TOSCANA LOVERS OPENS IN FLORENCE
THERE ARE NOW 4 “TOSCANALOVERS” BOUTIQUES WITH THE BEST TUSCAN CRAFTSMANSHIP FOR THE HOME WITH THE NEW FLORENCE STORE IN PIAZZA DEL DUOMO
Toscana Lovers Firenze
By Donatella Cinelli Colombini, winedestination, Casato Prime Donne Montalcino, Fattoria del Colle Trequanda
The new Toscana Lovers store opens in Florence, in the Palazzo dei Canonici di Santa Maria del Fiore, on the left side of Piazza del Duomo.
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The monumental entrance features columns and 19th-century statues celebrating Arnolfo di Cambio, who designed the Duomo in 1296, and Filippo Brunelleschi, who designed the dome (1436), one of the most extraordinary works of the Renaissance. The Palazzo dei Canonici was built in the early 19th century by demolishing pre-existing buildings. Inside, the painted ceiling and walls were created for the visit of Pope Pius IX in 1857. After consecrating four Tuscan bishops, the Holy Father stopped here to receive the clergy and have his foot kissed. This visit also coincided with the laying of the cornerstone of the new façade of Santa Croce, one of the great religious projects of 19th-century Florence.
A space that for years housed the Duomo ticket office, so beautiful that it has required furnishings specifically designed by interior designer Lorella Salvi and handcrafted by the Siena-based firm OMIF. The walls, ceilings, and doors are protected as historical monuments. The result is extraordinarily elegant, as if it had always been there.
“Being chosen to open a shop in the Palazzo dei Canonici is a privilege, for which I thank Professor Luca Bagnoli, President of the Opera del Duomo. But it requires a great commitment to honour the dignity of the place and combat the tourism-driven decline that is now ruining historic centres. We are pursuing this goal by focusing on the skill and creativity of Tuscan artisans.”
The Toscana Lovers chain of stores, founded in Siena in 2006 and now also present in Bagno Vignoni, Cortona, and Florence, is dedicated to the Tuscan masters of craftsmanship. These extraordinary places combine their charm with that of handmade products by master craftsmen, artisans who, for centuries, have transformed everyday objects into small masterpieces of elegance.
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Each object is a piece of authentic Tuscany. The knives from Scarperia, which since the Renaissance have been the “sharp blades” of Tuscany and have rivalled those of Toledo and Sheffield for centuries.
The soaps are made with bronze moulds in Tuscany’s second-oldest waxworks and scented with natural essences such as traditional Chianti iris.
Ceramics reinvented by the master craftsmen of the Montelupo area, who transform orange crates into trays, enamel jars into jugs, flowers into bowls… creating seemingly flawed plates that resemble small works of contemporary art. A creativity that has been the hallmark of Tuscan artisans for centuries is now also expressed with new materials like resins encapsulating Tuscan flowers, leaves, and berries. They allow you to bring little pieces of our countryside to your table.
Woven fabrics are the only exception to the Tuscan provenance of the items sold at Toscana Lovers. “After trying out two artisans in the region, I chose an Umbrian weaver who makes tablecloths, tea towels, and runners… all of extraordinary quality in terms of both raw materials and decorations,” says Donatella. “The origins are in the same cultural basin, with deep roots in the Middle Ages, but the place of production is Montefalco.”
Donatella Cinelli Colombini’s wines and extra virgin olive oils (Fattoria del Colle and Casato Prime Donne) are obviously on display, but they aren’t the main attraction. Toscana Lovers is dedicated to Tuscan craftsmanship and allows travellers to bring home an authentic piece of this extraordinary region and its ancient artistic traditions, which get renewed over time.