FLORENCE, 6 MILLION FOR THE ARTISANS’ STREET
That’s the amount of funding from the Cr Firenze Foundation for the redevelopment of Via Palazzuolo. Architect Luca Dini carried out the restyling.

Florence Will Have Its Own Artisans’ Street

Florence will soon have its own Artisans’ Street, thanks to the “Recreos” redevelopment project on Via Palazzuolo and Via Maso Finiguerra in the historic center. The project, financed by the Cr Firenze Foundation and featuring a series of regeneration initiatives led by architect Luca Dini, was launched yesterday with the signing of the protocol between the Foundation and the Municipality of Florence.

The heart of Via Palazzuolo will be transformed into an accessible and vibrant urban axis, with some stretches of the street featuring limited car traffic. The first phase involves the revitalization of 46 currently vacant workshops, funded by Cr Firenze. It will also include the installation of greenery, improved lighting, and the renovation of some sidewalks, for a total investment of 5-6 million euros in this phase, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2026.

Additionally, all the new shops will have rent-free leases for the first three years. “This project is unique in the world for supporting the artisan sector, which is one of our region’s crown jewels. The idea is to replicate this format not only in other Italian cities but also internationally,” explained Bernabò Bocca, President of the Cr Firenze Foundation, to MFF. He continued: “We already have 230 artisans interested in opening here, of which 130 do not yet have a business, while 82 already have a workshop in the city and are interested in moving to the new street. In selecting the first 46, we will prioritize young people and ensure a balanced mix of different types of products.”

Echoing this sentiment was Luca Dini, known for global projects such as Sindalah Island, who contributed his work to the Florence project free of charge. “I won’t deny that I’ve wanted for some time to work for my own city, and this is the first opportunity,” he added. “We were inspired by places like Notting Hill in London and Dumbo in New York—streets that have become super cool today—to create a livable space that attracts artisans and people eager to discover something different, a place that can come alive in the evenings as well. ‘Recreos’ means putting back together what had been somewhat neglected, and I like to think of it as a project of urban and social beauty.”