Craftsmanship in Valdinievole

The name of Pescia is linked to the centuries-old tradition of handmade paper, as evidenced in a document written in 1481.

The Paper Museum in Pietrabuona, one of the ten medieval Castella (country villages) in Valleriana (or Svizzera Pesciatina) protects and continues this historic art. It displays valuable documents and tools, such as the watermarks with the effigies of Napoleon and Maria Luisa d’Austria (1812) and century-old instruments for the creation of craft paper.

Monsummano Terme is one of the most important centres for the production of made in Italy footwear. A tradition that dates back to the early 20th century, even today, all the phases are processed inside excellent workshops, from the choice of hides and skins, to the cut, to stitching and to the final finishing touches.

High-quality leather goods are also made in the areas of Larciano, Vinci and Lamporecchio.

The marsh grasses collected in the Fucecchio Marsh have been used for centuries in the production of everyday objects such as the brushes and brooms typical of Larciano, the stuffing for chairs and demijohns in Monsummano Terme and straw-hats, an artisan tradition that has been kept alive in Lamporecchio.