The knives of Scarperia
Tradition and manual skills in the village of Mugello
Scarperia can be defined in its own right as the "town of knives" as since its foundation in 1306 it has constantly expressed its inclination to the production of this artifact that has become an integral part of the local economy and culture.
There is no precise information about the origin of the activity: it is sometimes recalled an initial production of sharp irons needed as a defense from the attacks of enemies from the north, or it is said that the production of sharp irons arose as a way to respond to the need for agricultural work in the nearby countryside.
Certainly Scarperia's location along an important communication route to the north favored the rapid growth of this production that went far beyond local needs. As early as the fifteenth century Scarperia had set a prestigious record in the production of knives and other sharp irons, a process that since then has never stopped.
Today there are several prestigious cutlery shops in the center of Scarperia, which are the symbol of a craftsmanship rooted in tradition, but one that is open to tackle the demands of modernity.
