A New Archive of Tuscan Crafts

A Digital Archive of the Experience of Tuscany's Craftspeople

In 1561 duke Cosimo I ordered a survey of the economic activity in the city of Florence. Officially labeled Ricerca delle botteghe di Firenze this census mapped the 2182 active botteghe (workshops) at the time. It details their activity (Orafi, Merciai, Librai, Speziali etc.) as well as their whereabouts (261 located in Santo Spirito, 432 in Santa Maria Novella, 517 in Santa Croce and 972 in the San Giovanni quarter). Though never reprinted, it still stands as an extraordinary “snapshot” of the Florentine economy at the second half of the 16th century. Given the pressures on the traditional crafts sector from both within and without, before it is too late, it is now time to create a new survey–an archive–of Florence’s crafts competences, to ensure that the skills do not disappear forever.