Salvatore Ferragamo Museum – Florence

Thousands of Ferragamo fashion shoes even created for movie stars. Open all year long.

Salvatore Ferragamo Museum, inaugurated in 1995 and housed in the medieval Palazzo Spini Feroni in Florence, is dedicated to the history and activity of the designer Salvatore Ferragamo.

The museum takes up the basement of the building and it is divided into 7 halls:
– the first two are dedicated to the history of the Ferragamo brand and exposes in rotation a selection of shoes, chosen among the 14,000 pieces preserved in the museum’s archive.
– the other 5 halls of the museum are intended for temporary exhibitions.

The permanent shoe collection – The collection documents Salvatore Ferragamo’s entire activity, from his return to Italy from the United States in 1927 until 1960, the year of his death. The shoe models exposed highlight all Salvatore Ferragamo’s technical and artistic skills. Through the choice of colors, the design of the pieces, and the testing of materials, Ferragamo has contributed deeply to the enhancement and affirmation of the “Made in Italy “.

Looking at the shoes exposed in the collection, visitors can understand Salvatore Ferragamo’s relationship with the futurist painter Lucio Venna, author of the Ferragamo shoe label, and of some advertising ads. But also the continuous search for the perfect fit, the use of unusual materials as the famous cork “wedge heel”, patented in 1936, the uppers in raffia or cellophane, and even the candy papers, adopted during the Second World War.

On stage also:
– shoes specially made for Hollywood stars Marilyn Monroe, Greta Garbo, Audrey Hepburn… Even today, watching some movies, Ferragamo shoes are worn by famous actresses, from Nicole Kidman in the film Australia, to Madonna (Evita), Drew Barrimore (Even After: A Cinderella Story) >>>
– A collection of drawings, wooden shapes, documents and photographs used by Salvatore Ferragamo for his creations.

The museum’s mission is to document Salvatore Ferragamo’s creative work in leather goods and footwear and to show the relationship that always existed with art, design, and costume.
For this reason, the collection is enriched every year by some representative seasonal pieces becoming part of the archive the museum draws from for its exhibitions.

USEFUL INFORMATION
Opening hours: everyday from 10.30 am to 7.30 pm
Check the website for any change of opening hours>>>
Admission with a fee change of opening hours>>>
It is recommended to wear a safety mask and to keep an interpersonal distance of at least 1 meter.

A VIRTUAL TOUR is also available>>>

IS FASHION YOUR PASSION?
Discover further museums dedicated to fashion throughout Italy. Clothes, but also accessories…>>>

Photos from Wikipedia
Di Sailko – Opera propria, CC BY 3.0,
Di Sailko – Opera propria, CC BY 3.0,
Di Sailko – Opera propria, CC BY 3.0,
Di Sailko – Opera propria, CC BY 3.0,
Di Esther – Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0,