Mugello artistic crafts
The manual dexterity and artistic skills of the many craftsmen of Mugello is the result of a manual culture passed on from one generation to the next up to this day. Old trades are not just a fascinating underlying theme to go hunting for hidden corners in these old towns and villages but – together with the outstanding agricultural produce – an excellent opportunity to rediscover the pleasure of shopping for quality.

Traditional skills
Several trades are typical of the rich and ancient manufacturing tradition of Mugello: the cutlers of Scarperia, the sandstone cutters at Firenzuola, the ceramists of Barberino and Borgo San Lorenzo, as well as wrought iron, woodworks and leather goods manufacturers, embroiders, wicker and straw weavers... these are just a few of the ancient skills that craftsmen have been handing down for centuries in the valleys and towns of Mugello: Scarperia, Firenzuola, Palazzuolo sul Senio, Borgo San Lorenzo, Marradi, Vicchio and Barberino di Mugello.

A Museum trail recounts the skills of local craftsmen
The value of tradition is still lovingly cherished in Mugello, and it is not by haphazard that several collections of working tools and household goods evoking the crafts and life of old have sprung up all over the area. The demo-ethno-anthropological system of the Mugello 'Museum network' includes museums and displays devoted to the traditional activities and historic trades: the Museum of Cutting Blades in the Palazzo dei Vicari at Scarperia, the Museum of Farm Life and Customs of Casa d'Erci at Grezzano, the Museum of the Mugello Grey Sandstone in Citadel of Firenzuola, the Museum of Mountain Folk in the Captains' Palace of Palazzuolo sul Senio, the Museo of Vine and Wine in the Villa di Poggio Reale at Rufina and the Craft and Farming exhibition at Sant'Agata di Scarperia. In the early 20th century Galileo Chini, himself the heir of a family of Mugello ceramists, became one of the most celebrated artists of the Italian Art Nouveau. The Chini manufacturing activity came to an abrupt end in 1943 after a terrible bombing, but we can still appreciate their stylish creations in the Manifattura Chini museum at Borgo san Lorenzo.

Workshops and markets
Under the rising political influence of Florence in the 14th century, several new towns were founded in the Mugello area. The fact that these new towns were meant for commercial as well ad military and administrative purposes is still clear by such architectural features as arcades, large squares and streets flanked with stores and workshops of all sorts. For the same reason, Mugello still boasts a thriving tradition of fairs and markets, to which we have devoted a whole page in the events section.

The Barberino di Mugello Fashion Outlet
Seven centuries later, Mugello hosted the foundation of yet another 'market town': in March 2006, Barberino di Mugello saw the grand opening of a new Designer Outlet with some 100 specialist stores of top brands in fields such as clothing and fashion for ladies, men and children, footwear, home furnishings, accessories and even electronics. Fashion-addicts and shopaholics will find it hard to resist names like CK jeans, Prada, Guess, Pollini, Missoni, Bruno Magli, Puma, Adidas, Bose, Pal Zileri, and Diffusione Tessile at hugely discounted prices.