Museo Salvatore Ferragamo

About the museum

The Museo Salvatore Ferragamo is a corporate museum devoted to the history of the Ferragamo company, the life of its founder and his creations. It was founded in May 1995 by the Ferragamo family, on the initiative of the widow Wanda and the six children, and in particular Fiamma, to make Salvatore Ferragamo’s artistic qualities and his role in the history of footwear and fashion known to an international public. The idea came from an exhibition on Ferragamo staged at Palazzo Strozzi in 1985, which later travelled to museums such as the Victoria and Albert in London and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art; from that temporary exhibition the Archivio Ferragamo and, in 1995, the museum were born.

The museum is housed in the medieval basement of Palazzo Spini Feroni, built from 1289 by the banker Geri Spini. In the palazzo, the company’s seat and the first Salvatore Ferragamo shop since 1938, masterpieces of Florentine art from the 17th and 18th centuries are preserved, such as the frescoes by Bernardino Poccetti in the chapel on the piano nobile (main floor), executed between 1609 and 1612.

From 2006 the museum has changed its exhibition layout every year, choosing a research theme which, starting from Ferragamo’s experience, intertwines with art, architecture, design, and economic and social history. The exhibition “Salvatore Ferragamo 1898-1960” traces the life of the craftsman, from his birth in 1898 to his death in 1960, and presents the shoes not only as aesthetic objects but as evidence of his skill as an entrepreneur and innovator. The museum is a founding member of Museimpresa and has been a member of ICOM since 2016.

Highlights

• Exhibition “Salvatore Ferragamo 1898-1960” with designer shoe models
• Archive and collection of the company’s creations, drawings and documents
• Seat in the medieval basement of Palazzo Spini Feroni
• Frescoes by Bernardino Poccetti (1609–1612) in the palazzo’s chapel
• Free Wi-Fi, lift and free guided tours by reservation

Permanent exhibition

• Salvatore Ferragamo 1898-1960 – Exhibition tracing the life and work of the craftsman, with his shoes presented as evidence of his entrepreneurial skill, innovation and relationship with art.

Founded

1995

Operated by

Ferragamo S.p.A. / Fondazione Ferragamo

Visitors per year

approx. 60,000

Admission & discounts

Free admission also for teachers at Italian schools, tour guides, journalists, ICOM members and Firenze Card holders. Tickets also online via TicketOne; additional fees may apply for purchases through ticketing services. The guided tour service is free of charge.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

All rooms in the museum can be used in a wheelchair, except one room accessible only via three steps. An accessible audio guide is available.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

Santa Maria Novella railway station is about 10 minutes on foot away.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop
• Coat check
• Wi-Fi

Free Wi-Fi, bookshop and cloakroom.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit