Florence is not a city for bargain hunters, though if you’re after high quality clothes and accessories, paintings, prints, marbled paper, or any number of other beautiful or luxury objects, you’ll find them here. Florence has been a haven of craftsmanship since the Middle Ages, and the city is famous for it’s top quality leather goods and gold. You'll find craft workshops all over the city - try the Santa Croce area for leather-makers, and the Oltrarno for gold and silversmiths. Marbled paper is another Florentine speciality, and, as you may expect, it has some of the best places in the country to pick up books on Italian art, architecture and culture.As a guideline, shops in Florence stay open from 8.30am - 1pm and 4pm – 7.30pm Tuesday to Saturday, afternoons only on Mondays, and closed on Sundays.