Florence Through The Eyes of its Artisan Jewellers
The Artisan Jewellers of Florence
Incredible craftsmanship at the heart of Florence’s artisan jewellery industry has its roots firmly planted in the Renaissance. Visit the ateliers of modern day alchemists in the capital of Tuscany and you’ll discover goldsmiths well versed in revolutionary techniques first forged in the 15th and 16th centuries.
Riches for History Buffs
Preferring elegant goldsmiths to malodorous butchers, the 16th century Grand Duke of Tuscany, Ferdinando I de’ Medici, decreed that the Ponte Vecchio bridge should be home to bejewelled shops. Florence’s famous medieval bridge, a gentle five-minute stroll from Hotel Savoy, is still a glittering Aladdin’s cave where a handful of artisans continue to forge gold and silver into delicate necklaces and beautiful handcrafted bracelets.
Heritage Jewellery Hunters
Crossing Ponte Vecchio today, a peek inside the workshop Fratelli Peruzzi reveals Giuseppe Peruzzi and his wife Giulia, upholding an atelier that’s been in the family for 150 years. Neighbour Elisa Piccini, meanwhile, is the current caretaker of her family’s award-winning jewellery business, creating Art Deco pendants and rose gold necklaces inlaid with pink opals.
Designer Jewels as Heirlooms
As you meander down the narrow back streets of Florence, turn your attention to Pestelli Creazioni, the centuries-old workshop on Borgo Santi Apostoli that caught the eye of Dolce & Gabbana designer, Domenico Dolce. Step inside the bustling workshop and see where fourth-generation jeweller Tommaso Pestell created beautiful bags decorated with jewels for the 2021 Dolce & Gabbana catwalk show. His meticulously made masterpieces are also on permanent display at the world renowned silver museum in Medici’s vast Pitti Palace, across the Ponte Vecchio from our hotel.
Modern Keepsake Seekers
Descended from another famously creative Florentine family, 32-year-old jeweller Maria Sole Ferragamo – granddaughter of the great Italian designer, Ferragamo Salvatore – turns leather leftovers and brass offcuts into wearable art. Producing statement, sculptural pieces in the hills outside Florence, her jewellery brand So-Le Studio has carved a niche in sustainability. Renewal also lies at the heart of her family history – as visitors to Salvatore Ferragamo Museum, in the historic Palazzo Spini Feroni, will discover.
Treasure Trove Lovers
For future generations of Florentine jewellers, the future is bright. Students of jewellery at the prestigious fashion school Polimoda can call on Maria Sole Ferragamo as their mentor. Giò Carbone likes to nurture new talent, too. The founder of the respected jewellery school Le Arti Orafe in the artistic district of San Frediano is also the organiser of Florence Jewellery Week, which is held each spring in the stunning setting of Palazzo Corsini.
Unearth the treasures of Florence when you stay at Hotel Savoy, a jewel of a hotel five minutes’ walk from the Ponte Vecchio, by contacting reservations.savoy@roccofortehotels.com or calling +39 055 465 2165.
You may also like
Exploring Europe Outside the Olympics
Paris is always a good idea. Except, perhaps, when it’s hosting the Olympic Summer Games, and the usual tourist throng looks set to multiply almost prohibitively. Of course, the Games are exciting, but if wading through crowds feels like a marathon effort, try a cultural relay around one of these stunning European cities instead.
A World Within: Europe’s Most Enthralling Opera Houses
As the gentle glow of each ornate chandelier begins to dim, a hush descends upon the audience before an all-consuming world of tragedy and triumph unfolds. Both exhilarating and deeply moving, a night at the opera has the distinct power to evoke emotion, while offering a unique insight into a perhaps unfamiliar city.
Journey through Europe’s symphony of unmissable opera houses, each steeped in history and grandeur.
Sounds of solidarity: how music can help Save the Olives
This summer, Masseria Torre Maizza turns up the volume on a cause that needs our attention. Save the Olives, a non-profit organisation championed by Dame Helen Mirren, whose mission is to raise awareness of Xylella fastidiosa, a bacterium devastating Puglia’s olive trees and impacting the local economy and ecosystem. In support, we have devised an incredible calendar of music and art amidst our Masseria’s olive groves – a poignant setting, grounded in the cause.
