In the Heart of Florence
In the heart of Florence, Italy, I studied bag making under Master MAO at Schola Academy. This opportunity was made possible by the family of Scuola del Cuoio, an institution with deep historical roots. In the 1940s, Scuola del Cuoio was founded to teach orphaned children leather artisan skills, giving them a trade and a future once they completed their training. Over time, this mission grew into what is now a world-renowned school, respected across the global leather industry.
What makes this program truly unique is its length and depth. It is the only leather school in the world that offers an intensive 20-week program, designed to fully immerse students in professional bag making.
The Legacy of Scuola del Cuoio
Scuola del Cuoio’s reputation is built on its unique location, unwavering commitment to tradition, and the exceptional quality of its leather goods. Today, it remains the largest genuine leather laboratory in Florence, where visitors and clients can witness artisans creating leather goods within a setting steeped in centuries-old history.
The school has long been honored by the city of Florence itself. Successive mayors have commissioned Scuola del Cuoio to create guest books, albums, and writing pads bearing the city’s coat of arms for official ceremonies. Its clientele has also included the Bishop’s Court, the Italian Ministry of the Interior, the Italian Air Force, the Official Academy of the State Police, and renowned hotels such as the Ritz in Paris and the Hassler in Rome.
Over the decades, Scuola del Cuoio has established prestigious partnerships with companies around the world, including IWV Schaffhausen, Mazda, American Express, RAI – Radio Televisione Italiana, General Electric, Tetra Pak, FIAT, and Philip Morris. These collaborations reflect the school’s reputation for quality, craftsmanship, and the high level of customization offered to its clients.
Following the passing of Silvano Casini and Marcello Gori in 2003, the founding fathers of Scuola del Cuoio, the vision of the school has continued through the Gori family. Today, Marcello Gori’s daughters—Laura, Francesca, and Barbara—along with his grandchildren Tommaso, Filippo, and Beatrice, manage the school. The family remains deeply committed to preserving the tradition of refined craftsmanship and personal customer service that has earned Scuola del Cuoio a distinguished international clientele.
Laura Gori has served as a member of the Santa Croce Advisory Council, contributing to the restoration efforts and cultural programs of the monumental complex. Francesca Gori has also launched a line of hand-stitched, one-of-a-kind handbags crafted from soft deerskin and exotic leathers such as crocodile, ostrich, and python. Her designs are known for their bold color combinations and decorative closures featuring silver, gold, semi-precious stones, fossils, quartz, and amber—often sourced from antique jewelry discovered during her travels across European fairs, markets, and exhibitions.
This section includes information adapted and credited to Scuola del Cuoio’s official history and materials.
The Historical Roots of the School
Scuola del Cuoio was founded in the years following World War II through a collaborative effort between the Franciscan friars of the Monastery of Santa Croce and the Gori and Casini families, Florentine leather artisans whose craft dates back to the 1930s. Their shared mission was clear and humane: to provide war orphans with a practical trade that would allow them to earn a living and rebuild their lives through craftsmanship.
The location of the school is inseparable from Florence’s leather history. Since the 13th century, the Santa Croce district—positioned along the banks of the Arno River—was home to tanneries that depended on large quantities of water. Just steps from the monastery gardens and what is now Scuola del Cuoio, leatherworkers once labored alongside dyers and soap makers, forming a dense network of trades essential to the city.
The surrounding street names still preserve this legacy: Corso dei Tintori (Dyers’ Street), Via delle Conce (Tanneries’ Street), Via dei Conciatori (Tanners’ Street), and Canto delle Mosche, a name inspired by the insects drawn to the remains of the tanning process. This concentration of craft extended beyond Florence itself. As early as the ninth century, a tanning district emerged along the Arno between Florence and Pisa, later known as Santa Croce sull’Arno, which remains one of the most renowned tanning districts in the world today.
For centuries, tanned hides from this region were used throughout the city for leather manufacturing and within the Monastery of Santa Croce itself, where they covered important manuscripts. After the war, Scuola del Cuoio revived and returned these long-standing traditions to the monastery walls, reconnecting Florence’s leather heritage with a new generation of artisans.
This historical overview is adapted and credited to Scuola del Cuoio’s official website and archival materials.
The Craft and the Tools
During my time at Schola Academy, I learned the foundations of professional leather craftsmanship. This included how to properly cut leather, sharpen blades, glue, and sew using Dürkopp Adler machines. We covered pattern making in depth and gained hands-on experience with essential industrial equipment such as the skiving machine, glue machine, and splitting machine.
The course was demanding and immersive, and I would recommend it to anyone—regardless of where they are in their leathercraft journey. Whether beginner or experienced artisan, the program challenges you in ways that expand both your technical skill and your mindset.
Living the Italian Experience
Beyond the workshop, the experience of living in Italy was just as transformative. Learning the language, eating the food, and living within a culture that felt deeply familiar to me made Florence feel like home. It was more than schooling—it was a way of life that shaped how I see my craft and myself.
The course ran from February 10, 2025, to June 27, 2025. Classes officially started at 9:00 a.m., but I arrived every day at 8:30 a.m., Monday through Friday. Occasionally, we had open lab sessions on Saturdays. I was excited to go to school every single day.
An Intensive Rhythm of Learning
Each day was structured around three to four lectures: one early in the morning, one before lunch, another shortly after lunch, and then independent work time. The pace was intense. I was learning so much—not only about leathercraft, but about myself.
I even carried a second phone dedicated entirely to storing videos and photos of the lectures. While documenting everything helped, I still found myself forgetting details at times. That, I learned, is simply the nature of intense focus and mental overload.
Learning the Sewing Machine
One of my biggest challenges was learning how to use a leather sewing machine. Up until then, my entire leather career had been built on saddle stitching by hand. I had never touched a machine.
After about two months, something finally clicked. I developed the rhythm—my foot working in sync with my hands. I primarily used a cylinder arm machine, and once I found the one that felt right, I stuck with it. I rarely used the other four machines in the workshop.
By the end of the program, I was confidently sewing straight lines, curves, piping, binding—everything we were tasked with. That machine became an extension of my body, just like hand stitching once was.
Learning Beyond the School
While the school laid the technical foundation, much of my education happened outside its walls. Florence itself became a classroom. I spent countless hours visiting leather shops, workshops, and small studios scattered throughout the city—spaces run by jacket makers, bag makers, and artisans who had dedicated their lives to the trade.
The city is full of working artisans, and what struck me most was their openness. Shop owners were generous with their time and knowledge, willing to talk about techniques, materials, business, and the realities of sustaining a craft across generations. These conversations deepened my understanding of leather far beyond tools and machines.
My days were immersed in art, literature, history, and leather. Museums, churches, streets, and workshops blended into a single rhythm of learning. I was studying in school and continuing that education after hours, absorbing Florence as a living archive of craftsmanship.
Along the way, I formed friendships that I know will last a lifetime—connections rooted in shared respect for the craft and a love for making things by hand.
Looking Back
This experience was intense, humbling, and deeply rewarding. Florence didn’t just teach me how to make bags—it reshaped how I approach craft, discipline, and purpose as an artisan.
