I'm sure I'd be clueless and disappointed. The showrooms are very bare but the staff are kind, knowledgable and rightfully opinionated. I made a slight faux pas by buying a small crossbody in the first showroom as I was already impressed by the work seen in this first room. As I wandered to find my parents who forged ahead, I walked into a room of coats to find my mother in a gorgeous reversible suede/ leather high collared coat. I kept checking out a backpack with basket weave detail until I too succumbed. read more

If you're looking for actual Italian leather and not the mediocre San Lorenzo market leather goods, come here! High quality leather. A nice variety of leather goods from small accessories like bracelets to keychains to wallets for men and women, handbags, purses, travel luggage and even briefcases. The items in the glass displays are for sale too so be sure to ask the sales associates if you want to take a look. Great service -- everyone was so friendly and the one saleswoman patiently helped me pick a bag and two wallets. Also, there is a free initial embroidery for any of your purchases that will be done by the students of the leather school. I let the students choose the thread of their choice and all three embroideries came out beautifully. read more

Totally agree with the other reviews. This leather shop is located in a quiet courtyard behind an old church, you walk through a green and leafy quiet silent place SO different from the crazy crowds outside. Atop the stairs are the leather workshops and goods. I bought a Chanel looking flap bag for 420 euro that was just perfect- down to the delicate woven gold and leather strap! read more

Scuola del Cuoio - Leather Goods Near Me - Florence, FI

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