Made in Tuscany is a bellwether of style and functionality. We start 2021 by bigging up the brands who make a difference in our daily lives.
Top left to bottom left (clockwise): IVV glassware, Mangusta Yachts, Locman watches, Laika caravans, all made in Tuscany
The sun is rising over the cypress trees as you stretch in the comfort of your wrought-iron Caporali bed, made in Subbiano, Arezzo since 1885. Pad into the Officine Gullo kitchen, a timeless masterpiece emblazoned with the Florentine giglio and produced on the premises in Antella, near Florence. Switching on the La Marzocco coffee machine, meticulously engineered in the Mugello since 1927, it’s time to fill the sleek Mini with the best of beans lovingly sourced around the world and roasted in Florence by D612. Wipe down your Carrara marble worktop with Regina kitchen paper from Porcari, near Lucca, then sip some Acqua Panna, fresh from its fourteen-year journey through the aquifer and springing forth in Scarperia.
In the bathroom, shower with Calenzano-headquartered Manetti & Roberts toiletries before refreshing with Marvis toothpaste and preen with Proraso shaving products, both manufactured by Ludovico Martelli in Fiesole. Dress in an Ingram shirt, stitched in Sansepolcro, high fashion trousers by the likes of Gucci or Pucci, and a contemporary sweater using recycled fibres by Bob Company, with handmade footwear by Saskia Wittmer, Stefano Bemer or Florentine behemoth Salvatore Ferragamo. Don a scarf by Nora Kravis’ Chianti Cashmere and a bright orange Casentino wool coat by Tessilnova. Strap on your dependable timepiece by Locman (Elba Island), U-Boat (Lucca), Visconti (Florence) or Panerai (Florence) before hopping on your Pontedera-produced Piaggio motorbike or taking the Pistoia-built AnsaldoBreda tram. Cleanse with lavender-scented hand sanitizer by Lucca brand Erbario Toscano before starting your working day at an inspired desk designed by Novo Italia in Quarrata. Savour a lunch served on Richard Ginori 1735 plates and the table laid with historic Busatti woven linens from Anghiari, Pampaloni Florentine silverware, creative centrepieces by IVV in the Valdarno and stemmed eco-crystal glasses from RCR in Colle di Val d’Elsa. Back at work, arrange to have your company’s own Tuscan-made goods shipped anywhere in the world by Savino del Bene, established in Scandicci in 1899.
On returning home, curl up under a blanket by Prato-based Lanificio B while reading The Florentine (of course! In print or digital) and La Nazione, one of Italy’s oldest newspapers, founded in 1859. Finish the day with an immune-system-boosting tincture by Sansepolcro healthcare company Aboca—if you’re feeling a little under the weather, your doctor might have prescribed medicines by Menarini—and apply Sesto Fiorentino’s Idea Toscana face cream concocted from organic local olives. Turn off your low-impact recycled Re+ lamp by Maniplast and dream of a Viareggio-constructed yacht (Sanlorenzo or Mangusta, perchance) exploring the open Mediterranean in the sweet summer of 2021. Or more realistically, a Laika camper van from San Casciano Val di Pesa…
Tuscany’s focus on international trade is borne out in the share of Tuscan exports compared to total Italian exports, with a percentage of over 7.5%. Fashion, engineering and precious metalworking sectors are the primary sectors for exports. (Source: ISTAT, Italian Office for National Statistics)
