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This page on our Florence shopping Guide (by Jenifer Howard Forneris and Cristina
Jacomelli) has everything from Glass Blower shops to note-worthy Florentine photography
shops and Florentine bookstores...
Name: Officina Profumo Farmaceutica Santa Maria Novella (click here for their website)
Type: Toiletries, perfumes, home fragrances and herbal shop
Address: Via della Scala, 16; at only 15 meters on the left of Casa Howard
Note: It is one of the most ancient pharmacies in the world, within the convent of
the Monks of Santa Maria Novella (the church in the homonymous square), built in the XVI century. The difference between a pharmacy and a perfume/liquor shop was very subtle in
ancient times, because the basic elements of all these preparations were, and still are, based
around herbs, plants, etc., only using them for different purposes.
that's why this beautiful shop, which was originally a spezieria has this name:
‘Officina’ was medicinal, officinal laboratory, 'profumo' is the perfume aspect,
farmaceutica is the pharmacy aspect. Everything inside this shop is magical: the
architecture, the display of the products, the music and above all...the scents.
The list of items is quite long and is presented in different languages: one can
directly ask the lady or read the list and discover by oneself... Among the varieties are the classic almond products and the historic acqua di rose (rose water)...
But then there are more exotic items; one that has an originally fresh constant
scent is that of zagara, the scientific term of fiori d'arancio (orange blossoms),
which reminds us of Spain during Summer (azahar)... Do experience this beautiful shop!
Type: Weaver shop
Address: Via L. Bartolini, 4
Note: This is one of the most interesting places to visit, situated in a beautiful setting.
You will find old looms that are still making upholstery fabrics just like 400 years
ago which can
be bought (closed on Saturday mornings).
Name: Locchi
Type: Glass blower’s shop
Address: Via Burchiello, 10; tel. 055-229416
Note: ...for everything that has to do with glass. They will remake glass fillers
for your silver ware, tops for your decanters or oil bottles, etc.. and they have
a nice selection of new things as well.
Name: Cartoleria Vannucchi
Type: Stationery shop
Address: Via Condotta, 26/r; tel. 055-216752
Note: Among the best and oldest stationery shop in Florence, it has begun to also sell beautiful prints, writing-papers with reliefs and incisions, leather items
for the office and carta fiorentina (Florentine paper) with floral and marble
effects. This shop has received the fiorino d'oro (golden florin) in honour of
its traditional values.
Name: Rigacci
Type: Arts shop
Address: Via dei Servi 71/r; tel. 055-216206
Note: This shop takes its name from the owners; since the 1930s canvases and special
paints have been sold here, and in the past they were manufactured personally
in their laboratory. For this reason, even groups of modern and contemporary artists
used to meet here and today several artistic works are exposed.
Name: Foto Locchi
Type: Photography shop
Address: Via del Corso, 21/r; tel. 055-213743
Note: This is one of the oldest photo shops in Florence, with an archive of unique
Florentine culture and everyday life photos dating back to the 1930's.
Type: photography laboratory, printing shop, editorial, archives and museum
Address: Largo Fratelli Alinari, 15; tel. 055-23951.
Note: This is the most important photography company in the world, which started as
a printing shop. The traditional technique of collotipia (collotype: a photomechanical single
transfer process, a carbon printing process, utilising glues; this work is done by hand so that
each piece is unique) on paper and on silver plaques is still applied in their arts printing
laboratory. The company has had an incredibly extensive archive of artistic, cultural and
historic photographs since the XIX century. It is the most important photographic editorial,
the Museo di Storia della Fotografia Fratelli in the same building as the Hotel Alinari, very
close to the train station, and since the 28th of October of 2006 it has housed the Museo
Nazionale Alinari della Fotografia just a few meters from Casa Howard!..
Name: Zecchi
Type: Colours, fine arts and restorations
Address: Via dello Studio 19/r; 055-211470
Note: This is a very interesting and useful shop for artists and artisans, because
it has many materials and instruments pertaining to the fine arts, and, in addition, they
even have materials used in the Renaissance.
Name: Edison, Feltrinelli, Paperback Exchange, Bm Bookshop...
Type: Bookstores
Address: Piazza della Repubblica 27/r, tel.055-213110; Via de' Cerretani 30-32/r, tel.
055-2382652/2382874; Via Fiesolana 31/r, tel. 055-2478856, Borgo Ognissanti 4/r,
tel. 055-294575, respectively
Note: These are a number of bookstores, among the best and most useful in Florence. Edison
has a nice cafe where one can get a light lunch while reading some excerpts from the
interesting books found in store. Feltrinelli has been the first in selling all pocketbooks; it has
a rich store of foreign, original-language books (Feltrinelli International) in Via Cavour, 12/r
(tel. 055-219524); it still sells pocketbooks but in much larger varieties and quantities along
with music and DVD's. Paperback Exchange specialises in exchanging used books.BM
Bookshop is a very nice English-language bookstore.
Name: Lorenzo Villoresi
Type: perfume creator
Address: Via dei Bardi, 14; tel. 055-2341187
Note: This is THE experience in the world of perfumes. Mr. Villoresi is a several-times
winner of the most prestigious prizes in the world, but this is not the only aspect of what
makes his work unique: he's Florentine, his shop is in his own family palazzo, the flowers,
the spices, the herbs, the woods and many many other varieties of elements take our minds to
ancient times, those times that run in his blood. The entire variety of smells, from the most
known to the most mysterious and rare that can possibly be found in nature, can be found in
his shop and in their purest essence...and from that moment on creativity has no limits with
regards to creating the most original of perfumes. They are all prepared by hand, respecting
the times and life of each element. All the process, from the olfactory tasting and the choice of different
elements, to the preparation, with the final result explain the uniqueness of his
work...
Name: Pineider
Type: Elegant, refined stationery; specialized in hand-made printed papers
Address: Piazza della Signoria, 13/r; office tel. 055-6240224 (Bagno a Ripoli, Florence)
Note: This old stationery store is very well known in Florence and dates back to the XVIII
century; its different types of refined papers and above all its traditional and highly
specialized hand-made printing techniques make it a special place for people who want to
order exclusive and elegant customized invitations for all types of events, from the official
occasions to the more intimate gatherings; personal cards, etc.
Name: Cartoleria Parione
Type: Traditional refined stationery
Address: Via del Parione, 10/r; tel. 055-215684
Note: traditional hand-made carta fiorentina designs, different types of writing-table
accessories and miniature editions of books.
Disclaimer: this information is provided for Casa Howard guests use only. All content on
this website is owned by New Guests Limited and falls under copyright laws.
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