Royals and Artisans - Arts & Crafts VIP Small Group Walking Tour

It’s all about the traditional Florentine artisans, the most historic entrepreneurs of the city. Artisans whom for the last five hundred years have been producing goods for countless generations of kings, queens, gentlemen, and noblewomen. The Florentine tradition of producing artisanal goods has been one of the cornerstones of Florence's visual and social history. Crafts that have been building upon methods passed down through generations. Scratch a little more beneath the surface of the city and discover these hidden places in the busy city center. Step inside their little workshops. A whole new world, a new dimension will be revealed in front of your eyes. Slow down, take the time to enter the slow, monotonous rhythm of the pounding and hammering on stone and leather. Look into the workings of this precious industry to provide a better understanding of the importance of preserving and promoting this dying art. Visit a fascinating wood workshop, where traditional furnishings and sculptures are still carved by hand; a leather shoe or bag maker, to discover the creation of entirely handmade shoes or leather bags directly in the artisan's studio as for a Florentine paper workshop, where authentic Florentine marbled paper is created by a bookbinder, or as for perhaps a visit to the mosaic and scagliola workshop, to see mosaic landscapes “painted” with marble and stones. Which workshops will be visited will depend on the day, but at least two of them will be included every day. All of this lies within the “Left side of the river” Oltrarno neighborhood, where you will continue on enjoying a nice stroll in the magnificent and imposing Pitti Palace also. Delve into its beauty and learn more about the history of the fascinating Medici dynasty in their last but definitely not least Palazzo. With this tour, entering Pitti Palace, you will then visit the sumptuous Palatine Gallery, with its magnificent baroque rooms housing the Medici's own private collection of more than 500 artworks (including the world largest collection of Raffaello's artworks, and others by Tiziano, Botticelli, Caravaggio and many more). With your guide you will then discover the Royal Apartments: a suite of 14 rooms, formerly used by the Medici family, and lived in by their successors and then the Italian Royal family (Savoy). While a few of the rooms boast Empire style decorations (later implemented by the Savoy royal family), there are still some rooms maintaining the original decorations and furniture from the age of the Medici. An interesting Florence City GuideBook will be our present to give you fresh suggestions and make your stay in Florence and Tuscany even more memorable.