Conventino outside the walls
A multipurpose space with more than 20 artisan workshops, in Florence
Outside the walls, between Piazza Tasso and Porta Romana, is the Conventino, meaning “small convent”, a landmark for crafts in Florence. It gets its name from its original function, namely that of a convent, built between 1893 and 1896 to accommodate the cloistered nuns of the order of the Discalced Carmelites.
After being turned into a military hospital during World War I and being boarded up for a few years due to damage caused by the war, it was bought by private individuals in the 1920s and was turned into the site of several artisan workshops and artists' studios. It then became a place teeming with arts and culture, where intellectuals, artists, and men of culture like Eugenio Montale, Pietro Annigoni and Venturino Venturi would gather.
Today, the Conventino is home to the Officina Creativa by Artex project, which has led to the complex being turned into a multifunctional space of more than 3500 m² and home to 20 artisan workshops representing the area’s main traditional techniques.
Ceramists, designers, goldsmiths, restorers and many more carry on the Tuscan craft tradition and its history, opening their doors to visitors with workshops for adults and children, conferences and a full calendar of special events.
At the Conventino you can also find a large cloister open to the public and a literary café.
For information on accessibility: feelflorence.co.uk