The Pandemics Effect on Italian Artisans

Ever since I went to school in Florence and spent time with the makers and artisans, I realized that I am also a craftsmen. The craft of hand-making communications, in the tradition of the guilds. I interviewed several makers over the decades for a project I call Italy By Hand. Now decades later, there are still fewer remaining and with the arrival of Covid, even the diehards are being forced to close their doors, ending generations of passed-down know-how.

So I took note when I got a message recently from a former client turned friend, Kris Garland, about this exact subject. Kris said:

“I’ve been taking leather-working classes in the Oltrarno area of Florence the last several years but I had to cancel in 2020 – I’ve kept in touch with my teacher and her son – they come from generations of shoe makers. I offered my support to them in August to make sure they could keep paying their shop rent. Unfortunately, many artisans there that rely on foot traffic in their bottegas are months behind in their rent, getting by on credit cards if they can, but many are already gone.

Part of the problem is that they are leaving one by one – the individual closures are not news, but there are so many now we feel it’s time to sound the alarm. They may go back to Covid red -zone soon which would be yet another hit to their bottom line. I’ve been working with some of the artisans there to create the Artisan Quarter Association to help the artisans in the Oltrarno and that is what you see on our website Artisan Quarter.

Being a marketer, I’ve put together a strategic plan for this which include alliances that might be able to help us. In thinking about my own circle of friends, family and colleagues – who in that group might be interested in helping to spread the word.”

Kris and I have a Zoom call planned to see how like-minded people might be able to keep more doors open, and more age-old wisdoms from being lost. Open to your ideas and participation as well.