Florence  shopping:

Coming to Florence doesn’t mean only visiting monuments, but also shopping, because there is a bit of all and for all pockets. The city is famous for its elegance, stylistic subtleties, windows, and for the most prestigious shops and brands in fashion and shoes and like all big cities, offers visitors an endless sea of   choices.

Here is a brief tourist guide among all these temptations:
From Piazza del Duomo  take on the left the spacious “Via Martelli", then continue walking through "Via Cavour”, there are all kinds of shops and in the part near the cathedral best known as “Via Martelli” many bookshops, shoe and clothing shops one next to another.
From Piazza Duomo take on the right  Via Roma  and  after 300 m you arrive in “Piazza della Repubblica”, the real center of Florence (shopping malls, pastry shops, café-bars, name brand shops etc.). From here by walking through Via Calimala it’s possible easy to reach the “Logge del Mercato Nuovo”, best known as  the market of “Porcellino", where the stalls sell affordable souvenirs, hand-made embroideries and straw objects known as “Paglia di Firenze” (Straw of Florence). The next street is “Via Por Santa Maria” connected with “Ponte Vecchio”, the bridge over the river Arno, famous worldwide for its jewelry, goldsmith workshops and the uniqueness and beauty of their gold masterpieces. Past the bridge opens “Via de’ Guicciardini” and “Piazza Pitti” with Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli gardens. (Souvenirs, bags, luggage, belts, leather goods,  etc).

Nearby is the elegant “Via Maggio” that with its ancient palazzos is the perfect place for the Florentine antique shops. All the area around Via Maggio, Via Santo Spirito, Borgo san Frediano, Via dei Fossi, Via della Vigna Nuova and Via del Parione is rich in these beautiful shops.

Across the “Ponte di Santa Trinita” opens Via Tornabuoni, the heart of Italy’s high fashion, the place where  refined taste is at its best. Wonderful shop windows, show rooms, and ateliers of the most famous fashion houses. Shops vary from clothing, shoes, accessories, furrier’s, leather goods, porcelains etc. For tourist information here is a list of some of famous brands that are present in Via Tornabuoni: Armani (clothing); Beltrami (shoes); Buccellato (jewelry); Bulgari (jewelry); Cartier (jewelry); Coveri (clothing); Damiani(jewelry); Dior (clothing); Ferragamo (clothing); Gucci (clothing); Hermes (clothing); Pancaldi (clothing); Pineider (desk sets); Prada (clothing); Tiffany (jewelry); Versace (clothing); Zegna (clothing); Yves Saint Laurent (clothing); Do not miss tasting the specialties of the pastry shops and elegant café-bars in the area (Procacci).

Other well known streets good for shopping are: Via della Vigna Nuova (Loro Piana, Lacoste, La Perla); Via dei Calzaioli (Poggi porcelain and silverware, Coin store); Via Panzani, the street connecting the main train station with Piazza del Duomo and Via San Lorenzo.

The last shopping tour starts from Piazza della Signoria towards the district of “Santa Croce”, an area full of handicraft shops.  Florence is also well known for its traditional leather working and shops and handicrafts are highly concentrated in the Santa Croce quarter, all the way back to Piazza della Signoria.

The district of Santo Spirito is punctuated by craft shops and workshops ( wood works, handicraft jewels, lamps, metal objects, and the famous straw hats. In the square in front of the splendid church of Santo Spirito each 2nd Sunday of the month, the handicraft market takes place.

The nearby quarter of San Frediano hosts many traditional craft shops, producing home furnishing fabrics and hand made shoes, silver and glass creations.

Close to Piazza della Signoria also  is the small market of “Porcellino”, worthy of note for leather products and hand-made embroideries.

Markets:

San Lorenzo Market: On the left of the Duomo opens Via San Lorenzo, with many shop shoes and through which you can reach the open air market of San Lorenzo, where stalls sell everything but mainly offer the opportunity of purchasing leather goods produced in Florence area, such as gloves, belts, bags, jackets, shoes, fashion clothes and fur coats at convenient prices.

Flea-market Piazza dei Ciompi (City center) - From antique furniture to ancient comic books, prints, coins, jewelry, all sorts of junk turns up here. It's fun to browse. 

Market of Santo Spirito: Piazza S. Spirito (Florence). 2nd Sunday of each month (9-19).

Market of St. Ambrogio - Piazza Ghiberti, open 7am-2pm Monday to Saturday): It is the best place to do your daily shopping for fresh products, from fruit and vegetables to all sorts of local cheeses, sausages and other goodies.

Cose d'altri tempi (Things of the past): Piazza Acciaioli, Galluzzo (Florence) - 2nd Sunday of the month (closed on Jan - July -Aug- Sept).

Fortezza Antiquaria: Piazza Indipendenza (Florence) - 3rd weekend of the month (closed on Jan -Apr- July- Aug- Nov- Dec).

SS. Annunziata Fair - P.zza SS. Annunziata  -  March 25

For market lovers, the big “Mercato delle Cascine” is a obligatory stop, not to be missed.  It is Florence's only all-in-one market and takes place each Tuesday along the Park of “Le Cascine”.