Kota squints in the afternoon light as he brushes a tarry substance onto a leather pad. The black goo is thick and pungent; I can smell it from across the room. But it is necessary -- Kota is applying finishing oil to a fine leather portfolio. Once the oil dries, he will stitch the pad into place. The finished portfolio will then be added to a large pile.
Kota is a student at the Scuola del Cuoio in Florence. He has travelled from Niigata, Japan, to learn traditional craftsmanship at Italy's oldest school of leather. "There are no classrooms with books," says Laura Gori, the school's president. "Nothing written. It's a cultural experience."
Gori's father, Marcello, founded the school in 1950 with the Franciscan Friars of the historic Santa Croce Monastery. The goal, initially, was to provide opportunity for orphans of the Second World War. "They were given hospitality by the Franciscans," Gori explains. "They called my family in. We were leather artisans since the 1930s. We provided the master craftsmen for them."
Over the decades, orphans have given way to international students and curious travellers. Today, visitors can simply spend a few hours watching students and master craftspeople at work -- indeed, celebrities like Grace Kelly, James Stewart and Princess Diana have all stopped in at the school.
But the well-stocked gift shop isn't the only place to nab a handmade wallet, briefcase or gilded jewellery box. Short-term courses in leather craft, ranging from half-day to month-long sessions, teach skills such as cutting, assembling and finishing. Long-term courses, meanwhile, can take up to nine months. These involve hand-stitching and more detailed leather work.
The school's on-staff artisans and longer-term students stock the gift shop and produce items that can also be bought on the school's website. Gori's sister, Francesca, for example, makes her own line of hand-stitched handbags. Novelty items, like leather covers for Napa Valley Wines, are also fashioned. "We take custom orders," Gori says. "We work with people who have their own projects."
Students learn from master craftsmen like Saverio. I watch him use an ancient cutting tool called a trenchet to slice away excess leather from a small strip. The students try to imitate Saverio's deft cutting technique. But their hands aren't as steady. Fine technique comes with experience, patience and practice working with traditional tools.
"This place goes back in the past and keeps the traditional way of working leather," Gori says. "The aim, when we started, was a social goal. Now, the main goal of the scuola is to keep the traditional work alive."
The work is inspiring, as is the school's location. The main workshop is inside ruddy, brick-vaulted horse stables dating from the 13th century. The old monastery, dating from the 15th century, is one floor above. Next door, inside the Santa Croce Basilica, you find the tombs of Michelangelo, Galileo and Machiavelli. Talk about fine company.
The leather tradition at Santa Croce dates back to Renaissance times, when the Franciscans made leather covers for manuscripts and Bibles. In ancient times, the Romans had leather tanneries along the Arno River.
Today, I am content to watch the students and artisans at work. A Romanian student named Ljobisha is making a delicate leather box. His long black hair keeps falling into his face, but he pays no notice. Ljobisha's work requires great skill. He is not relying on pre-programmed machines or computers to measure and cut. He is doing everything by hand.
In this sense, Ljobisha is keeping alive a traditional way of life -- and a traditional culture -- dating back to the Middle Ages.
Scuola del Cuoio: Piazza Santa Croce 16, Florence; 39 (055) 244-533; http://www.leatherschool.com. Visitor admission to the school costs $5. Short-term courses start at about $290. Long-term courses start at around $6,000.
The author travelled to Italy courtesy of Air Transat (http://www.airtransat.com), which offers twice-weekly spring and summer charters.
