SCUOLA DEL CUOIO -- PART 5

THE LEATHER SCHOOL IN FLORENCE'S

HISTORIC BASILICA SANTA CROCE

It was more than I’d normally pay for one bag, but worth every penny. 

Even the extra $75 import fee I had to pay Fed Ex upon delivery in Miami. 

Did I mention they embossed my initials in gold inside the bag?

And, oh yeah, the Basilica is the largest Franciscan church in the world.

It has sixteen chapels, many decorated with frescoes by Giotto. 

Brunelleschi built the inner cloister, which has a monument to Florence Nightingale.

It includes a relief of the Annunciation by Donatello. Michelangelo, Galileo and Machiavelli are buried there, and it has a cenotaph dedicated to Dante.

You may want to check that stuff out, too.

http://www.scuoladelcuoio.com

Piazza Santa Croce, 16 (the more accessible way through the Church of Santa Croce)

Via San Giuseppe, 5/R (through the garden that surrounds the Apse)

Tel.: (+39) 055.244.533/4

info@scuoladelcuoio.com

SCUOLA DEL CUOIO -- PART 4

THE LEATHER SCHOOL IN FLORENCE'S

HISTORIC BASILICA SANTA CROCE

Once inside, the air is thick with the warm smell of leather. Students toil away with leather and sharp instruments. 

You won’t confuse the place with a tony Ferragamo boutique, but the goods are attractively displayed in glass cases, and they are dazzling.

Every style of clutch, hand, shoulder and cross-body bag you can imagine in shades of tangerine, mustard, fuchsia, russet, sage, aquamarine and more. 

Many are ornamented with stones, beads, shells and fancy hardware. I could barely contain myself.

Then I spied what I’d traveled across the ocean for: a gorgeous, red calf leather, triple section medium Kelly. 

Shiny hardware with the name “Scuola del Cuoio” in tasteful cursive. 

Removable shoulder strap.

I asked to see it. 

Played with the latch. 

Touched it.

Inhaled. 

Bought it.

FIRENZE FASHION CONTINUES TOMORROW -- 7-30

SCUOLA DEL CUOIO -- PART 3

THE LEATHER SCHOOL IN FLORENCE'S

HISTORIC BASILICA SANTA CROCE

After a few time-wasting detours into shops with attention grabbing, brightly colored bags obviously not made by Tuscan artisans (or by anyone on the European continent), a man (yes – a local married guy) suggested the Scuola del Cuoio – leather school.

The school is located adjacent to the Basilica di Santa Croce, a magnificent Franciscan church that broke ground during Dante Alighieri’s lifetime.

Here students learn the trade of crafting handmade bags and other items out of top quality materials, which are then offered for sale at affordable prices.

And I thought the golden era of religious miracles was long over.

You can enter the leather school from outside the building, or through the church. 

I chose the latter, since I’m a wheelchair user and that way posed fewer steps for bumping up or down. 

FIRENZE FASHION CONTINUES TOMORROW -- 7-30

SCUOLA DEL CUOIO -- PART 2

THE LEATHER SCHOOL IN FLORENCE'S

HISTORIC BASILICA SANTA CROCE

When my husband and I began planning a trip to Florence, Italy, I couldn’t wait to gaze upon Botticelli’s “Birth of Venus” and sample al dente pappardelle with wild boar ragu.

But I’m a die-hard fashionista. 

My focus is always unexpected bargains on beautiful things to wear and carry, including the occasional splurge.

Shortly after our arrival in Firenze, we took a stroll down Via Tornabuoni, and its side streets: the epicenter of Florentine haute couture.

Window shopping was delightful. I even summoned the courage to browse in the Pucci boutique. 

But even a modest purchase would have meant skipping a couple mortgage payments.

Not really an option.

So I quizzed several locals we made friends with. I asked about silk scarves, skirts and dresses. 

But the burning question was “where could I get a reasonable deal on a beautiful, well-crafted, Italian-made leather bag?”

FIRENZE FASHION CONTINUES TOMORROW -- 7-29

SCUOLA DEL CUOIO -- PART 1

THE LEATHER SCHOOL IN FLORENCE'S

HISTORIC BASILICA SANTA CROCE

By HJW

Every woman wants one: dreams of it, yearns for it. 

At times, it dances about in the periphery of the mind, a bit like Percival’s perpetual longing for the Holy Grail.

I’m talking about the Kelly bag: the crowing glory of every woman’s handbag collection. 

When you see a woman carrying one, you don’t have to wonder if she’s got a Designer A fabric mini-hobo or a Designer B microfiber mid-size shopper.

A Kelly bag is iconic.

Unmistakable. 

Gorgeous.

It implies good taste and an appreciation for the finer things, regardless of your socioeconomic status.

For the men reading this, it’s analogous to the payoff you get after years of saving up for that vintage Aston Martin.

The dreaminess when studying the chassis; the contentment sitting in the driver’s seat.

FIRENZE FASHION CONTINUES TOMORROW -- 7-28

TRIUMPH FROM TRAGEDY -- DAVID LEES FOR LIFE -- part 2

A GREAT BOOK OF BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOS FROM THE 1966 RIVER ARNO FLOOD THAT DEVASTATED FLORENCE AND ITS ART COLLECTIONS

The volunteers who flocked to Florence to help with the salvaging, then drying, then restoration of art treasures were known as the Mud Angels.

They formed human chains to pass crumpled, waterlogged books from one hand to the next until they made it to a safe and dry facility for the long process of drying, cleaning, restoring.

The late Senator Robert Kennedy was a Mud Angel and, in this brilliant book, wrote of his eperience:

"I will never forget my trip to Florence forty years ago after the Arno River flooded its banks and overwhelmed the people of Florence. As tragic and devastating as the conditioners were, I was impressed to see so many people, especially young people, from across Italy and around the world, who came together to save the priceless and irreplaceable cultural treasures of Florence."  

"Along with the pungent gas lamps, it was hope and commitment that illuminated the faces of the Mud Angels, even as they stood amidst overwhelmingly muddy destruction," the statesman from Massachusetts recalled. "The rescue and restoration began immediately. It was an extraordinary effort that inspired the world and remains today a noble example of triumph in the face of daunting adversity."

Cimabue's artistic crucifix, displayed in Basilica Santa Croce since 1288, was nearly destroyed by the floods. 

Nearly two thirds of its paint was washed away.  

Now partially restored (see photo above), Cimabue's influential crucifix is on display in the Museo dell' Opera of the Santa Croce.

Visit the publisher's site at:

http://www.polistampa.com/php/sl.php?bc=41&idlibro=4003

TRIUMPH FROM TRAGEDY -- DAVID LEES FOR LIFE

A GREAT BOOK OF BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOS FROM THE 1966 RIVER ARNO FLOOD THAT DEVASTATED FLORENCE AND ITS ART COLLECTIONS

Anyone who has marveled at the treasures in the Uffizi, Basilica Santa Croce or dozens of other museums and churches in Florence will be interested in this small, 80-page book of photos of the devastation and recovery.

David Lees died in 2004, in his hillside home overlooking beautiful Firenze.

Four decades earlier, on assignment for Life Magazine, he chronicled the November 4 1966 flood that sent the Arno's waters crashing into ancient Florence at 40 miles per hour.

Human beings lost their lives in the tragedy and thousands upon thousands of rare books and priceless art treasures were damaged beyond comprehension.

Thankfully, hundreds of people young and old -- from Tuscany, from Italy, from all over the world -- went to Florence to help recover waterlogged books and masterpieces.

This book, in stark photographs, tells their stories.

PART 2 TOMORROW -- JULY 17.

TRATTORIA DA BENVENUTO, FLORENCE ITALY -- PART 2

TRATTORIA DA BENVENUTO, FLORENCE ITALY

Everything on the menu, including the wine, is amazingly affordable considering the quality and love that goes into each dish.

The kindly owner, using his limited English, surprised us with a delightful mascarpone cheese cake with fresh berries.  We really didn't have room to split one, let alone two generous slices. 

But hey, it was vacation, so we sinned with the rich mascarpone, trying to convince ourselves that the healthy fresh berries would balance out our indulgence.

One side note of interest to people with disabilities. My wife uses a wheelchair and the kind folks at Benvenuto helped her through the accessible entrance and seated her with no problems. The  restroom is not perfect, but that is often the case in centuries-old buildings in a city whose very well-intended preservation rules make it difficult to remodel even for wheelchair access.

Address: Via della Mosca 16/r, Florence, Italy

Comparison: less expensive than average

Directions: Not far from Piazza della Signoria

Phone: 055/214833

Price: US$11-20

Rating: 5

Theme: Italian

Website: http://www.trattoriabenvenuto.it/