Salvatore Ferragamo Museum
Salvatore Ferragamo Museum is well done and is situated in the basement of the Ferragamo store at Via dei Tornabuoni. The museum is a little small but it was interesting to learn the history of Ferragamo. It really opened my eyes to fashion history. He started out when he was a young boy. His sisters needed shoes for their confirmation. With no shoe experience he made shoes for their big day. When he got older he got a job at a local shoe shop. After that he started his own shoe store in his parents basement. Eventually, Ferragamo moved to Hollywood in the 1920’s and opened a shop designing shoes for the big stars. He made so many shoes for the stars that I would’ve never known about.
Salvatore Ferragamo Museum has many shoes on display. The exhibits are beautifully laid out with so many spectacular shoes to see. The history and stories behind the shoes was very interesting. He designed for all the beautiful Hollywood icons including such as Lauren Bacall, Greta Garbo, Sophia Loren, Judy Garland, Audrey Hepburn, and many others.
There were some shoes created by Salvatore Ferragamo and some of the tools he used. Salvatore Ferragamo Museum evolves around myths, short stories, fairytales and how shoes/shoemakers have influenced culture over time. There was a wonderful short film based on Ferragamo on how he got started in the shoe business. They also show how the shoes were designed with the anatomy of the foot in mind, (he proceeded to study anatomy at the University of Southern California) among other interesting facts.
I saw the Marilyn Monroe exhibition and it was totally worth it. You go through some draped curtains into a room. It has her Ferragamo shoes, some dresses from some of her movies. It also includes her journal entries and photos being showcased. There is a projector showing clips of her films. It shows you the Marilyn story of fame and her insecurities.
Salvatore Ferragamo Museum has some great areas for some terrific photo opportunities too. They have a huge red shoe chair with rows of red shoes surrounded by mirrors.
When you are done visiting Salvatore Ferragamo Museum you have go upstairs and walk around his store. I don’t think I’ve seen a larger collection of Ferragamo shoes anywhere. They have a huge selection of men and women’s items. It ranges from clothing to accessories and of course his famous shoes. The staff was delightful and friendly. They don’t push you into making a purchase.
I found going to Salvatore Ferragamo Museum very captivating. I suggest going if you have an extra hour and want to see something a little different.
Phone number: +39 055 3360 456
Address: Via dei Tornabuoni 2, 50123 Florence, Italy
Hours: Tuesday Closed
Open Wednesday through Monday 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
