When you think of Tuscany you probably think of landscapes with rolling hills with olive groves and wineries, and of splendid cities of art like Florence, Siena, Pisa, Arezzo, Lucca or Cortona. The city of Florence has always been an attractive open air shopping center with hundreds of shops of all kinds. Lately Tuscany has also become a world famous shopping paradise, thanks to its many outlet shopping centers.
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| The Mall in Leccio, Reggello, Florence |
The first outlet center is The Mall, a favourite with tourists, about 30 km southeast of Florence. Here you can find accessories, shoes, bags and clothing by Italian fashion designers like Gucci, Ferragamo, Valentino, Ungaro, Sergio Rossi and Armani or international designers like Burberry, Yves Saint Laurent, Hogan, Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney. Balenciaga and Yohji Yamamoto.
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| The Mall, Gucci Store |
All these designer shops offer great deals on recent fashion items at outlet prices. The Mall is located in Leccio, near Reggello in the Valdarno area and you can easily reach the shopping center by car by the A1 motorway, by train to the station of Rignano sull'Arno (and from there 3 km by taxi) or by bus from the bus station in Florence next to the railway station Santa Maria Novella.
In this area of Tuscany you find also some factory outlets. Right next to the Mall there is the factory outlet of Fendi.
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| Space, Prada Outlet, Montevarchi, Florence |
Just five minutes from The Mall, 2.5 km away, you find the official Dolce & Gabbana outlet in Pian dell'Isola in Rignano Sull'Arno and Prada has its factory outlet store Space nearby in Levanella, Montevarchi.
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| Fashion Groove |
Quite recently some other, more affordable shopping centers opened their doors in the area near The Mall. Fashion Groove, close to Dolce & Gabbana, is a smaller shopping center with about 10 shops which offer a mix of outlet articles and the newest fashion items.
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| Smart Gallery, Fashion Valley |
On the opposite side of the Arno river there is Fashion Valley or The Smart Gallery, at 2 km from The Mall and 1 km from Dolce & Gabbana. This gallery has about 30 shops with brands like Polo Ralph Lauren, Marc Jacobs, Blauer, Versace, Trussardi, Everlast and Just Cavalli.
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| Designer Outlet Village in Barberino di Mugello, Florence |
The Designer Outlet Village in Barberino di Mugello offers top fashion in the stunning panorama of Val di Sieve. The Renaissance style village is located 35 km north of Florence and has more than 100 shops of national and international brands in men's, women's and children's fashion (Guess, Napapijri, Rifle, Tommy Hilfiger, Timberland, Trussardi, Benetton, Calvin Klein, Fornarina, Lacoste, Diesel, Hugo Boss, Gas, ...), sports goods (Nike, Adidas, Puma, ...), cosmetics (Pupa, Bottega Verde, ...), chocolates (Lindt) and household and other articles (Bialetti, Lagostina, Bormioli, Bose, Samsonite, ...). The outlet village is served by the A1 motorway and public transportation. To get to the Designer Outlet Village in Barberino di Mugello you can also take the SS65, which brings you to your destination through the beautiful Florentine hills.
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| Valdichiana Outlet Village in Foiano della Chiana, Arezzo |
The third outlet shopping center is Valdichiana Outlet Village in Foiano della Chiana in the province of Arezzo. This outlet village offers more than 130 shops of the trendiest brands in all price ranges at outlet prices: Replay, Bata, Benetton, Sisley, Superga, K-Way, Conte of Florence, Gap, Rifle, Gaudì, Kiko, Fornarina, Geox, Guess Jeans, Levi's, Alcott, Calvin Klein, Asics, ...
Fans of Roberto Cavalli may want to go to Sesto Fiorentino to visit the offical Roberto Cavalli outlet which includes items from Cavalli Class and the more accessible Just Cavalli.
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| Via de' Tornabuoni, Florence |
For those who are not into outlet fashion, the most charming way of shopping is definitely strolling through the marvellous city center of Florence. Across the world the city of Florence is considered a veritable fashion capital. There are numerous luxury boutiques and fashion houses, which allow you to shop the famous Made in Italy label. The luxury designer stores are mainly concentrated in the area of Via de' Tornabuoni and Via degli Strozzi, and streets near Via della Vigna Nuova. Via de' Tornabuoni is Florence’s most trendy street, housing all of the big brands.
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| Ponte Vecchio, Florence |
Ponte Vecchio is world famous for its jewelry and goldsmith shops with the famed Florentine-style jewelry. Ponte Vecchio is the oldest bridge in Florence. Its origin dates back to Roman times but it was repeatedly damaged by flooding of the Arno.
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| Goldsmith shops on Ponte Vecchio, Florence |
The bridge has been rebuilt several times. It crosses the river at its lower amplitude and today, it is one of the symbols of the city of Florence. In 1565, the architect Giorgio Vasari built the Vasari Corridor above the shops. From the center of the bridge you can enjoy the view of the beauty of the bridge, the city and the Arno river.
In the nearby Via Roma the stores offer a large assortment of all of the best Italian and foreign designer brands.
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| Church of San Lorenzo, Florence |
The San Lorenzo area is famous for its leather shops. Some time ago it was the city’s largest and most important outdoor market, extending from Via Nazionale to Via dell'Ariento and around the Church of San Lorenzo in the historical center. Nowadays only the leather shops are left, but if you are looking for leather goods, this is still the right place to buy. Moreover, at almost every street corner, you find all kinds of leather stores. There you can purchase anything in leather, including shoes, bags and gloves. Indeed, the city is famous for its long tradition of manufacturing of leather goods.
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| Mercato Centrale |
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| Mercato Centrale |
Also worth a visit is the nearby Mercato Centrale, a large covered market where you can find gourmet foods and traditional Tuscan products. In 2014 the first floor of the Central Market was completely renovated and now houses restaurants, wine bars and brand new specialty food shops.
The main shopping streets in Florence, however, are located on Via de' Calzaiuoli and the surrounding area, which has shops and some better-known chain stores for all budgets. Borgo Ognissanti, Via de' Fossi and Via Maggio are streets with some of the best antiques.
If you arrive in Florence or leave the city by train, you can head into the underground shopping center, below the station Santa Maria Novella, which also allows you to cross the busy square in front of the station safely. Here you can find great bargains while avoiding the heavy traffic in Piazza Santa Maria Novella.
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