Leather handbags, synonymous with Florence’s diverse Renaissance spirit, find their quintessence at Pelletteria Artigiana Viviani. Nestled on Via Guelfa in Florence’s centro storico, the workshop and boutique are within walking distance away from Medicean landmarks like Palazzo Medici Riccardi, the Basilica di San Lorenzo and the iconic Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fio- re. Suffice it to say, when founder Renato Viviani chose the spot in 1965, the historic location was top of mind (it also happened to be the former studio of Giuseppe Poggi, the architect behind Piazzale Michelangelo).
Renato Viviani’s journey with the Pelletteria is as storied as the city of its birth. At the start of his career, Viviani apprenticed in the workshop of Guccio Gucci himself. While Viviani’s craftsmanship flourished, World War II’s clouds blackened Italy’s horizon and drove him across the sea to Argentina. There, he continued his trade in handbags, blending traditional Tuscan craftsmanship with Argentinian leather techniques. For years, he honed his unique aesthetic and dedicated production practices from his Calle General Escalada workshop in Buenos Aires.
By 1965, Viviani, his wife Delia, and their young daughter Viviana returned to Florence to deliver the family business home. Just a year later, Viviani—again—cemented the Pelletteria in legendary Florentine history. On November 4, 1966, the overflowing Arno River drowned most of the city—and Viviani’s brand-new workshop. A deadly catastrophe, the flood hurled at the City of the Baptist its worst blow since the war.
But in traditional Florentine spirit, the disaster did not break Viviani. The workshop was rebuilt. Business resumed as usual and eventually blossomed. Quality materials and head-turning designs flocked fashionistas to the Pelletteria. Before long, Viviani even had a new apprentice.
His daughter, Viviana.
Today, Viviana shares her father’s legacy with her own son, Leonardo. With her husband, Francesco, in charge of material cutting, you’ll find the mother-and-son team in the workshop handcrafting Tuscan leather with the Argentinian-Italian values, skills and techniques used by Renato Viviani in that same room. The workshop’s open layout reveals to customers a nostalgic glimpse of Florence’s retail of old: craftsmen at work, surrounded by hardware, tanned leather scraps and skiving and sewing machines.
Viviana and Leonardo are hands-on—literally. Stitching, dying and painting, embossing and hardware nailing are some of the daily techniques, all done by hand, that eventually become a bag.
“The creative process is never-ending,” said Viviana. “In my everyday life, inspiration for a new design or modification on an existing model can come at any moment. The beautiful, genuine part of artisan work is that we give each piece all the time and attention it deserves, focusing more on quality than on the number of bags we produce.”
The rest of the shop is a storefront. Lining its shelves is a rainbow array of handbags, backpacks, shoulder bags and more. Full-grain calf leather, the pinnacle of quality Tuscan leather, envelopes each design. Shoppers can select from nearly 30 color options, gold or silver hardware accessories and leather or bamboo handles. The options are as endless as each bag’s name; Lucrezia, Clara and Camille are just some of the “ladies” that can join your wardrobe.
Christened with Italian women’s names, each bag pays homage to the Italian femininity and individualism that inspires Viviana’s designs. Pelletteria Artigiana Viviani proudly boasts its Made in Italy label and is also one of the Historical Listed Shops of the City of Florence (Esercizi Storici Vin- colati). This designation brands the store an official Florentine Historical Shop and, amidst a rapidly evolving industry, lets it stand as a beacon of traditional craftsmanship.
A living symbol of Italian quality, heritage and artistry, the Pelletteria is more than a bag brand. It is an ageless pillar of Italian fashion, one for the history books.
